Frequently asked questions
What to Wear at the Shoot
We’ll discuss wardrobe choices in detail during your consultation to ensure you look and feel your best in your images.
To achieve a look you’ll love, choose outfits that make you feel fantastic. If you’re feeling adventurous, consider treating yourself to something new specifically for the shoot. While individual portraits focus on showcasing you at your best, family sessions offer a wonderful opportunity to highlight each person’s unique personality.
For family and group sessions, it’s beneficial to coordinate outfits for one of the looks. Choosing similar colours or dressing in a unified style, helps create a cohesive look that enhances the overall composition of the photos.
For added variety, we recommend bringing more than one outfit. After all, variety is the spice of life!
What to Bring to the Shoot
We provide refreshments at the studio to keep you comfortable. For little ones, we recommend bringing some of their favorite snacks and a beloved teddy bear or comfort item to help them feel at ease.
Personal props are always welcome! From parachutes and drum kits to climbing gear and family heirlooms, we’ve seen it all. Feel free to bring any special items you’d like to include in your shoot to make it truly unique and personal.
We’ll collaborate with you on ideas for outfits and props, ensuring that everyone’s style and personality come together harmoniously for both individual and group shots. Attention to these details can truly make a difference.
Facilities and Additional Services
We have a private area for changing and a lovely staging space where you can perfect your look. This includes a large full-length mirror, space to hang your clothes, and a dressing table for any touch-ups.
If you’d like to book a makeup artist or hair stylist for your shoot, just let us know during your consultation, and we’ll be happy to arrange this for you.
We’ll discuss all these options during your consultation to ensure everything fits perfectly with your plans and makes your visit memorable.
Duration of Shoots
The duration of your shoot can vary based on several factors, including the type of session and the number of participants:
Portrait Shoots: We estimate the duration based on the brief for your specific shoot, aiming to align with your needs and preferences.
Specific Statement Shoots & Styled Shoots: For highly detailed or unique shots, we allocate specific time based on the complexity of the shoot. This ensures that we have the opportunity to capture every detail perfectly.
Newborn Sessions: Typically last 2 to 3 hours. Newborns need time to settle, and breaks for feeding and soothing are part of the process.
Toddlers: Tend to tire quickly, so these sessions are generally completed in under an hour to keep them engaged and happy.
Family Sessions: The length is influenced by the youngest family member’s attention span and is tailored to accommodate everyone’s needs.
Large Intergenerational Shoots: May require additional time to organize and set up various group shots.
Each session is customized to fit your specific needs. During the consultation stage, we’ll discuss the expected duration and ensure there is ample time for all elements of the shoot. We never rush and always plan for the unexpected to ensure a smooth and enjoyable experience
Retouching Your Images
At Musselwhite Photography, we aim to capture and present your images as perfectly as possible right from the start. We focus on getting everything right in-camera and keep post-session edits straightforward, primarily involving cropping and adjusting lighting levels.
Our Approach:
Minimal Retouching: We prefer to keep retouching to a minimum to preserve the natural look of your images. Our goal is to make only essential adjustments and avoid making assumptions about what you might prefer.
Professional Enhancements: If you’re interested in adding further professional retouching to your images, especially for your Wall Art, we’re more than happy to accommodate. Just let us know during your reveal appointment if you’d like any specific tweaks or enhancements.
We want your final images and statement pieces to be exactly as you envision them. Feel free to discuss any desired adjustments with us, and we’ll ensure everything meets your expectations.
Our Studio is really easy to find as we are just off the Eastern Road - one of the main routes in to Portsmouth. Simply turn right when you see the Snows BMW and Mini Garage and we are the first turning on the left marked just after a pelican crossing.
Pop us in the Sat Nav - 17 Fairway Business Centre, PO3 5NU.
If you are coming by train, we are a short 15 minute walk from Hilsea Train station, and a short cab journey from Fratton Train Station.
Under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 the Copyright remains with the photographer.
So you need permission to copy or scan images we provide. When you purchase a digital image you have the right to reprint them but they cannot be sold (such as third party stock imagery) or used to advertise products or services. They are for your personal use, any other use needs to be authorised and where appropriate the rights for such use purchased.
Yes we do. There does need to be a little more planning involved in location shoots, whether its inside & needs support lighting, or outside and can be impacted by weather. Back up plans may be needed as well as licenses for shooting in some locations.
We will always make you aware & make sure you are comfortable with everything involved in a location shoot prep and the costs involved.
Cost is variable dependent on all of the above but starts from £350
The 'Consultation' is a Zoom or phone call booked in to discuss your session. We talk ideas, outfits props and make sure we are the right fit for your portrait. We get to know each other, answer questions and plan the shoot.
During the consultation we book in your shoot, and your follow up reveal session. We also take your session fee at this point to confirm your booking.
The 'Reveal' is usually booked around 2 weeks after the shoot & is a relaxed showcase of your images back at the studio. We do ask wherever possible to come along without children to ensure no distractions from the experience. Here you will view your images and choose your Prints, Collections and Wall Art.
Absolutely.
We understand that many of our clients come from places like Bournemouth, Salisbury, Guildford, Petersfield, London, and even farther afield, including Wales, Liverpool, and Birmingham. We truly appreciate the effort it takes to visit us.
To make your experience as enjoyable and stress-free as possible, we can arrange for both your shoot and reveal to be on the same day. Alternatively, if you’d like to take your time, we can spread the sessions across two days, giving you a chance to explore the beautiful South Coast while you're here.
We’ll discuss all these options during your consultation to ensure everything fits perfectly with your plans and makes your visit memorable.
Check our FAQs below or get in touch to discuss your queries.