Frequently Asked Questions

Don't worry; unpredictable weather is all part of shooting in the UK! We closely monitor the forecast in the days leading up to your session and will stay in prompt communication if the weather looks challenging. If rain is forecast, we have several excellent options to ensure we still get incredible results: Reschedule the Session: If you have your heart set on blue skies or golden hour light, we can easily reschedule your shoot to the next available clear day. Creative Rain Features: Rain can actually make for stunning, moody, and deeply creative portraits. If you're up for an adventure, we can use specialized lighting and techniques to turn the weather into a beautiful feature of your shoot. Alternative Locations: We can pivot the session to a covered outdoor spot or an elegant indoor location where you and your gear stay dry. Ultimately, our goal is to make the session enjoyable and successful, rain or shine. If you have any concerns as your shoot approaches, just let us know!

Chromakey photography allows you to decouple your subject from the limitations of a physical studio. By shooting against a specialized green screen, we can cleanly remove the background in post-production and replace it with any backdrop, setting, or digital scenery you desire. At Thorn Valley Studios, we utilize state-of-the-art chromakey technology and precision edge-extraction to deliver flawless, seamless results that open up endless creative possibilities. Creative Possibilities for Your Project: Corporate Headshots: Maintain absolute brand consistency across a global team. We can place your employees against a uniform corporate backdrop, a modern office interior, or a sleek studio texture—no matter where they are physically shot. Commercial & Product Campaigns: Showcase your products or models in complex, imaginative, or hard-to-reach environments without the logistics and expense of an on-location shoot. Creative Family Portraits: Bring a touch of magic to your family sessions with entirely custom, artistic backdrops tailored to your family's personality. From clean and professional to bold and imaginative, our advanced digital compositing ensures your final images look completely natural and gallery-ready.

We specialise in dynamic, natural-light portraiture that captures your authentic personality. Because Will has a strong background in landscape photography and Laura loves the finer details of nature, we specialise in placing you beautifully within the stunning natural environments of Devon; whether that’s a rugged Tor on Dartmoor or a dramatic coastal path. We also offer crisp corporate headshots and creative studio sessions using advanced Chromakey (green screen) technology.

The choice is yours! Most of our portrait sessions are shot on location across Dartmoor or the South Devon Coast, utilising the breathtaking Westcountry landscape as our backdrop. If you have a specific location in mind that holds personal meaning for you or your family, we are more than happy to discuss travelling there.

We always suggest wearing clothes that reflect your personal style but make you feel confident and comfortable. For outdoor sessions: Earthy tones, neutral colours, and subtle textures (like knits or denim) complement the Devon landscape beautifully. We recommend avoiding overly bright neon colours or large graphic logos, as these can be distracting. Footwear: Since we will be walking on uneven terrain to get to the best spots, sturdy, comfortable footwear is essential! You can always bring a change of shoes for the actual photos if you wish.

Absolutely, in fact, almost everyone we photograph tells us they feel camera-shy at first! Our shooting style is completely relaxed, informal, and fun. We won't force you into stiff, awkward poses; instead, we will guide you with gentle direction and prompts that create natural movement, genuine smiles, and candid interactions.

Yes, please do! Dogs are part of the family, and they love exploring Dartmoor and the coast just as much as we do. Just let us know in advance so we can choose a dog-friendly route and location for your session.

Following your session, we meticulously edit and colour-correct the best images from the day. Your high-resolution, gallery-ready digital images will be delivered via a private, secure online gallery within 2 to 3 weeks of your shoot. From there, you can easily download, share, and print your photos.