My name is Lindsay Dobson and I’m a female location portrait photographer based in West Sussex, England. I haven’t always lived in Sussex and I haven’t always been a portrait photographer, in fact throughout my upbringing I’ve lived all over the world including countries such as Cyprus, Aden, Germany, and Northern Ireland. I was born in Northumberland and I’ve also lived all over England as a result of my father’s time as a civil servant, before finally settling just outside the rural village of Storrington. My life has been about constant change and adaptation, and I’m sure that’s why I love the constant stimulation of portrait photography on location, where no two assignments and no two clients are ever alike. I studied Combined Sciences at the University of Brighton in the early 1990s, graduating with a First Class degree in biology and biochemistry. Whilst I found my academic studies fascinating and rewarding, life in a clinical environment was even drier than I had anticipated and I constantly craved a creative outlet. I began to slowly invest in my photography, gradually laying the foundations of my professional photography business.
There are many kinds of photographers and there are almost as many different types of portrait photographer. There are studio portrait photographers and there are also “lifestyle” or “environmental” portrait photographers. I am in the latter camp, I’m a location portrait photographer which means that my work takes place in varied environments ranging from my clients’ homes and gardens, to beaches, fields, towns, or woods – in fact anywhere that makes for an interesting or attractive backdrop. A lifestyle or location portrait photographer tells stories with their photographs, capturing natural spontaneous moments as well as more controlled images. This type of photography is quite challenging, we are a long way from the security and comfort of a studio, and we must instead immediately adapt to the places we encounter with all the constraints we are likely to be up against. I think this is why I love my work so much, each assignment is so different to the last and each and every client is unique. Homes don’t need to be posh in order to be suitable for the photography that I specialise in, we’ll look for three or four areas within (and outside of) the house where we can work, or we could simply arrange to meet at your favourite place providing it’s suitable for photography. In fact we’ll usually aim to do both, and we can even spend the whole day photographing you and your family as you play, work, relax, cook, and interact. I use natural light wherever possible because this helps to maintain atmosphere and ambience (but on occasion it’s fun to use strobe or video light for dramatic effect). I will usually create a selection of controlled classical images before moving on to the more fun or more candid photographs which are vitally important to natural lifestyle photography. These are the images that matter most to my clients, they are images which I hope will capture and preserve the essence of each individual that I meet, to be enjoyed and treasured for years if not decades to come. This is reflected in the range of products we offer, from fine quality hand made albums to bespoke framing and wall presentation options.
My photographic style is simple, clean, modern and meticulous. You won’t see gimmicks, sickly filters, or gilt edging on my albums. Nor will I ask you (nor indeed will I want you) to smile for the camera in every shot, or adopt stiff traditional poses. Instead I’ll guide you, and we’ll work together to create images you’ll love. Not everybody enjoys having their photograph taken, but I hope that my relaxed style and unobtrusive manner will help the process to be as enjoyable as possible. I am also a qualified and trained photographer so rest assured I will help you look your best. Before every session we’ll discuss your photography and you’ll have the opportunity to learn more about our service as well as asking any questions you might have, then we’ll send you plenty of information to help you prepare. Under the Information tab above you’ll find more about our services, our products and how we work.
Lindsay Dobson FBIPP FSWPP ARPS
Portrait Photographer West Sussex
Seen below with Phil Jones, CEO of the Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers, at the annual SWPP and BPPA Photographer of the Year Awards in January 2012.
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