faqs
Below are the answers to some of my most commonly asked questions. If you don't find the information you're looking for, please don't hesitate to get in touch, either by using my contact me page or by emailing directly at [email protected] and I'll be delighted to help!
Tell me a bit about yourself please!
Hi, I'm Laura! Before taking up photography full time, I was a primary school teacher and SENCO. After a career break while my two children were little, I started up my business in 2013 as I love interacting with children through my photography and meeting new families is my favourite part of this job. I take a relaxed and friendly approach to my work, so if you have any questions or need more information, feel free to get in touch!
What is your style?
My photographic style is very much a lifestyle based approach. This means taking natural photos of children having fun and being themselves, in beautiful surroundings. I try to avoid much posing (although of course if you'd like a more traditional posed family photo that's fine too) and instead I prefer to watch you interacting and having fun as a family and take photos of this. If your children are anything like mine, the worst thing you can possibly do is stick them in front of a camera and tell them to smile!
Where are you based? Where do photo shoots take place? How long is a photo shoot?
I'm based in Eastburn, West Yorkshire. This means I'm within easy reach of places like Skipton, Ilkley, Silsden, North Leeds and the surrounding areas in both North and West Yorkshire. I'm happy to travel approximately 45 minutes drive from BD20 which gives us plenty of lovely options. I never shoot in a studio, instead photo sessions take place on location, usually outdoors, or, in the case of young babies, in the comfort of your own home. If you have somewhere outdoors in mind for a photo session I'm happy to discuss this with you, or I have a list of ideas which I will discuss with you when you are in the process of making your booking. Photo shoots are usually about an hour and a half long, however I don't clock watch and the children are very much in charge!
Which days are you available? How far in advance do I need to book?
I'm available 7 days a week, though my weekend slots are limited and do get booked up quite far in advance - often by a few months during peak periods. My weekday dates are usually only booked up a few weeks in advance, but please note these are mostly term time only, with limited availability during school holidays.
Help! I've booked a photo shoot with you for my child but they're poorly. Can I reschedule?
Don't worry! As a mum myself I understand that children get ill, often at the most inconvenient times! Just get in touch with me as soon as possible and let me know so we can reschedule to a later date at no additional cost.
I've booked an outdoor photo shoot with you and it's forecast to rain - what happens now?
I've come to accept that occasional rain is just part of the adventure with outdoor photography here in England! Thankfully, more than 90% of my sessions go ahead without any rain at all. If the forecast is wet, I'll work with you to find a new date as soon as possible (or we can still go ahead if you are up for some puddle jumping!). For full details about weather conditions, please check out my "What to Expect" page.
Do you photograph newborns and young babies?
Yes! I love doing newborn photo shoots in the comfort of you own home. My general advice is that once they can confidently sit unaided then they are ready for an outdoor shoot. Before this age the photo shoot can take place in your own home and I will bring all the equipment that we need to get some great photos of your new arrival. Should you wish to book a baby session or simply find out some more details then please contact me for further details. Please note that for the "sleepy" newborn photos that are very popular then the photo shoot should ideally take place before the baby is 2 weeks old so booking in advance is highly recommended so that I can put your due date in my diary and we'll then arrange a firm date once you've given birth. Please see my Newborn section for further details.
I'd like to book a photo shoot - what happens next?
Great! Please get in touch using the Contact Me page to book a date. Please note a deposit of £50 is payable to secure the booking, with the remaining balance due on or before the day of the photo shoot. If booking a shoot then please also make sure to check out my "What to Expect" page for lots of information you will hopefully find helpful.
Do you do gift vouchers?
I do - please see my gift voucher page for details. Both eGift vouchers and physical vouchers are available to purchase.
How do I get my photos? Can I buy my prints through you?
As part of the fixed price for the photo shoot you will receive the digital files of all the best photos, carefully edited and in a password protected online gallery, from where you can download them for your unlimited personal use so that you can get them printed anywhere you like. Friends and family can also download their own copies if you'd like at no extra cost - simply send the link and password to anyone you'd like to have access to the gallery. If you'd like to purchase your prints through me then yes, you can, but you absolutely don't have to! Most of my clients choose to order prints themselves and I'm always happy to make recommendations for places that I use personally.
As well as the edited photos you provide, can I see all the other, unedited, photos that you took please?
I get asked this questions quite a lot and I completely understand why - it's only natural to want to see the photos that I didn't select, to make sure I didn't miss any good ones! Please be assured however that I never place a limit on the number of edited photos that I provide to you and I will always include absolutely all the nice shots. If in doubt, I will always choose to include a shot rather than discard it as I'd never want you to miss out! The files that get deleted will either be duplicates of ones already provided (as I often take up to 10 photos per second), blinking or unflattering expressions, or simply that I'm not happy with the photo for technical reasons and it doesn't meet my high standards. Additionally, the photos are taken in RAW format which requires specialist software to open and view, so to even to convert the photos into jpegs and then transfer them over would require a significant amount of extra work (even with no editing involved).
Are you DBS checked?
Of course! I am happy to share my DBS certificate with any clients who would like to see it.
Are you available for other types of photography?
I am, yes! As well as family and newborn photography, I also do marketing photography for schools and nurseries, as well as photography for other local businesses. Some of the projects I have done include marketing sessions for restaurants, bespoke furniture designers, landscape photography for a website, headshots and property photography for holiday home marketing materials. If you have something in mind then please do feel free to get in touch to see how I might be able to help you out with your photographic requirements.
