It's always exciting to return to do school portraits at Hazlegrove. Everyone is so welcoming, and since being 'interviewed' by the then Headmaster Richard Fenwick a couple of decades ago, I've returned most years.
Such is the regularity of sign-up by some parents that I end up in discussion with their child or children as to where we did the portraits last year, and we then head-off to a different part of the school grounds! It is such a wonderful place with a plethora of places to photograph - my personal favourite being the area occupied by two huge oak trees and the go-kart track.
As you can imagine, I've had everyone from the shyest to the massively outgoing, and ended up getting great images of both.
Indeed, over the years, it has been a joy to see young people coming out of their shell. So if you're uncertain about signing up, give it a try; you're likely to be increasingly pleased that you did. If you've browsed my website at all, there are some words in the Headshots section that are equally applicable to your child: "if you're smiley then smile, if not then don't. Just be yourself."
The weather really doesn't matter too much. The follow-on from being accepted by Mr Fenwick, was some sample images to put up for parents. I ended photographing in the bus-shelter in a thunderstorm. Windy days do fun things with hair, and there is normally somewhere to shelter from a shower.
One word of warning, on a positive note - I do natural, many youngsters turn up in stained uniform, with hair all over the place, and clothes in all states of untuckedness. But that is them, like an overgrown hedge, even the finest gardener cannot turn it to perfection. And after all, don't you want images of your child as they are. A quick hairbrush and straighten by the Gap year student who helps, and I go for it.
Such is the pleasure that parents get from these images, that they commission me to do Family Portraits, in a similar style. Both really are a great investment - straight into the memory-bank.
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