My Photography Journey Last year I wrote about the rise of the female photographer through history and so this year, for International Women's Day, I thought I'd talk about how and why I got into photography. As a photographer, you are always looking. You see art in the most unusual places and sometimes, the best you can do is to take a mental im...

Lights, Camera, Action The very essence of photography is learning how to control light. I am obsessive about quality lighting. I teach studio lighting. Studio lighting or natural lighting, hard or soft light, I understand what it does and how to manipulate it. I even win awards for my lighting. And did I mention I am obsessive about lighting?...

A Year in Review 2021 2021, you have been an All or Nothing kind of year! The first 4 months of the year... well, let's skip that! In a nutshell, lockdown, home schooling, all business on hold, rescheduling event after event, creativity, motivation and joie de vivre dwindling... The year, in my eyes, officially started on 12th April when I was a...

Founders Cup: Press Release The Guild of Photographers is an Association with several thousand members that promotes learning and high standards for photographers everywhere. It runs “The Founders Cup” to acknowledge Roy Doorbar and Ian Gee, who founded the Guild in 1988. Entrants had to submit 3 images which were connected or themed in some wa...

Noir Increasingly I find myself drawn to black and white images. So much so, that I have dedicated my new instagram page exclusively to monochrome work. You can take a look at my new Belle Noire Images here. So why are we drawn to black and white photography? They are timeless and they are classic. Black and white photography has existed sinc...

New Influencer Package Are you an aspiring model? Would you like to be published in a magazine? Are you a performer who needs new promo images? A blogger who needs professional content? You may be interested in my new Influencer Package. So how does it work? These hour long shoots are perfect for those who are competent at doing their own hai...

Award Winning Photography I pride myself on producing the best possible images I can for clients, both commercial and private. It is always an honour to receive national awards for the standard of my work. Here are my most recent awards, from The Guild of Photographers.... Model | Rachel Frances Taken as a test shot on a recent Fine Art Lighti...

9 Reasons to Book a Boudoir Photoshoot A photoshoot is so much more than the sum of its parts. It's not just about the stunning images of yourself you'll be left with, there are benefits you had never even considered. It's all about loving and celebrating how incredible you really are. There are many reasons why women come to use for an empowering...

Burlesque Promo Week Showcase your latest costume. Refresh your promo portfolio. Stand out from the rest. These (less than) half price shoot weeks are the perfect way to boost your portfolio. You still get the Belle Privé quality in terms of professional, award winning lighting, posing guidance and high end retouch, with a full hour in the stud...

Women in Photography Since it’s invention in the 1800s, photography has historically been the domain of men. Adverts targeted male photographers assuming they had more technical knowledge and a greater ability. However in 1893, Kodak began using ‘Kodak Girl’ to market to women. Whilst the intention was there, the sentiment needed work with phras...

Corset Photography Are you an established designer who needs a portfolio update? Are you just starting up as a corset designer? Are you a design student who needs their work professionally documented? Having worked extensively with corsets throughout my career, it is one of my favourite genres of lingerie to photograph. I understand just how...

White Sheet Shoot Timeless, classic and sexy. Far and away, my most requested style of boudoir photoshoot, is the white sheet shoot. Wear your lingerie underneath if you like but with a white sheet draped as suggestively as you dare. Let the imagination run riot... sometimes it's what you don't see that makes an image more suggestive. Remember t...

Secrets to Looking Good on a Video Call Since sitting in front of a webcam is the new norm, I'm going to let you in on the secrets to looking your best on a video call, even if you are still in your PJs! It really can detract from what you are saying if viewers are more focussed on looking at the state of your living room behind... Yet it doesn't...

A Year in Review 2020 Well, 2020, what can I say.... you didn't quite turn out as planned! This year was supposed to be my best yet. At the beginning of the year, all my ducks were in a row. Fast forward a few months and I didn't even know where my ducks were. It's been tough, I won't lie. This year has been all kinds of wrong. Difficult times...

Press Release: Image of the Year 2020 After a rather difficult 2020, I was stunned to be announced as one of the finalists in the Image of the Year competition with this provocative image of model Blossom & Buttercups. The image was taken against the brick wall of the studio car park, using a Pixapro Pika200 light in a 47" octobox feathered to h...