It means photographing life as it happens, rather than arranging it for the camera. We don’t build a scene, run a shot list, or ask people to perform. We pay attention, and photograph what’s actually there — so what you’re left with is closer to how it really felt, not just how it looked.

Because we see differently. Working together means more of a day, a family or a practice gets noticed at once, rather than everything passing through a single pair of eyes. We also edit together afterwards, so what you receive has been considered by both of us, not just captured by one.

That’s genuinely fine, and more common than not. We’re not asking anyone to perform or hold a pose — we’re paying attention to what’s already happening between you. Most people forget we’re there fairly quickly, and that’s usually when the photographs that matter most happen.

We don’t need perfect conditions to make honest photographs — weather, timings changing, plans shifting, all of that is still part of the day, and we adapt to it rather than trying to work around it. If anything significant happens on the day itself, we deal with it quietly and keep going.

12–18 months ahead is usually best for weddings, especially for peak-season Saturdays, though it’s always worth asking — we might just have your date free. As soon as you have a date in mind is the best strategy.

Get in touch through the contact form and tell us about your wedding, your family or your work. We’ll reply, have a proper conversation about what you need, and take it from there — there’s no pressure and no obligation at enquiry stage.

We don't use fixed packages because every wedding, family session and body of work has different requirements, and we don't think you should pay for things you don't need.

Travel is a good example. We include the first 50 miles of travel with every shoot, but beyond that the requirements can vary. A wedding might involve several locations and overnight accommodation; an artist may need us to visit a studio more than once; another shoot might be just around the corner. The time, distance, locations and other practical requirements all affect the cost.

We could build the most expensive possibilities into fixed packages, but that would mean someone booking us locally could be paying towards the travel and accommodation of someone hundreds of miles away. We don't think that's fair.

So instead, we price each booking around what you actually need, while keeping the cost as fair and sustainable as possible. We then give you one clear price for the work, with everything included — no charges for additional photographs, no hidden extras and no surprises later. What we photograph, you receive.

Tell us about your wedding, family or work, where it is and what you'd like us to do, and we'll give you a clear quote with everything included.

We’re based in South West London and cover Surrey, Hampshire and Sussex as standard, with weddings, families and makers further afield when it’s the right fit. Travel is included in our price for the first 50 miles of the round trip; beyond that, we charge a per mile fee for the additional distance beyond 50 miles and this will be clearly outlined to your quote.

Yes — we take a 25% deposit to secure your date, across every kind of shoot. It’s non-refundable, but it holds your date exclusively for you.

For weddings, you can either pay a 25% booking retainer, with the remaining 75% due three months before your wedding, or split the remaining balance into equal instalments, provided the full balance is paid by the three-month point.

For family and artist & maker sessions, we usually take a 25% booking retainer, with the remaining 75% due one week before the shoot, unless we agree otherwise.

If you need to cancel

For bookings under £1,000:

• More than 30 days before the shoot: the balance is refunded, with the exception of the 25% non-refundable retainer.

• Within 30 days of the shoot: the full fee is payable.

For bookings over £1,000:

• More than 90 days before: all monies refunded, minus the 25% retainer.

• 90–30 days before: 50% of the total fee is payable.

• Less than 30 days before: the full fee is payable.

Consumer clients retain their statutory 14-day right to cancel after booking, during which all monies paid, including the retainer, will be refunded.

If you need to reschedule

Rescheduling is subject to our availability. Your retainer can be transferred to a new date within 12 months of the original booking. Changes to the location or scope of the work may require an additional fee.

We'll always make reasonable efforts to accommodate a rescheduling request where we can.

If we need to cancel

In the unlikely event that we have to cancel your booking, we'll provide a full refund of all monies paid. Where appropriate, we'll also make reasonable efforts to help find a suitable replacement photographer.

What if circumstances outside our control affect the shoot?

In circumstances beyond either party's reasonable control — such as severe weather, fire, flood, serious illness or government restrictions — we'll work with you to reschedule the shoot where possible or refund monies paid where appropriate.

Yes. We offer both photography and video, but how we combine them depends on what we’re documenting.

For weddings and families, we offer photography and video as separate bookings. These are live, unpredictable environments, and we believe each deserves our full attention rather than trying to photograph and film at the same time.

For artists and makers, we can offer photography and video within the same session. A studio or workshop gives us the time and control to move between the two without compromising either.

The principle is simple: we want to do each properly, rather than do both at once for the sake of offering more.

We don't put a price on individual photographs. You pay for the shoot, and you receive the photographs that come from it.

We believe that once you've trusted us to photograph your wedding, family or work, you shouldn't have to decide which photographs are worth keeping based on how many you can afford. We personally edit the whole gallery, and everything that earns its place in the final edit is yours — with no additional image fees, upgrades or hidden costs.

There is no fixed number and no quota to hit. We don't pad galleries with duplicates simply to reach a promised figure, and we don't leave photographs out simply to stay within one. The number of images depends on what actually happened and what is worth keeping.

A full-day wedding will often result in 800–1,000+ hand-edited photographs. Family sessions and artist & maker projects vary much more depending on the time, setting and nature of the work.

The principle is simple: we photograph what is there, edit everything that deserves to remain, and give you the whole story.

Your photographs are delivered securely through a private online gallery, where you can view, download and share them.

We go through everything we photograph and personally edit the images that best tell the story. Every photograph is considered in the context of the day, the people and the moments around it — not simply processed through a preset or left for an algorithm or someone who wasn't there to decide what matters.

What you receive isn't a random collection or a fixed number of images. It's a considered, complete record of what we saw and experienced with you, edited by the people who were actually there to witness it.

Through your own private, secure online gallery via Pic-Time. You’ll get full access to your entire edited gallery to view, download and share, and you can order prints, albums and other products directly from the gallery itself, whenever suits you.

Absolutely — we love seeing your photographs shared. We simply ask that you share the images as delivered, without additional filters or any editing, and credit Sophie Deller Photo when you post.

We’ll also create a curated selection of images for Instagram and social media. Where you’re happy for us to, we’ll invite you to collaborate on our Instagram post, so the photographs can appear on both our account and yours.

We want sharing the photographs to feel easy, natural and collaborative.

As the photographers, we retain the copyright to all photographs we create. This is standard practice and means the copyright remains with us while you receive the appropriate licence to use your photographs.

For weddings and family sessions, your package includes a personal, non-commercial licence. This gives you everything you need to print, share and enjoy your photographs for personal use, including sharing them on social media.

For artists & makers, your package includes a commercial usage licence. This allows you to use the photographs for your website, social media, marketing, press, exhibitions, promotional materials and other commercial purposes relating to your work.

For all uses, we ask that you credit Sophie Deller Photo where reasonably possible, and that you don't alter the photographs substantially, claim them as your own work, license or sell the photographs to someone else, or use them as standalone products for resale.

In short: you own the memories; we retain the copyright; and your licence gives you the freedom to use the photographs in the ways they were created for.

Both. Every gallery is delivered digitally first, and once you’ve had a chance to look through it in your own time, you can order prints, albums and other products directly from the gallery itself, through our chosen high-quality print labs. There’s no need to decide or commit to anything ahead of time.

We tend to focus on full-day weddings, because that’s where we can properly do justice to the whole story of the day. Practically, any wedding — whether it’s an hour or twelve — takes up the same full day for us, so elopements, very short-format days and destination weddings aren’t typically what we take on. That said, if something feels like a particularly good fit, we’re always open to talking about it, so get in touch and tell us about your day.

Yes, any age and any stage of family life — from newborn to teenager, and everything in between. Documentary family photography works at any age, because it’s following your family as it actually is, not a particular pose or milestone shot.

Yes — if your pet is part of family life, they’re part of the story, and we’ll photograph them as naturally as everyone else.

Yes — we’re photographing your practice, not a particular kind of room. A kitchen table, a spare room, a shed or a shared workshop all count, as long as the work happening in them is real.

Yes — alongside studio and process photography, we can also cover an exhibition opening, a private view or an open studio event. Tell us what you have planned and we’ll talk through how to cover it.

Yes. You don’t need a finished body of work, a gallery relationship or an existing website for your practice to be worth photographing properly — often it’s more useful to document work as it develops, rather than waiting until it feels “finished”.

Yes — we carry public liability insurance and are happy to provide a copy to your venue on request.