Edinburgh has started to notice that it has a seaside. A process that accelerated during lockdown when travel outside the local authority area was largely prohibited. While the city previously seemed to have turned its back on the whole of its waterfront, from South Queensferry and the bridges across the Forth to the edge of Musselburgh at the mouth of the Brunstane Burn that now seems to be changing and visitors and residents from across the city are coming down to the sea in increasing numbers. Portobello, alongside the last couple of miles of the city's coastline, is the place I currently call home, having moved here towards the end of 2014. Whatever the season or the time of day, there always seems to be something worth photographing.

However, naturally beautiful as Portobello is, there is also a strong sense of local community and there are events organised throughout the year. Obvious highlights are the Lonny Dook on New Year's Day, The Big Beach Busk in August, the Art Walk and the Village Fair in September and the Portobello Book Festival in October but there are plenty of other things going on, big and small, all year round. 

As well as all the events organised in their own right, there are also plenty of campaigning events, looking to promote both local and wider issues and campaigns. Sometimes these are large events with a budget, other times they are small, volunteer-led campaigns that can't really afford to pay professional photography rates. Depending on my work schedule and the nature of the cause I can sometimes provide my services to those local groups at a reduced rate or expenses-only as a donation-in-kind. Please get in touch if you are planning a campaigning event in Portobello and think I might be able to help you spread the word.

Community is about connection and I love building relationships with neighbours and other local businesses in Portobello. It's great to be able to walk to a job and in recognition of that I have special rates for people in Portobello with up to 20% discounts on all but my cheapest services. Please get in touch for details.

Portobello Business Package
Session, at a suitable location appropriate to the business, will take a half-day (3-4 hours)  - including discussion and set-up time required beforehand.
 
Before the shoot we will discuss your requirements by email and consider the elements of the location that need to be included in the image. 

As well as your portrait images, we will also be taking some location shots and other pictures to create a full package of images that define what you do - a portrait of your business. Some preparation to get the location ready for the shot will therefore probably be needed but we can discuss that ahead of the shoot.
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This discussion will continue at the beginning of the session before setting up and getting underway. Select up to 30 images for simple retouching.
 
Selected retouched images supplied electronically in colour or black and white as requested, sized-for-web (800px, longest side) and sized-to-print (in proportions requested)

COST : £200 for all Portobello-based businesses

Above all, a place like Portobello is made by its people, whether they have lived here for years or are only visiting for the afternoon. Everyone contributes to the sense of place. Since moving here I have tried to capture some of the faces of Portobello in what has become a rather open-ended personal project.