Hello!

I work mostly in portraiture and live events. Some of what I offer includes—

• individual portraits and headshots

• ensemble and band photos

• concert, theatre and comedy production photos (rehearsal or performance)

• poster imagery, album covers and other promotional photos

• wedding photography

I’m delighted you’d like to work with me! Send me a message to book — email, WhatsApp and Instagram are all good.

We’ll make a plan and discuss locations, and I’ll send you some suggestions for clothes, hair and make-up. I always ask for a couple of reference photos, including at least one by me (you can find lots more on my Instagram).

If we’re taking studio portraits, I strongly encourage bringing music recommendations. My playlist of photoshoot songs is growing at pace and I welcome all contributions!

On the day, we can experiment, going at whatever pace feels right, trying out different backgrounds, clothes and lighting options. Allow three hours — we might not take this long, but it helps not to feel rushed.

After our shoot, I’ll go through the images we’ve taken and narrow down the selection a bit. I’ll then send you a gallery and ask you to choose your favourites for me to edit.

My standard turnaround time is two weeks, though is sometimes longer for more ambitious or experimental work — I’ll let you know if this applies. Please note that photos will only be released on receipt of full payment.

If you need photos fast, let me know. I can provide some images within 24 hours by prior arrangement (fee applies).

For concerts and theatre, the process is a bit different. Send me a message and we can discuss.

My prices start at £95 for studio portraits and £110 for portraits on location within central London. This includes five edited images.

For full-time students, I offer a discount: £75 for studio portraits and £95 on location.

I charge separately for—

• travel outside zones 1-2

• additional edits (£12 per image)

• 35mm film and development

• faster turnaround

• experimental techniques (e.g. mixed media, distressed film)

Prices for ensemble portraits, live performance (e.g. concerts, theatre) and anything else not covered above are available on request.

Payment is due within 14 days of my receiving your selections (portraits) or of final delivery (events).

Absolutely!

I can shoot on colour or b&w film, or both. For the most part, I use my beloved Pentax KM, but sometimes bring along a Canon A1 or Braun Paxette.

Unless you ask me for something particular, I’ll choose a film stock to suit the look we’re after. I use a lot of Ultramax and Fomopan, but also shoot with Gold, Portra, Cinestill and very grainy Ilford Delta.

I charge £30 per roll to cover the cost of the film and development. Sometimes specialised film is slightly more expensive — we can discuss if this applies.

A roll gets us about 36 shots (though not all will work out). These go further than you might expect — working with film takes time. For most projects, I’d recommend one or two rolls.

I only shoot film on location, not for studio portraits. It requires lots of light, so it’s not always a great choice for anything indoors. Using flash can look amazing, though this will have a distinct look.

I take studio portraits at home, in Borehamwood. The nearest station is Elstree & Borehamwood — about 25 minutes from King’s Cross by Thameslink.

If we’re taking photos outside, the time of day makes a big difference.

Around midday, sunlight can look kinda harsh. The ideal time is a couple of hours before sunset — for June, I suggest starting around 5pm.

But if this would be tricky, other times are totally possible.

I’ll send you a contract to sign before our session. But a few key things—

• Cancellation— If you cancel or reschedule within 24 hours, I charge a 50% cancellation fee.

• Payment— Images will only be released on receipt of full payment.

• Licensing— You can use images by me wherever, but you must clearly credit me. If posting on Instagram, please both tag me and include my handle in the caption (@kitmccarthyphoto).

• Editing— You must not edit my images further (except for cropping). If there’s anything you need me to change, I’ll do my best to accommodate any requests.