Martin Bamford Photography

Martin Bamford Photography Portrait photographer in and around Cranleigh, Surrey. I help founders, consultants and creatives look credible and confident in photos that win them work

What a weekend!Robin Hood taking over Knowle Park. 230 runners crossing the finish line at Cranleigh parkrun. An Arabian...
06/09/2026

What a weekend!

Robin Hood taking over Knowle Park. 230 runners crossing the finish line at Cranleigh parkrun. An Arabian Nights birthday party, complete with a surprise Spitfire flypast. And an early Sunday morning out with Surrey Search & Rescue.

Friday night started with photographing the first of three performances of Robin Hood in the Park at Knowle Park. I was back again for the Saturday matinee, this time overseeing the marshalling as a few hundred visitors arrived for the show.

Saturday morning began, as usual, with Cranleigh parkrun, photographing 230 finishers making their way around the course.

Then Saturday night brought a fantastic 60th birthday party to photograph, complete with an Arabian Nights theme and, unexpectedly, a Spitfire flypast thanks to an aviation event happening next door!

Early doors this morning for an exercise with the superstars at Surrey Search & Rescue, before heading back into the studio this afternoon to start working through the edits.

A very full few days, with a lovely mix of community, events, photography and a bit of adventure thrown in.

I’ll sleep well tonight!

A few favourites from a brilliant couple of hours in the studio with actor Jack Reeves.When Carli first introduced us, s...
01/09/2026

A few favourites from a brilliant couple of hours in the studio with actor Jack Reeves.

When Carli first introduced us, she mentioned that Jack was a Whovian. I had to quietly spend a few seconds working out what that meant.

Once we got shooting, though, Jack made things very easy. He is incredibly expressive, very comfortable trying different ideas, and we ended up with a much wider range than a straightforward headshot session.

Some clean, natural portraits. Some darker, more theatrical frames. And quite a few somewhere in between.

Really pleased with what we made together.

31/08/2026

September has always felt like a fresh start.

The summer holidays are ending. People are returning to work, and the kids are heading back to school; routines are settling down, and all those things postponed until “after the summer” are finding their way back onto the to-do list.

Perhaps updating your photograph is one of them.

If your current headshot no longer looks like you, or your business needs stronger photographs for its website and social media, September is a very good time to sort it.

To give you a little extra reason to stop putting it off, I’m including a complimentary September Profile Pack with every headshot or personal branding session booked by Sunday 6th September and photographed during September.

Your Profile Pack will include two additional edited photographs, along with versions of your chosen images cropped and prepared for LinkedIn, social media and your website.

There’s no reduction in my usual session prices. It’s simply some extra value to help you get more practical use from the photographs we create together.

My headshot sessions start from £195 and include clear direction throughout, so you won’t need to know how to pose or what to do in front of the camera. We’ll create photographs that feel natural, credible and recognisably you.

September availability is limited, particularly for the most popular weekday slots. Link to my booking enquiry page in the comments.

And if you’re unsure which session would suit you, send me a DM and tell me what you need the photographs for. I’ll be happy to point you in the right direction.

31/08/2026

Before becoming a full-time photographer, I spent around 20 years working in financial services.

The two careers have more in common than you might first expect.

Both involve trust. Both depend on asking the right questions.

And in both, the thing someone says they’re worried about often isn’t the real concern.

A financial planning client might ask about investment returns. What they really wanted was confidence they could afford to retire.

A photography client might say they hate having their photograph taken. What they often mean is:

“I’m worried I’ll look awkward.”

“I’m worried the photographs won’t feel like me.”

“I’m worried I’ll be judged.”

That’s why taking a good professional portrait starts long before I press the shutter.

It starts with listening.

What does “professional” mean in your world?

Who needs to trust you?

What should they understand about you?

How should they feel when they see your photograph?

The answer might be experienced and reassuring. Creative and distinctive. Warm and approachable. Confident without appearing unapproachable.

A couple of decades in financial services also taught me that clear guidance makes unfamiliar situations feel manageable.

You don’t need to know how to pose. You don’t need to understand lighting or camera angles. You just need someone who can guide you through it, one small adjustment at a time.

Most importantly, I learned that professionalism isn’t a costume.

You don’t necessarily need a dark suit, a plain background, and a serious expression.

You need a portrait that reflects who you are, the work you do and the people you want to reach.

Something credible and honest.

Something that looks like you on a very good day.

Because the real goal isn’t simply a technically good photograph.

It’s having an image you’re happy to put on your website, add to LinkedIn or send to an event organiser without hesitation.

That confidence is what the photograph is really for.

Round two with Barney.Back in the studio to update his headshots after a new haircut, but it would have been rude to sto...
29/08/2026

Round two with Barney.

Back in the studio to update his headshots after a new haircut, but it would have been rude to stop there.

So once we had the headshots in the bag, we switched things up and created some new editorial portraits for his portfolio. Different lighting, different styling, a bit more attitude and, eventually, a spray bottle to get the wet look.

Sometimes the simplest bits of kit are the most effective.

Another excellent session with Barney. Loads of variety, and some of my favourite portraits we’ve made together so far.

28/08/2026

“I hate having my photo taken.”

It’s one of the most common things people tell me before a headshot session.

Usually followed by:

“I’m awkward in front of a camera.”

“I never know what to do with my face.”

“I’m not photogenic.”

None of this worries me.

Knowing how to stand, where to look and what expression to make isn’t your job. It’s mine.

I’ll direct you in small ways. We’ll chat. We’ll try out different angles and expressions. I’ll show you the photographs as we go, so you can see what’s working.

You don’t need to perform for my camera. You don’t need to practise poses in the mirror before you come to my studio. And you definitely don’t need to smile constantly, until your cheeks ache.

Some of the best portraits happen in the moment after a laugh, during a conversation, or when you briefly forget there’s a camera pointing at you. Times when you let your guard down.

A good headshot session might not turn you into somebody who loves having their photograph taken.

That’s fine.

Success is looking at the finished images and thinking:

“That’s me.”

Or, even better:

“I actually really like that.”

Or, one of my favourites, and taken in the spirit in which it was intended:

“That’s not terrible.”

So, if you’ve been putting off updating your headshot because you hate having your photograph taken, don’t wait until you suddenly feel confident in front of a camera.

Just turn up.

We’ll figure out the rest together.

Those who know me will know two things.I hate wasting a day.And I really dislike public transport. 😂So having my car stu...
27/08/2026

Those who know me will know two things.

I hate wasting a day.

And I really dislike public transport. 😂

So having my car stuck at the garage all day for its annual service was never going to be ideal.

I decided to make the most of it. I walked for a couple of hours in the general direction of home, eventually admitted defeat and got a bus for the final stretch, then headed back out with my camera for some street photography this afternoon.

Quite glad I did.

As the bus pulled into Guildford, I spotted a couple of ponies casually “parked” outside The Friary. Later, a fire engine arrived at The County Club. And just before I climbed aboard bus number three of the day, a chap kindly stopped for a portrait with his gorgeous eight-week-old puppy.

So, day not wasted.

Far too much public transport.

An eye-watering annual service bill.

And another date with the garage already booked for next month.

But at least I got some photos out of it. 📸

I’ve had a lot of brilliant assignments this summer, but this one goes straight onto the favourites list.This afternoon ...
26/08/2026

I’ve had a lot of brilliant assignments this summer, but this one goes straight onto the favourites list.

This afternoon I was shooting for Surrey Hills National Landscape and Surrey Hills Enterprises at Denbies Wine Estate for the launch of the Surrey Hills Sheep Parade.

Fluffy clouds in the sky. Fluffy sheep in the field. Beautifully decorated sheep everywhere. And, for good measure, the actual Dorking Cockerel, Charles.

Add in a whole host of dignitaries, artists, organisers and lots of lovely people, and it made for a pretty perfect afternoon with a camera.

What a fab event to photograph.

Then straight back to the studio afterwards to get the gallery edited and delivered while it was all still fresh.

Love my job. 🐑📷

26/08/2026

Dolly Parton apparently once told a photographer:

“I got three angles. That’s all I got.”

I love that.

Because even one of the most photographed and recognisable people in the world had opinions about which side of her face worked best.

I hear versions of the same thing all the time.

“I hate having my photo taken.”

“This is my good side.”

“I never like photos of myself.”

The job of a good portrait photographer isn’t to force someone into a perfect pose.

It’s to get past all of that self-consciousness and make photographs that actually feel like them.

Dolly Parton died this week, aged 80.

What a life. What a legacy. And, apparently, at least three very good angles.

Address

Sundial House, 20 High Street
Cranleigh
GU68AE

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