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Volunteering My Skills To Support Women Escaping Domestic Violence

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I know what it feels like to be frightened of someone you live with. For many years, I suffered emotional, financial, and other types of abuse. I remember sleeping with the phone beside me with emergency services dialled in, or sometimes on the floor outside the door to the children’s room. I felt isolated and alone. I was unaware there were organisations like Mary’s House that offered support, guidance and practical help for women in situations like mine. Getting the word out there is why I felt compelled to help. Of course, financial contributions are incredibly important to charities like Mary’s House. But sometimes we have skills we can give that are equally as valuable. For me, that meant donating my photography skills, and I was very happy to spend the afternoon photographing the board and CEO. New Photos for Mary's House Board of Directors Original Photos Mary's House CEO - Yvette Vignando For these portraits, my focus was on making the board members look confi...
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Has AI Taken My Job?

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A professional photographer’s honest thoughts on AI headshots, creative survival, and the future of portrait photography.  Just out of curiosity, I uploaded a phone photo of a friend into Grok. A few seconds later, it produced a decent corporate portrait that honestly stopped me in my tracks! My first thought was, " Well.. that's the end of my job !" As a professional photographer with over 25 years behind the camera, I felt a little uneasy. After a minute to reflect, my uneasiness changed to intrigue. Whilst AI is getting frighteningly decent at creating images, they are still not quite up to the quality of a professional image. What it is doing is forcing us photographers to rethink our positioning and work out ways to make AI work for us. Which is why I have been experimenting with AI-assisted backgrounds using my own professionally photographed portraits, combining the best of both worlds. I used nicely shot, high-res photos, then AI to tweak them to provide a variety...
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The 2026 Trend for Dating Photos: Should You Use a Professional Photographer?

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I know first-hand how exasperating dating apps can be, and that they are visual-first, bio-second, puts a lot of pressure on that first image. Actually, the brain recognises attractiveness within 150-200 milliseconds. That doesn't give you much time, and if the photo is in bad lighting or poor quality, forget it. You can write the wittiest, most charming profile in existence, but if your photo doesn't capture attention or do you justice, there is little chance it will be read. This is the reality of modern dating. According to a recent report by Forbes Health, more than half of people aged 18–29 have used dating apps, with many actively looking for meaningful relationships. At the same time, a large percentage say dating today feels harder than ever. Source: Forbes This means standing out and being seen accurately, for who you really are,  matters more than ever. The Case for Professional Photos High effort = taking dating seriously The subtle message behind good photos is that...
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How to Choose the Right Corporate Photographer – Your Ultimate Guide

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  How to Choose the Right Corporate Photographer – Your Ultimate Guide If you’ve been asked to organise corporate headshots, chances are it wasn’t in your job description. It’s one of those tasks that lands on your desk with a vague brief and a hopeful, “You’ll figure it out.”  And you will. Choosing the right photographer isn’t as simple as picking someone with a nice Instagram grid because corporate headshots are far more involved. This guide will walk you through exactly what to look for (and what most people don’t realise).   When you have had a read of this guide, go here for pricing and briefing your photographer for an estimate of costs. 1. Can they deliver consistent results across large teams? Anyone can produce one great image but can they photograph 50, 100, or more people — and have every image look consistent, polished, and on-brand? Lighting, composition, and tone need to match across the entire team. Otherwise, your website and internal pro...
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How to Brief Your Corporate Photographer (and What It Should Cost)

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  Part 1: How to Brief Your Corporate Photographer For An Accurate Quote Before a photographer can give you a clear estimate, they need some specific details.”  The more detail you provide upfront, the more accurate the quote, and the less chance of being surprised by additional costs. After you have read this list, you will be fully prepared to look for your photographer. This post, " How To Choose the Right Corporate Photographer ", may also be helpful to you.  1. Where is the shoot taking place? Location matters more than most people expect. Be ready to confirm: exact location access to the building parking availability In city locations, parking alone can be a significant cost and needs to be factored in ahead of time. 2. How many people need to be photographed? This directly affects: the time required the workflow on the day the overall cost Corporate photography is often priced per final image, so having a clear id...
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