Lois at Home
I photographed Lois at her family home alongside her two show jumpers and, later on, her little Shetland pony who made sure he was included by the end.
Working at home always changes a shoot. Everyone is more settled, the horses stay in their routine, and we can use spaces that actually mean something rather than trying to make a hired location feel personal.
At one point we quietly took the horses into the gardens which was an amazing addition to this shoot, her Dad did catch us halfway through, but by then we already knew it was worth it. The gardens gave us space, structure and softness all in one place and meant we could create images that felt far more personal than anything you could hire for the day.
Six Looks, No Rush
We worked through six outfits across the shoot.
Two of them belonged to her mum, which always adds something you can’t manufacture. Clothes that already exist within a family carry a familiarity that instantly relaxes people in front of the camera. You don’t always get that when something is brand new and being worn just for photographs.
We then built a look inspired by a well known Christy Turlington image. Clean, simple, strong posture, letting Lois hold the attention rather than the styling doing the work. Those references are helpful because they give direction without turning the shoot into a copy. The goal is never to recreate the photo, it’s to borrow the feeling and let it become theirs.
Editorial, but Private
Lois is the daughter of Gabby Logan MBE, television and radio presenter, and Kenny Logan, retired rugby union player.
But the purpose of the shoot wasn’t about status or publicity.
The way I approached it was exactly the same as any client session. Structured like an editorial magazine shoot, just without the pressure, time limits or expectation that it has to be for anyone other than the person in the photographs.
Direction, outfit planning, changing locations around the property, trying ideas, adjusting when the horses had different opinions. All the parts that go into a cover shoot, just in a far more relaxed environment.
I think that’s important.
You don’t need a brand deal, a media feature or a public profile to justify photographs like this. People often assume editorial style imagery belongs to magazines or professionals who need it for work, but actually it works best when it’s personal. When the story matters to the person in it, not an audience.
Everyone deserves to feel like they’re having a front cover shoot without the pressure of performing for one.
Why Home Matters
By the end, the Shetland joined in and, like most small ponies, confidently took over. Those moments usually become favourites because nobody is trying anymore. The structure of the shoot has already done its job and everyone relaxes.
Photographing at home adds another layer years later. Locations change, horses change, routines change. The background becomes part of the memory, not just somewhere pretty we found.
The aim is always to balance importance with ease.
Planned enough to feel special. Relaxed enough to enjoy it.
That’s usually when people recognise themselves in the photographs rather than just seeing a nice picture.
If you want to feel like this, that’s reason enough.
No occasion needed, no pressure, just time set aside to photograph this stage of life properly. Planned so it feels special, relaxed so you actually enjoy it.
If that sounds like your kind of experience, please get in touch.