As a portrait photographer, I’ve been having lots of conversations recently about this very topic. And I feel like it’s a new mission for my photography work this year. It’s not just a slogan. It feels more like a declaration. A promise. This year, it’s a new energy infusing the experience of everyone I work. I’ve always said that the process is just as important as the final images. And now here is the language to articulate that…

When I talk about a portrait being powerful I’m not actually talking about the digital image that you receive at the end if our experience together. It’s so much more than that. The image is not just a thing you have and use. It’s an icon or like a battle cry that encapsulates an experience and a belief that you have in yourself. A deep seated trust that your message is important and should be heard.

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Step inside the evocative Sunset Studios and find out why I love shooting here and why they made a special location for Power Portraits. Hear from sitters themselves and see examples of how we can use the space.

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Websites are understated in my opinion. Now don’t get me wrong, you can absolutely run a successful business without one (and I did for a couple of years) but I have realised that I really love having a website and how it’s almost like a team mate that works hard for me to achieve my dreams and connect to my perfect collaborators. It can also be quite a fun and creative endeavour as you curate your story and share the excitement of all that you do. Of course as a photographer, having a portfolio and clarity of the types of photography I do is really important and showing that niche is helpful. But I believe that the same principles are the same, whether you have a product, or shop or a service. So the short answer is yes, you do need a website if you want to be taken seriously…

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Step inside the creative process and the mind of the photographer on a deeply healing and important project.

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Come inside a new project I undertook this summer in Carnaby Street, London. I step outside my comfort zone with a fellow Portrait Photographer to photograph strangers on the street. Read on to see how we got on and what we learnt. And the big question - will I ever do it again!

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Step inside my summer holiday with my family through Normandy to the South of France and then on to Spain (via the Pyrenees). See what kit I used and how I limited myself to see what I could come up with. Very treasured memories here of a holiday that gave much more to me than I realised I needed...

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Location is like a character in your story. There is always so many locations to use from, especially in London. Here’s all the information you need to choose a location for your next shoot including how to co-create with your photographer.

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Embark on an introspective voyage of the soul, where the photographic medium intertwines with the timeless echoes of Shakespearean tragedy. "Lost Daughter" awaits you, ready to awaken emotions, provoke introspection, and offer a collective embrace as we navigate the delicate balance between light and dark, despair and healing.

Lost Daughter ran over the summer of 2023 and culminated in a private view where we celebrated with a glass of something cold, heard from the creators as well as poets performing their own work about grief. Music created by the plants of the location set the tone to contemplate and spend time with the images…

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Brainwashed: Sex-Camera-Power by Nina Menkes is a deep dive analysis into the subject/object in Hollywood movies and curates a huge range of film examples (about 175!) from 1896 - 2020 that adhere to specific camera techniques and tools that on the surface seem creative choices but on deeper dissection reveal and reflect the disempowering of women via male directors, cinematographers, distributors and agents that perpetuate only one perspective. This blog considers this male gaze and alternatives to this way of seeing.

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“The collaborative photoshoot called “Mrs Robinson” is about women empowerment. Four women share their stories set in the 1960s but are actually happening in 2022. The photo shoot is the brainchild of branding and editorial photographer Donna Ford, who wanted to create a “Mad Men” inspired shoot for a while. When the International Women’s Day 2022 theme was announced based around ‘Break the Bias’, this gave Donna the perfect opportunity to go ahead and make her idea a reality.”

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Why am I writing a blog about confidence? Because every time I book in shoot, a huge role of mine (apart from planning, directing and executing the shots) is to gently lead and encourage my courageous sitters to awaken their confidence. It’s the most important part of my work. I don’t want you to walk away with nice photos unless they’ve changed you and helped you step into your truth. And here’s the thing…

It’s completely natural to feel threatened when you step in front of the lens.

But it’s possible to transform that fear into something empowering and this brings me to why I care so much about learning about and nurturing confidence in others. And why I care about our relationship with confidence and how it affects and shapes our whole lives.

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We have or may not have heard of the female gaze because we are so often fed stories and perspectives that consider the heterosexual male as the primary audience. This has been the way of things for a couple of thousand years so it’s hard to even notice this biased perspective. But screen theorists starting picking up on it about 50 years ago when Laura Mulvey coined the phrase. Learn about the way that women photograph and capture other women and films to explore this way of perceiving.

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You feel the call for a photo shoot but something is holding you back. Which voice do you trust? Why has procrastination got a hold on you? How can you tune into your inner mentor? This blog unravels the deeper cause of all these issues and some ideas to tune into yourself and if you’re really ready, how to get excited about your photoshoot. There are 11 areas to journal and consider and a little wisdom from a surprising source - Dr Zeuss! I envisage a world where women are seen and heard, may this blog encourage more of you to be visible.

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I wanted to share some thoughts on this painful subject as someone who has traversed this path for over 20 years. A path I would never have chosen and yet I find myself on. Whether you have lost someone due to death or a breakdown of a relationship, loss of a pet or even a career or job, there are huge emotions and complex trauma to navigate in a society where the stiff upper lip prevails. And I hope that it helps you support those you love when they are grieving too. This is a very personal post and if I can help one person process their pain and find hope in the darkness then I’m glad I’ve done it. Please reach out if there is anything that resonates or you’d like to get off your chest. Love Donna x

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What stories do we tell? What stories are we telling ourselves? Why do we tell stories? Why are stories important? Where would we be without stories? What stories are we hiding from ourselves? What stories need to be told?

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