About - Photography By Petra

Behind the camera

hey!

I’m Petra, your photographer.

Most people who book me don’t particularly like having their photo taken. I’ve made it my thing to change that, so by the time we’re done, it’s usually the last thing on their mind.

I don’t do intimidating clicking, awkward silence or letting you figure it out on your own. I do real, intentional photographs that actually look like you, with real colours, real skin tones, on what will genuinely be a great day out.

I do REALLY hate my photo being taken. I'm always really awkward BUT Petra honestly made it a joy! I've never had a photographer actually show the pose and explain it all before I had to do it and it made me feel so much more comfortable! Thank you Petra and if anyone hasn't booked with her yet then DO IT!!!

My focus is on authentic emotion, on the fun, the love, the small ordinary moments. I will never ask you to smile, or worse, say cheese. I’d rather tell you a bad joke.

When you look at your photographs, I want you to remember how that hug felt, what made you laugh, the fierce love you felt snuggling in with your babies. One day you’ll be so glad someone was there to catch it.

As a mum of 3, I know these are the moments that matter.

My style

My style is natural across all my photoshoot types, in a letting-the-moment-unfold-kind-of-way but my guidance is always there, creating the conditions for the real stuff to happen.

With children especially, I let them lead. I’m funny (I try hard) and silly (naturally), I don’t hold expectations and I don’t do fixed ideas. If that means chasing a toddler across a field or waiting out a wobble, I’ve seen it all and none of it fazes me. The unplanned moments are almost always the best ones anyway.

I’m also known for going to necessary lengths to get the perfect angle. Just ask my joints.

Do I sound like your kind of gal?

Being a first time mum it was a bit nerve wracking however Petra made us all feel really relaxed, without feeling rushed. I wasn’t keen on being in the photos myself but I am really glad we took Petra’s advice and had some family pictures as they are really special. Petra defiantly has a way with children. We feel as though we met as strangers and left as friends xx

few BITS about me

Originally from Slovakia, this little corner of Essex has been my home for a long time now.

We live in Leigh-on-Sea with our three totally amazing kids (who also know exactly how to push my buttons and bring out both the best and worst in me). Motherhood is my greatest inspiration, in life and in work.

I fully embody emotions, it doesn’t take much to make me cry and that empathy is reflected in how I connect with my clients.

I’m also, perhaps surprisingly as I can’t ever stop talking, an introvert. So I completely get the uncomfortable feeling of being the centre of attention. Which is probably exactly why I’m so good at making sure you don’t feel that way.

My favourite things

~ Black coffee. Sacred and mindful, even when I’m rushing which is always.

~ Gardening – grounding and quiet and takes me back to my childhood.

~ I always felt safe around water. I grew up surrounded by lakes and now I live by the sea. Feels like home.

~ Cooking. I plan a weekly menu which has its benefits. The kids don’t ask what’s for dinner x100, I cook what I fancy and and I know exactly what goes into our meals.

~ Elaborating further in brackets. A lot. (No need to expand here.)

~ Any art. I’m a maker and a doer. But photography especially. When I look back through our family photos it’s always the subtle details that take me straight back to the moment.

My belief

I still believe in holding a photograph in your hands.

My digital collections come with prints in a keepsake box, not as an add-on but because it’s part of how I think about photography.

Digital images are convenient but a print is tangible. It sits on a shelf, gets passed around, gets kept. It becomes part of your home and eventually part of your family history.

In a world where most photos live on a phone and get scrolled past, that feels worth doing intentionally.

Work with me

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