Frequently Asked Questions

I offer five main photography services:
Professional Headshot Session
A focused session for LinkedIn profiles, company websites, speaker biographies, press features and professional introductions.
Personal Brand Essentials
A compact personal branding session for business owners, creatives and professionals who need a varied set of photographs for their website, social media and marketing.
Brand Story Session
A more comprehensive branding experience creating a larger and more varied image library for your business, launches, content and ongoing visibility.
Signature Portrait Commission
A carefully crafted personal portrait experience for clients who want images with greater artistic, personal and emotional depth.
Corporate and Team Photography
Tailored photography for teams of five or more, leadership portraits, workplace imagery and larger commercial projects.
Full details and current prices are available on the Sessions and Packages page.

My work combines careful planning, perceptive observation, skilled direction and detailed photographic craft.
I pay close attention to how you naturally carry yourself, how your expression changes and what you want the photographs to communicate.
The aim is not to force you into a generic pose or manufactured professional persona. I want to create images that reflect your individuality while still serving a clear personal or professional purpose.
Depending on the session, that may mean bringing forward authority, warmth, confidence, creativity, openness, character or quiet strength.

The most suitable package depends on how the photographs will be used and how much variety you need.
The Professional Headshot Session is suitable when you need a small number of polished, current headshots.
Personal Brand Essentials is designed for clients who need more variety across their website, social media and professional profiles.
The Brand Story Session is a better fit when you need a broader visual library showing different aspects of your work, personality, environment and professional presence.
The Signature Portrait Commission is intended for more personal, artistic or meaningful portrait work.
Corporate and Team Photography is quoted individually according to the number of people, location, coverage and intended use.
Please contact me if you are uncertain. I will help you identify the option that best matches your needs.

Most clients contact me before booking so we can briefly discuss what they need.
Once we have identified the right session, I may send you an electronic invoice, a secure payment link or direct you to the relevant product in my online store.
You may also purchase a session directly through the online store.
After payment, I will contact you personally to confirm the package, discuss your requirements, arrange the planning call and agree the session date and location.
Your booking is confirmed once the required payment has been received and written confirmation has been issued.

Each package includes both the photography service and the number of finished digital images stated in the package description.
Depending on the session selected, your package may include:
A video planning or strategy call
Preparation and clothing guidance
A defined period of guided photography
Photography at an agreed location or at my premises
Professional lighting and selected backdrops where appropriate
An assisted image review and selection appointment
A set number of professionally retouched images
High-resolution and web-ready versions of the selected photographs
The relevant personal or business-use licence
Additional photographs and printed products are optional.
There is no requirement to purchase more than the number of images already included in your package.

I accept several types of payment for your convenience. This includes:

cash
bank transfer
debit cards
credit cards
PayPal
PayPal Credit and PayPal Pay in 3
online payments via link
0% flexible in-house payment plans (card authorisation form required)

Payment arrangements may sometimes be available for higher-value portrait orders or printed products.
Any payment plan must be agreed before the order enters production.
Digital files and physical products will not be released until the agreed payment has been completed, unless otherwise confirmed in writing.
Please ask before booking if spreading the cost is important to you.

Yes, please read my Studio Policy document HERE. 
This can be signed digitally on my website and is required before we start your session

Most sessions take place on location.
This may include your workplace, home, studio, office, outdoor setting, hired venue or another location that suits the purpose of the photographs.
Selected sessions may also take place at my residential premises in Coylton by prior appointment.
The location will be discussed during the planning stage. I will consider the available space, light, background options, access, privacy and the overall character you want the photographs to have.

Yes. I work across Ayrshire, Glasgow and surrounding areas.
Travel within 25 miles each way of Coylton is included unless stated otherwise in your quotation or package.
For locations beyond that distance, mileage outside the included 50-mile return journey is charged at 55p per mile.
Parking, tolls, ferry charges, permits, venue hire and accommodation may be charged separately where applicable.
Any additional travel costs will be discussed before the booking is confirmed.

Yes, provided the location is suitable and there is enough room to work safely.
I may use natural light, portable professional lighting, backdrops or a combination of these depending on the session.
Before the booking, I may ask for photographs or a short video of the proposed space. This helps me assess whether it will support the type of images you want.
For business sessions, photographing in your actual workplace can help create more relevant and distinctive images than using a generic studio setting.

es.
The right location depends on your work, personality, clothing, visual style and how the photographs will be used.
We may choose:
Your workplace
A home interior
An outdoor location
An urban setting
A hired studio or venue
My premises in Coylton
A combination of nearby locations
I will help you choose an option that adds context without distracting from you.

I recommend booking at least two to three weeks in advance where possible.
This allows enough time for planning, choosing clothing, confirming the location and addressing any practical details.
A longer lead time is helpful for team sessions, larger branding projects, hired venues, multiple locations or sessions involving several people.
Short-notice sessions may sometimes be possible, depending on availability and the amount of preparation required.

Yes.
You do not need any previous experience and you do not need to arrive knowing how to pose.
I will guide you throughout the session, including your posture, positioning, movement, hands, expression and orientation towards the camera.
My direction is precise but not rigid. I may demonstrate positions, make small adjustments and photograph the transitions between poses as well as the more composed moments.
The intention is to help you look confident and natural without making the images feel overly staged.

This is extremely common.
You do not need to feel naturally confident before the session. Confidence often develops once you understand what to do and feel that the photographer is paying attention.
We begin gradually. I will observe how you respond, adjust the pace and give clear guidance rather than expecting you to perform.
Many clients find that the process becomes easier once they see that they do not need to create the perfect expression or hold a pose without support.

Yes. Clothing guidance is included in the planning process.
The advice will depend on the type of session, your colouring, your professional context, the intended location and how the photographs will be used.
For branding sessions, we will also consider how your clothing relates to your website, visual identity, audience and overall message.
You will normally be encouraged to bring more options than we expect to use. This gives us flexibility once we see how the colours, textures and shapes work on camera.

I do not currently include or arrange professional hair and make-up.
You are welcome to arrange your own stylist or make-up artist if this is important to you.
Most clients prepare their own hair and make-up. I can provide practical guidance on what tends to work well for photography, but the final styling decisions remain yours.

Yes, where the session length allows.
The number of suitable changes depends on the package, location and time available.
A focused headshot session may involve one main outfit with small variations, while a longer branding or portrait session can include several complete looks.
We will plan the most useful combinations in advance so that outfit changes support the final image variety rather than taking unnecessary time away from photography.

Yes, provided this is agreed beforehand and the additional person will help you feel comfortable without distracting from the session.
For sessions at my premises, space may be limited, so please let me know before bringing anyone with you.
Children must be supervised by a responsible adult who is not being photographed at the same time.

Small family or personal group portraits may be available as part of a custom booking or Signature Portrait Commission.
Please contact me with the number of people, their ages and the type of images you have in mind.
Business teams of five or more are covered through a tailored Corporate and Team Photography quotation.

Yes.
Corporate and team sessions are tailored to the number of people, location, desired style, photography time and intended use of the images.
They may include:
Individual headshots
Leadership portraits
Team photographs
Workplace imagery
Environmental portraits
Behind-the-scenes business photographs
A consistent visual approach across a larger team
I bring professional lighting and may also bring a backdrop where appropriate.
For five or more people, or for half-day and full-day photography, I will provide a tailored quotation.

The duration depends on the package.
Professional Headshot Session
Approximately 30 minutes of photography.
Personal Brand Essentials
Approximately 90 minutes of photography.
Brand Story Session
Approximately two and a half hours of photography.
Signature Portrait Commission
Approximately two hours of photography.
Corporate and team sessions are scheduled according to the size and requirements of the project.
Planning calls, setup, image review and outfit preparation are separate from the stated photography time unless the package description says otherwise.

The planning call helps us clarify what you need before the camera is involved.
Depending on the session, we may discuss:
How the images will be used
What your current photographs are not communicating
The qualities you want to bring forward
Clothing and styling
Location options
Backgrounds, colours and visual mood
Props or meaningful objects
Required formats and crops
Your audience or professional context
Any concerns about being photographed
The planning call ensures that the session is purposeful rather than simply producing a collection of attractive but disconnected photographs.

You will select your images with my guidance.
Where practical, this can happen immediately after the photography. Otherwise, we will arrange a secure video appointment, normally within 48 hours.
I will help you compare expressions, identify unnecessary repetition and choose the strongest combination for your intended purpose.
For individual sessions, I do not provide unattended online proof galleries. The assisted selection process is more secure and helps clients make clearer decisions.
For larger business and corporate projects, the selection process may be adapted to suit the company’s internal structure.

The number depends on the package:
Professional Headshot Session: 3 finished images
Personal Brand Essentials: 10 finished images
Brand Story Session: 20 finished images
Signature Portrait Commission: 8 finished portraits
Corporate and team packages include the number of images agreed in the written quotation.
Additional images can be purchased if you would like more than the package includes.

Yes.
Additional finished photographs can be selected during your image-review appointment.
The current prices will be shown on the website or confirmed before your selection.
Additional images are professionally retouched and supplied in both high-resolution and web-ready formats.

Yes. Every selected image is professionally finished.
Standard retouching may include:
Exposure and colour correction
Cropping and composition
Temporary skin blemishes
Stray hairs
Minor clothing distractions
Background distractions
Skin-tone balancing
Overall tonal and stylistic finishing
My aim is to create a polished photograph while retaining your natural features, expression and character.
I do not automatically reshape bodies, remove all lines or significantly alter permanent features.
More extensive or unusual retouching requests may incur an additional charge and remain subject to my professional judgement.

No.
Raw and unedited files are unfinished working materials and are not available for purchase or delivery.
Only the selected, professionally finished images form part of the final service.

Finished digital photographs are normally delivered within seven working days of final image selection and full payment.
Larger corporate or team projects may require up to 14 working days.
Estimated production times for printed products are:
Fine art folio boxes: up to three weeks
Additional mounted prints: up to three weeks
Wall art: approximately three to four weeks
You will be advised if a project requires a different delivery schedule.

Your finished photographs will be delivered through a secure online service.
You will receive:
High-resolution files suitable for printing
Web-ready files suitable for websites, social media and online use
Please download the files promptly and maintain your own backups.

Yes.
Optional products may include:
Fine art folio boxes
Mounted prints
Wall art
Printed products are ordered separately unless specifically included in a quotation.
Because these products are created using your selected photographs, production begins only after the order details and image choices have been approved.

One request to move the session to another date will normally be accommodated without charge when at least seven days’ notice is provided.
Requests made fewer than seven days before the session, repeated rescheduling or failure to attend may incur an additional charge.
Private consumers who book at a distance will normally have a 14-day statutory cancellation period. If planning or preparation has already begun at the client’s request, a reasonable amount may be deducted for work completed and costs incurred.
Full details are provided in the Refunds, Cancellations and Returns Policy and the Photography Session and Booking Policy.
Illness, emergencies and exceptional circumstances will be considered individually.

For outdoor sessions, I monitor the weather and assess whether conditions are safe and suitable for the planned photography.
If rain, strong wind, poor light or another environmental condition would significantly affect safety, equipment or image quality, we may:
Adjust the timing
Change the location
Move indoors
Adapt the session
Reschedule without charge
A final decision may sometimes need to be made close to the session time because Scottish weather can change quickly.

This concern is often one of the reasons clients seek professional guidance.
During the session, I will pay attention to angles, posture, expression, lighting and the small details that affect how a portrait feels.
You will also select the final photographs with me rather than receiving a set chosen without your input.
Photography remains subjective, and no photographer can guarantee that every frame will appeal equally. However, I will work carefully to create a strong range of viable images and help you choose the photographs that best represent you.
If you believe there is a genuine issue with the service or finished work, please contact me so I can review it and suggest an appropriate resolution.

Not without your permission.
A separate model release will be provided if I would like to use any of your images on my website, social media, portfolio, marketing, exhibitions or competitions.
You may specify:
Whether any images can be shared
Which images may be used
Where they may appear
Whether your name or business can be mentioned
You are not required to grant promotional permission, and refusing will not affect the service you receive.

Copyright remains with Renata Clarke Portraits unless it is expressly assigned in writing.
Personal portrait packages include a personal-use licence.
Professional headshot and personal branding packages include usage for your own professional and business communications, such as:
Your website
LinkedIn
Social media
Email marketing
Business literature
Speaker biographies
Press profiles
Professional directories
Large advertising campaigns, third-party publication, resale, product packaging or other extended commercial use may require an additional licence.

Please do not significantly alter, recolour or apply filters to the finished photographs.
The delivered colour, contrast and finish form part of the completed work.
Normal cropping for social media or website layouts is permitted, provided it does not distort the image or remove a visible credit or watermark where one has been applied.
Please contact me if you need a different crop, size, file format or colour treatment.