Frequently Asked Questions

Sessions are available midweek or at weekends. Just let me know when suits you best, and we’ll find a date and time that’s convenient for your family and that suits your child’s routine.

We’re after a time when your children won’t be particularly tired or hungry.

I recommend a 10am start as little ones tend to be at their best in the mornings, and the light is best then too.

For newborns, I recommend either 7-10 days from your baby's EDD (not their actual arrival date), or waiting for their 6-week milestone. You can see more on this here: www.louiserosephotography.com/scheduling-newborn-photography

For babies and older children, the simple answer is any age! Don't worry too much, I’ve got years of experience with all ages and can take beautiful photographs no matter how old your baby or child is. There are ages that work particularly well for portrait sessions, though – see this blog post for my recommendations.

I photograph families throughout the year. Each season has something special to offer, so my main advice here is not to worry too much about the time of year.

I’ll look for fairly similar lighting conditions, so even if it’s a very sunny day, we’ll find some gentle shade for flattering photographs.

If it’s a rainy day, we’ll keep an eye on the weather and go outside when there’s a break in the rain. It never rains solidly for hours! Umbrellas can be fun to incorporate in the photographs too, and we can head to interesting locations that provide cover.

Read more on the different times of year here.

Please bear in mind that my busiest times are April-July and September-November so if you’d like a session in these months, plan a couple of months ahead (at least) to avoid disappointment.

Once you’ve booked, I’ll send you an information gathering form to find out more about your priorities and what you’d like from the photographs, as well as some more information about your family.

We’ll then arrange a phone conversation to discuss your session and how to prepare for it.

I’ll give you a (short!) list of what to have to hand, and pointers on what to wear.

The simple answer is clothes that you feel comfortable and relaxed in. I want your photographs to bring back memories of your family life, so there’s certainly no need to go out and buy new clothes for the occasion.

I’ve put together lots of tips and pointers over the years based on what works particularly well, as well as some things to avoid - and will share this with you before your session.

We'll discuss this before your session. In brief, this might include favourite toys, storybooks, bikes, scooters, squeaky toys for babies, picnic blankets and a change of clothes in case of muddy puddles!

As well as this, it’s also a good idea to bring snacks and a drink with you for your children.

With maternity sessions, we'll usually spend the whole session outdoors - but we can also take some at home, if you like. We’ll discuss what you’d like from the photographs, and that will guide how we plan your session. It’s great to go somewhere that’s meaningful to you as a couple – a park you walk in often, for example.

With newborns, we’ll typically spend the session at home. With longer sessions, there's scope to head outdoors for a bit too.

With a family session, I suggest meeting at home so your children can get used to having a camera around where they feel most comfortable and relaxed. Once I’ve photographed your children playing with their favourite toys and taken some family portraits indoors, and your children seem happy and used to the camera, we’ll head outdoors. We can either spend time in your garden or your local park, or we can travel to one of London’s beautiful parks and commons. See my favourite locations for outdoor photographs here.

This depends on what kind of session you have. Maternity sessions are 1 or 2 hours; newborn and family sessions are 2-hours or 3-4 hours.

I’ll send you more information and examples so you can see what will suit you best, and I’m very happy to discuss with you to help you choose the option that’s right for you.

I usually spend an equal amount of time indoors and outdoors on a family portrait session.

If you’re particularly keen on one or the other, just let me know. My priority is to give you photographs that you love, so if you have any preferences, do tell me!

I follow your child’s pace, so when they’re ready for a break that’s often when we’ll head outdoors.

I totally understand feeling camera shy – I fall into this camp myself!

As a full-time photographer, I’ve developed a range of techniques over the years to help people who are nervous about being in front of the camera.

I’ll always make sure you feel comfortable, and I’ll never ask you to pose awkwardly – I promise you’ll never feel silly.

You can read more about how I photograph camera shy parents here.

No matter how camera shy you or your partner feel, focus on the main goal – meaningful photographs that will bring back memories of family life for years to come. Your children will cherish the photographs when they grow up, and won’t give a hoot about whether your waistline used to be more streamlined in your youth!

I always recommend speaking to the priest or vicar who'll be conducting the service - find out if they have any restrictions on photography. Some have preferences as to where the photographer can stand, if they can move around during the service, and sometimes have restrictions on which parts of the service can be photographed.

Reassure your priest that I don't use flash, and am very discreet.

This partly depends on your religion, but for Catholic, Protestant and Greek Orthodox christenings, most parents choose a white outfit for their babies.

If your child is being christened a little older, parents usually choose a smart outfit but not necessarily white.

It's always asking your church if they have any guidance on this.

As well as any required items for the service itself (e.g. a towel, christening gown, necklace), it's well worth bringing toys that your baby can play with during the service - something that will hold their attention. A picture book can be a surprisingly good option.

Do also bring extra nappies, and snacks for older children.

It's well worth packing a spare outfit for all your children, so if they spill something, you can change them into a smart alternative.

A basic booking covers half an hour before the service, and half an hour afterwards - so there's plenty of time to photograph your friends and family arriving, and to take some group shots afterwards.

You're welcome to add extra time to your booking to cover getting ready photos, or photos of the reception afterwards. This is booked by the hour - we can discuss what you have in mind and I'll recommend how much time you'll need.

Sessions are available midweek, at a time that suits you.

If you'd like natural light, I recommend a 10am start. If you're happy with studio lighting, we can do the afternoon.

Once you’ve booked, I’ll send you a set of pointers on what to wear, and makeup tips too if you wear it.

I'll send you an information gathering form, to find out more about your priorities.

We’ll then arrange a phone conversation to discuss your session, and what you'd like from your headshots.

The simple answer is clothes that you feel comfortable in, and that you'd wear to meet a client.

I’ve put together lots of tips and pointers over the years based on what works particularly well, as well as some things to avoid - and will share this with you before your session.

Bring a spare change of clothes, just in case what you're wearing doesn't work well. Likewise, if you're wearing jewellery, it's worth bringing some options.

If you wear make up, bring your make up with you for touch-ups.

Bring a hairbrush or comb.

If you wear glasses, leave your photochromic / adaptive pair at home! We don't want them suddenly turning dark 🙂

We can either take your headshot in your workplace, in your home, in a studio in Brixton or Angel, or an outdoor location. I can recommend locations that will suit you and your brand.

Mini headshot sessions last around half an hour, personal branding sessions last up to 2.5 hours.

I totally understand feeling camera shy – I fall into this camp myself!

As a full-time photographer, I’ve developed a range of techniques over the years to help people who are nervous about being in front of the camera.

I’ll always make sure you feel comfortable, and I’ll never ask you to pose awkwardly – I promise you’ll never feel silly.

Sessions are available midweek, at a time that suits you.

To make the most of natural light, I recommend a 10am start.

Once you’ve booked, I’ll send you a prep guide including a set of pointers on what to wear, and makeup tips too if you wear it.

I'll send you some questions to give me a sense of you and your business.

We’ll then arrange a phone consultation to discuss your photoshoot, and what you'd like from your photos.

My goal is for you to feel fully prepped before your session, so we have a good idea of the look and feel of the photos you're after.

Typically, the shoot will take place in your home or workplace.

If you're concerned these environments won't work, we can discuss that and come up with a solution.

There are studios I hire sometimes - in Angel, in North Kensington and one in Brixton. We can see if they might be a good option for you - budget around £100 for studio hire.

Another option is to use a house in Balham, owned by an interior designer; or a staged home office in Putney Bridge.

We can discuss what the space needs to offer, and work out where will be best for your photos.

The simple answer is clothes that you feel comfortable in, and that you'd wear to meet a client.

I’ve put together lots of tips and pointers over the years based on what works particularly well, as well as some things to avoid - and will share this with you before your session.

Bring any branded items you might have, we'll see if we can incorporate these into your branding photos.

We'll have drawn up a loose shot list, which will include a list of any props or items that we'll need for your photos.

Bring a spare change of clothes, just in case what you're wearing doesn't work well. Likewise, if you're wearing jewellery, it's worth bringing some options.

If you wear make up, bring your make up with you for touch-ups.

Bring a hairbrush or comb.

If you wear glasses, leave your photochromic / adaptive pair at home! We don't want them suddenly turning dark 🙂

If we're taking product shots, it's a good idea to bring an iron in case anything needs straightening up.

We can either take your photos in your workplace, in your home, or outdoors. Other options include a studio, a house or a staged home office.

For full-day sessions, we can visit a few locations to take photographs that reflect different sides of your personality and your business.

A One-Week Pack (7 photos for your social media) lasts up to 1 hour.

A One-Month Pack (30 photos for your social media) lasts up to 3 hours.

Half-day branding sessions last up to 3 hours.

Full-day branding sessions last up to 6 hours.

I totally understand feeling camera shy – I fall into this camp myself!

As a full-time photographer, I’ve developed a range of techniques over the years to help people who are nervous about being in front of the camera.

I’ll always make sure you feel comfortable, and I’ll never ask you to pose awkwardly – I promise you’ll never feel silly.

If you'd like photos with clients or customers, we can discuss who best to do this.

In many cases, your actual customer base is the best place to start.

You might also be able to coax a friend or two into helping, particularly if you can offer them a little freebie from your business as a thank you.

If you need children or babies, we can discuss ways of reaching out to parents - local Facebook groups, for example.

For family sessions, I’ll send you the link to your password-protected online gallery a week after your portrait session; or two weeks after a christening.

With headshots, I'll send you the unedited photos the next day (sometimes the same day) for you to make your selection from. Once you've chosen the photos you'd like to keep, I'll edit those and return them to you within 2 working days.

With branding sessions, I'll send you the link to your online gallery two weeks after your session.

Your photographs are fully edited (eg colour corrected, any cropping necessary to straighten an image slightly) and gently retouched.

I’m very happy to remove the little scratches and spots that life throws at us.

I'll remove any wrinkles or bits of fluff that may have crept in - no extra charge for making sure your photos are tip-top.

More detailed retouching is available (but rarely necessary), charged at an hourly rate.

Yes – I provide every photograph in both colour and in B&W.

Branding photos are provided in colour by default, and if you'd like them in B&W too, I'll edit them for you at no extra charge.

Maternity, newborn and family sessions: you can expect around 20 photographs from a 1-hour session, 40+ from a 2-hour session and 70+ from a 3-4 hour session.

Christenings: you can expect 60+ digitals from coverage of just the service; and 150+ digitals from coverage of the service plus reception.

Headshots: you can expect 20 photographs in your gallery.

Branding photography: 100+ digitals from a half-day session, or 150+ from a full-day session.

No, because this isn’t my finished product – the high-resolution, edited and print-ready jpeg is.

When I take a photograph, I know how I plan that photograph to turn out – I choose the camera settings accordingly, that will allow me to get it there from the Raw file.

It’s part of the service provided that the Raw files are expertly edited before being provided as jpegs - in the same way that a restaurant provides a cooked meal and not just the ingredients!

Around a week after your session, we'll have your Design Call on Zoom. This is a no-obligation opportunity to design any items you're considering, and be sure you'll love the end result of any products you might order.

My previous role managing a photography gallery, combined with my Design degree, means I can provide you with expert support in how to display your photographs beautifully.

You can see scale mockups to see exactly how different size frames would look on your walls, and we can discuss what will suit your home best.

If you're planning on ordering prints, we can crop them together to be sure you'll like how they're cropped at particular sizes.

If you're thinking of creating an album, I can show you the various sizes and formats, so you can make your album just the way you'd like it.

Remember that any orders placed on your Design Call benefit from a 10% discount.

Digitals are available to download immediately, fine art prints and frames will be with you in two weeks, and albums will be with you a month after you approve the layout.

Of course, I totally respect your privacy.

I send every family a form to complete about how and where their photographs can be shared (e.g. on my website or social media).

It's completely up to you which permissions you give, and if you'd prefer to keep your photographs completely private that's absolutely fine.