Of everything that affects how a portrait session turns out, lighting does more heavy lifting than most people realise, more than the camera, the location or even the outfit.
Soft, directional light flatters most faces and settings, while harsh or flat light tends to work against almost everything. This is exactly why studio sessions use a controlled setup rather than leaving it to chance, and why location sessions are usually timed around the light rather than around convenience.
Two photographers can shoot the same brief and get noticeably different results, even with similar technical skill, and light is usually why.
See also: The best time of year to book a portrait session in London.
See the Portraits page for pricing, or get in touch directly.
FAQs
Two common questions, answered.
Where do portrait sessions happen?
Most sessions run at LemonShark Studio, 769 Fulham Road SW6, five minutes from Parsons Green. On request sessions run on location anywhere in London: an office, a street, a park that means something.
What is a branding session?
A longer session, from £1,000, built for founders and small teams needing more than one look. Multiple setups and locations feed a full image library for a site and social channels.
Further reading
More on this, if useful.
Comments
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
Holly Nair
Wish I’d found this sooner.
Divya Bond
Sent this straight to a friend.
Nadia Sharpe
Booked a portrait session in Parsons Green last month and this matches my experience exactly.
Amir Stone
As someone who’s booked a few of these, this is genuinely accurate advice.
Divya Khan
Old post but still spot-on advice.
Ella Chowdhury
Never realised how much lighting changes a portrait session until reading this, genuinely changed what I asked for at my next booking.