Claudia is a model currently breaking in to the London fashion scene, and she asked me to help develop her portfolio with a range of portrait shots.

Since these were for her personal use, we wanted to get as much diversity as we could in a realtively short time, so we set out into London at sunrise, mooching round the Southbank and surrounding areas, using natural light picking poses and scenes wherever caught our eye. It was a nice sunny day, and the natural light was gorgeous until around 11am when it became a bit harsh. In amongst the brighter outdoor portraits, I made sure to add a few darker ones in too for contrast.

Even as a new model Claudia took direction really well. She could hold a pose and eye contact better than some of the full-time fashion models I’ve worked with. Given the choice between location portrait photography and studio portraits, locations win hands down every time for me. I think it’s so much more fun exploring and embracing the element of chance than staying in complete control.