One photographer, one camera bag

Photographs of people who would rather not be photographed.

I'm Rowan Elms. I work in daylight, direct lightly, and keep sessions short enough that nobody has time to stiffen up. Portraits, growing families, makers at the bench, and long unposed documentary days.

Compare sessions Start an enquiry

Reply time
Every enquiry gets a written answer within two working days, including the dates I cannot take.
Session length
From a 90-minute sitting to an eight-hour documentary day. Nothing shorter than 90 minutes.
Where we shoot
A north-facing daylight studio on the city's north side, or your home, workshop or chosen outdoor spot.
Delivery
Proof gallery in five days, final edited files in fourteen, print-ready and web crops included.

Portrait of a person outdoors in soft afternoon daylight, looking away from the camera — Portrait sitting — late daylight

Two people standing close together during an unposed documentary session, hands joined — Documentary day — unposed

Half-length portrait of a person standing against a plain wall in even window light — Brand sitting — window light

Session formats

Four ways to work together

Pick by how much time you want in front of the camera and what you need at the end. Fees are the starting point for a weekday booking; weekends and travel are quoted on the enquiry.

Session formats compared by time on camera, deliverables, suitability and starting fee
Session	Time on camera	What you leave with	Best for	Fee from
Portrait sitting	90 minutes, studio or one outdoor spot	12 edited frames, two finished to retouch standard, colour and black and white	Headshots, graduations, birthdays, a portrait you actually like	£340
Family half-day	3 hours across your home and one nearby location	40 edited frames, print-ready files to A3, a sequenced online gallery	Growing families, grandparents visiting, last year in a house	£620
Brand & editorial	5 hours on location, shot list agreed in advance	60 edited frames, web and print crops of each, two-year usage licence	Studios, makers, small teams, a site refresh or press pack	£980
Documentary day	8 hours, continuous, no set pieces unless you ask	A sequenced gallery of the full day, edited in one consistent pass	Small weddings, workshops, openings, family gatherings	£1,750

Not sure which one fits? Describe the day in the enquiry form and I'll tell you which format I would book, even when that is the cheaper one.

How a booking runs

From first message to finished files

01
Enquiry

Send the date, the rough plan and anything you are worried about. I answer in writing within two working days with availability and a fixed fee.
02
Planning call

Twenty minutes, a week or two out. We settle the start time around the light, the locations, wardrobe, and who needs to be where.
03
The session

I photograph at a walking pace and give small, concrete directions. Anyone who hates being photographed gets something to do with their hands.
04
Delivery

Proofs in five days so you can flag favourites. Final edited files fourteen days after the session, with print-ready and web versions of each frame.

Recent work

Frames from the last few months

Each caption says which session format the frame came from, so you can see what a fee actually buys.

Relaxed portrait of a smiling person photographed beside a window in the studio — Portrait sitting Ninety minutes in the studio, shot entirely on window light with no flash.

Black and white portrait of a person looking directly at the camera in low contrast light — Brand & editorial A maker photographed at the bench, cut for a homepage banner and a press page.

Family sitting together on a sofa at home in warm late afternoon light — Family half-day Photographed at home first, then twenty minutes outside while the light held.

Guests raising glasses during a celebration, photographed without posing — Documentary day Hour six of eight. Nothing arranged, nothing repeated for the camera.

Field notes

What makes a session easier

The same three questions come up before every booking, so here are the answers in full before you even ask.

What to wear

Matte fabrics photograph better than shiny ones, and mid-tones sit more kindly against daylight than pure white or pure black.

Bring two options and we will decide on the day.
Skip fine stripes and small checks — they flicker at high resolution.
Sleeves you can push up give your hands something to do.
For groups, agree a tonal range rather than a matching outfit.

When the light works

Outdoors, the hour after sunrise and the ninety minutes before sunset do most of the work. Overcast days are quietly excellent and need no shade hunting.

The studio faces north, so its light barely changes between ten and four. If your day only has a midday gap, we shoot indoors and lose nothing.

Where we shoot

The daylight studio suits headshots and anything that needs a clean background. For family and brand work I would rather come to the room you actually use.

I scout any outdoor location before the session and keep a short list of covered spots — stairwells, arcades, workshop interiors — for weather that turns.

Questions

Before you book

How far ahead should I book?

Six to eight weeks is comfortable for portrait and family sessions. Documentary days and anything in December need longer, often three to four months. Short-notice weekday gaps do come up, so it is always worth asking about a date that feels too close.

What happens if the weather turns?

Rain is a location change, not a cancellation. Every outdoor booking has a covered alternative agreed during the planning call, and the studio is held as a fallback. If conditions make the session genuinely unworkable, we move it to the next date that suits us both at no extra fee.

Do you photograph children and pets?

Often, and they set the pace. With young children I plan for roughly forty usable minutes inside a longer booking and fill the rest with the adults. Dogs are welcome outdoors and in the studio; bring someone who can hold a lead just outside the frame.

Can I use the photographs for advertising?

Brand and editorial sessions include a two-year licence for your own website, social channels, print and press. Paid advertising, packaging and third-party resale are quoted separately. Portrait and family files are licenced for personal use, prints and gifts, with no expiry.

I freeze in front of a camera. Will this work?

That is most people, and it is the reason sessions are built around movement rather than poses. I ask for small physical tasks instead of expressions, photograph between them, and show you the back of the camera early so you can stop imagining the worst.

Do you deliver unedited files?

No. The edit is part of the work, and half-finished frames age badly. You receive every frame I would stand behind, edited in one consistent pass. If you need a specific crop, a different aspect ratio or a black and white version of a delivered frame, ask and I will make it.

Do you travel outside the city?

Yes. Within about an hour's drive, travel is included. Beyond that I add a flat travel fee quoted in the enquiry reply, and for anything needing an overnight stay I will say so plainly before you commit.

Enquire

Tell me about the session

A few lines is plenty. I reply in writing within two working days with availability, the format I would recommend and a fixed fee — no call required before you decide.