After several years and a long run of five-star reviews, I’ve spent a fair bit of time thinking about what actually earns them. And the honest answer surprised me at first: it’s rarely just the photographs. Good images are the baseline — what people expect. The five-star reaction almost always comes from something else.
It’s mostly about how it felt
When I read back through my reviews, the same themes come up far more than any comment about lighting or composition. People talk about feeling relaxed. About being put at ease despite dreading it. About the session being enjoyable rather than the ordeal they’d braced for. The photos matter, of course — but the feeling is what people remember and what they write about.
The things that quietly add up
- Being made comfortable — especially for the many people who hate being photographed.
- Clear communication before, during and after the session.
- Not feeling rushed — having the time and space to get it right.
- Genuinely loving the final images, because we worked towards them together.
Why I aim for the experience, not the review
I don’t chase five-star reviews — I try to give people a session worth writing one about, and trust that the reviews follow. It’s a subtle but important difference. If I focus on making each person feel comfortable and delivering images they’re proud of, the feedback takes care of itself. That’s exactly how it’s played out.
If a relaxed experience and results you’ll actually love sound like what you’re after, see my photography services or get in touch to book.
