Råd
A Portfolio Review Session for Newborn Photographers
Råd is a Norwegian, Swedish and Danish word. It means advice.
That is exactly what this is.
What Is Råd
Råd is a 45 minute one to one online session where we look at your newborn photography together and I give you honest constructive feedback on how to improve it.
Not to pull it apart. Not to undermine your confidence. But to give you the kind of specific actionable feedback that makes a real difference the next time you pick up your camera.
I have spent hours looking at photography on Instagram. Not scrolling mindlessly but genuinely analysing images. And so many times I find myself wanting to message a photographer and say give me 20 minutes of your time and I can really help you. Råd is that conversation.
How It Works
Before your session send me a selection of your images, direct me to your website, your Instagram account or a client gallery, or do both. There is no set number of images. Your 45 minutes will be used to your maximum advantage and I will make sure every minute counts.
I will look at your work carefully before the call and come prepared with specific observations and suggestions.
On the call I share my screen and we go through your images together. You can ask questions at any point and I will give you practical advice on exactly how to make the changes I am suggesting.
After the call I will send you a recording of the session so you have a full reference to come back to whenever you need it. No scribbling notes. No trying to remember everything. Just watch it back as many times as you like.
What You Will Get From Råd
Specific feedback on your images that is honest, warm and completely constructive.
Clear actionable steps that you can implement in your very next session.
Answers to any questions you have about your work, your style or your approach.
A full recording of the session to refer back to.
And something that is harder to describe but just as valuable. My voice in your head the next time you are in a similar situation telling you what to do differently.
That is what a good portfolio review does. It does not just improve the images you have already taken. It changes how you see and how you shoot from that point forward.
Why I Believe in Portfolio Reviews
I was a wedding photographer for over 16 years. I was good but I wanted to be better. I wanted to shoot in a documentary style and was told by more than one person that you either had it or you did not. That you could not learn it.
I thought that was rubbish.
So I sought out the best people I could find. I worked with Paul Rogers, an ex Sunday Times photojournalist turned documentary wedding photographer. Two Mann, extraordinary Canadian photographers who see things completely differently. Kevin Mullins, a brilliant wedding photojournalist and street photographer. And Jeff Ascough, famous for his black and white documentary style and his grumpiness. His very talented wife Sarah was there too and I learned as much from her as from anyone.
I did online workshops, second shot a wedding with Paul, attended a week long workshop, spent a day on street photography and did several portfolio reviews.
The portfolio reviews were the most immediately useful of all of it. They showed me exactly where I could have done something differently. Sometimes it was a small thing. A tiny adjustment that would have elevated the image significantly. But the next time I was in a similar situation I had Paul or Kevin or Erika's voice in my head telling me what to do.
That is what I want to give you. Not a list of criticisms. Not a score out of ten. Just an honest conversation about your work and a clear sense of what to do next time.
I still critique my own work after every session. Small improvements made consistently over time are how you get from good to exceptional. Råd is simply that process with someone experienced alongside you.
What Improvement Actually Looks Like
These three images tell the story better than any words can.
The first is one of my own early images. The connection between mum and baby is real and the light is controlled. But there are things I would do differently now.
The second is the same image re-edited. No reshooting. No changing the moment. Just different editing choices that lift the image significantly.
The third is a recent image of a similar pose at my current standard. The result of consistent practice, deliberate critique and small improvements made session after session.
That progression is available to every photographer who is willing to look honestly at their work and make the changes.
Investment
Råd is £95 for a 45 minute session including your full session recording.
To book send me an enquiry using the button below and I will be in touch within 24 hours to arrange a time that works for both of us.
Who Råd Is For
Råd is for photographers who have started shooting newborns, have a small or growing body of work and want to know honestly where they can improve and how to do it.
It is also for photographers who are already shooting newborns but want to move towards a more minimal natural lifestyle style and are not sure what needs to change to get there.
And it is a natural next step for anyone who has attended one of my Haven workshops and wants friendly honest feedback on the improvements they have already put into practice and how to take their work even further.
You do not need a large portfolio. You do not need to be shooting regularly. You just need some work to show and a genuine desire to get better.
