Introduction

You might be wondering "how does he know all this stuff about photography - I thought he was a Portrait Artist"?

A reasonable comment, but consider this: Who came first, the Photographer or the Artist? Obviously the answer is the Artist, and in the days before photography, the artist's first considerations were always; how do I light the subject, how do I pose them, where do I place them on the canvas, what do I put in the background?

Sadly, I have to rely on others to deal with these considerations when they take or select photographs for me to work from, and unhappily many people (both amateurs and professionals) seem to point and shoot (they look but do not see), with the consequences that the excellence of my artwork is limited from the outset.

I hope that setting-out some simple guidance will help clients to help me produce a wonderful portrait for them.

I invest a great deal of my time attempting to talk clients through an assessment of their photos, and explain what the problems are. Often, I have to persuade people not to commission a portrait from a hideous snap-shot, which is ultimately work for no pay.

If you have taken the trouble to read this page, I will give you a 25% discount if you commission me to reproduce a really good photograph. All you have to do is ask for a discount.