http://Www.photographybypetra.co.uk/

Brand photography by Petra, Leigh-on-Sea (2026)

16/06/2025

It can feel bit weird to share your photos at first but actually they are such fantastic way to connect and engage with people in your community.

Marketing can be done without them. Sure.

But imagine how much easier it is to show people what you do, be seen as a professional brand and catch their attention in a very crowded space (even beyond social media) with photography that you see yourself in and your energy shining through them.

If you’re feeling stuck with your visual content and need helping hand to get inspired and motivated, let’s chat. I offer no-obligation calls and I promise you, they are full of value!

Hi! I’m Petra - brand and headshot photographer based in Essex. I love creating photos and videos for clients in honest (but creative) way. Photos that inspire and motivate to show up in their business. These are not a pretty portraits only, these are like an investment that need to work hard for you and your business.

📷

09/05/2022

It happened before 🫣

Running two accounts here seemed like a great
idea at the time, I knew what I wanted both to
represent - just one facet of my business so I
can be more specific, intentional with my
delivery.
As life happens 🤣, it's no longer for
the best so I'm doing it again! Bit scary if you
ask me as I've put lot of time and effort into it.

However, I want more fika in my life and I can't
do that if I am here, there, everywhere so I'm
simplifying.
Past few months felt like constant
switch between accounts and platforms and
what I found is that my brain is busier because
of it although the plan was to make my life
simpler.

So I'm ABANDONING this account and
switching all aspects of my work to
Photography by Petra where I will intertwine
personal branding photography with my other
work.
The idea is that I will have time to write more
considered emails and all the things I never
have time to do or even new ideas to execute
👀

PS If you didn't know, Fika stands for Swedish
ritual of spending quality time with friends and
family, usually with coffee and something
sweet to eat, to share the good things in life 💃

There is no plan here, but I did the thinking and
maths calculation 👊 and hopefully I won't be
crawling back here for more 🫣

If you wanted more from me, follow me here
Photography by Petra or sign up to my
newsletter (I will link it in comments).
I will keep this account live but only for
reference, so please INQUIRE ON
Photography by Petra or email me.

Eeek I'm doing it!

03/05/2022

The more close up headshots can feel bit intimidating 😬 Sorry about that. But also, i understand, I get it and do all I can to make it as comfortable as possible. Pretty much, I just don’t shut up the whole time. No secrets here. It just works.

And also, I just want you to remember that’s it’s ONLY a photo and we can retake it because I’ll make sure that YOU like them before we move on 🫡

I’m starting to realise I like to use ‘also’ a lot. I just say it as I would in person. There is much to say, hence the also.

Thanks for the awesome BTS pics. I cherish them 🫶

25/04/2022

I think they were my last stop on the last day of project back in February. I was looking forward to have nosey around as I photographed in the old centre couple of years back. They are now spoilt for space yet holding its calming and secluded feel all at once. I kind of slotted in their meeting 😅 and my aim was to capture their energy and mannerism if nothing else.

This is

And interestingly, once I sat down, I felt like I could just breathe (it was the busiest days of all, I think I’ve visited 15 shops prior here and my head was all over the place) but I instantly felt like being me is just enough.

Dawn decided to form a partnership with Ellie and Marta who are clinical psychologists to offer a greater support to people of all age, from all walks of life to find their voice, feel well emotionally and physically in their new home by at Clement’s church.

Experienced, skilled, kind practitioners in fields of therapy, mindfulness, cranial sacral therapy and reflexology amongst other support reside in this community based wellbeing centre. And with the community in mind, they will be rolling out regular evening, talks, workshops and classes making them a hub that cares.

Just my recent personal experiences I have had with my children’s health and how far one has to go to be heard, centres like this one that foster connection, feelings of being listened to and understood are more important than ever to build bridges and fill the gaps for the communities, places that are accessible and inclusive and have people’s well-being at their heart.

Thank you for being here and joining me 🙏

21/04/2022

Planning a shoot goes something like: what, when and where..
Then, other, more detailed questions are being chat through but choice of location is so important to get right. It’s one of the factors that will shape the feel of your photos and reflect the meaning behind them. So don’t underestimate it’s importance.

Originally, we had different location planned for shoot and after some consideration, he chosen this private land which was an amazing and versatile space and perfect what John wanted to convey with his images.

The brief was beyond restaurant and kitchen settings, highlighting John’s authenticity and passion for food, nature and health. The objective was to create a selection of engaging photos for John’s coaching offering. John provided me with a word cloud and what he wanted his brand photography encapsulate.
It was an impressive mixture of words (nearly 50) that summarised more than just feelings, it spoke of what’s important to him in values, ethos, hobbies, food, nature, health, rest… but in great detail and that was so inspiring.

The energy on the day was so welcoming, warm and quite captivating. We spoke about food a lot, from growing to cooking, his new venture and even plans for the future.
My introverted self had a great time in his company talking about subjects that matters to me too 🙋‍♀️ and we concluded our shoot on importance of choosing the right person for the right job who gets the what you’re trying to achieve.

PS: this was 1 hour shoot at one location (few photos were also taken in yoga studio on the site) with 1 or 2 changes of outfit and a pit stop for cuppa ✌️
Need help? DM me to chat about how I can help you!

19/04/2022

This came up on my feed this morning via and really resonated how it felt for me this half term. I actually thought I was being super lazy and even discussed it with my coach! 🤨

I’m sensing a new wave of motivation, something I lacked past 2 or so weeks - mainly because I find it incredibly hard to juggle kids and the attention I want to give to my biz simultaneously - to any high standard anyway 🤪

And this natural tug-of-war between what I want to achieve professionally and what’s needed of me as a mother of 3 arises every time there is school break or even a weekend.

I was definitely pulled to come closer to home recently and also have some time with nothing on my mind (there is lots on my mind all the time 😂😂) and so I retreated to gardening (which made it an extra pleasant experience with the sun shining). It’s a real sanctuary for me, time to be with myself and my own thoughts and nature and perhaps it allows me to strike that much needed balance between ambition and family because allowing this to work successfully will only inspire to share what I have to offer the world.

Any tips? How do you deal in those situations? I’m thinking for a while now that I need to set a day in a week for my errands and admin so I don’t faff about with other stuff and then feel frustrated with lack of time 🤔

15/04/2022

There was this little ni**le last year but I couldn’t quite work out what it was. Until I decided to revaluate my packages again this year.

Spring time last year I invested time, lots of energy and obvs money into mentorship. I knew I needed to change certain elements of my offering but I didn’t know how and it felt as good fit.

I followed all steps, saw the logic and run with it. Except it didn’t go as expected. It took a while (whole 9 moths while) to figure out what wasn’t working but I realised it wasn’t in alignment of something I value greatly, and that being flexibility! This is something I’m really passionate about offering my clients because I appreciate flexibility myself.

I knew I needed to change my packages up again 🤪 as the rigidity (this or that only) didn’t suit my personality, but I also wanted to add value for my clients - the reason why the change happened in first place.

I understand a small business. I’m a small business and I know how much of a big deal it is to invest in your business. I did this a lot this year too because not doing it all myself gives me more time for things I want to be doing more of.
I want to give clients my time and expertise - this is part of what makes me love my job - meeting and connecting with new, like minded people that I can have a great conversation with (pretty much anything). This in return allows the space to feel the comfort and flow which is the best way to photograph. Whether you are a startup or regular in having photos, there is a package for everyone. My new price list is on my website (which is STILL in a working progress 😅 but I doubt it will ever stop)

DM for a link or find it in my bio ✌️

📷 from latest headshot day. The next one is 8 June, you will find all info on my website.

07/04/2022

We all have favourite shops, whether online or IRL and they are fav for a reason or two but no doubt one of the key factors will be the people in it 👀

is a staple in Leigh since 1986! They must be doing something right! 💪

The short while I was there photographing them for the project, I witnessed the care and relationship they build with their clients, the creativity and passion for craftsmanship and also the appreciation clients show them.

Whilst I was there (first time ever), an idea sparked and I decided that I’ll be the one creating heirloom pieces for my children and hopefully generations to come. I already have rough design in mind and luckily all the “ingredients” and I’m sure with Terry’s expertise and creativity, it will be something I will be proud to pass on 💛

All of this would not happen without liking them first and then seeing how they do things. This isn’t something I ever had in mind, I was inspired and instantly felt understood💫

And it made me think about my online businesses, the assumption that our audience knows us, what we do and how, our values and point of difference (just prior to visiting here i visited another jeweller in town) so never underestimate the power of telling your own story and the connection it fosters. And with so many businesses operating online, it’s even more important to make those first impressions right 💥

PS it’s a true story.

05/04/2022

I’m currently working on my website. When I say currently, i mean past 3 months. It’s a slow process that makes me sideline lots of things, and I’m not even at the perfecting stage. To be perfectly honest, I fear that by the time I finish with it, it will be time to start all over again or at least tweaking again. It’s never done thing I believe.

Yesterday, I finally took the kids to The natural history museum. I found it fascinating and I fear we didn’t even go to much depth on anything (def pick a topic you want to explore and go back for more). And there was a quote on the mug (which I obvs had to buy, as well as other souvenirs we couldn’t leave without 🤨) and it says

“… from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved.”

I know it’s on the origin of the species but wow couldn’t we apply this to like any idea?

Some 17 years ago when I entertained the fantasy of being in a photography industry (just because I could imagine it - I mean that’s so amazing in itself!), with limited English to now, doing it day in and day out. And it’s hardly ever glamorous looking 🍑 but I’m glad I believed in myself and the ideas and the process that came with it. And aways evolving 🙏 because that means I’m moving forward or just somewhere.

Be courageous to put yourself out there, you never know what wonderful things come from it ✌️

31/03/2022

I always bang on about image optimisation and it's so important from client journey perspective. It can be the difference between sales and no sales. We are not patient species, and also remember the expectations, online shoppers want to know exactly what's being delivered.

So, that in mind, where can you improve the online experience?
* high quality photographs
* different angles
* diversity (especially in clothing)
* lifestyle imagery or video/gif of product being used
* detailed product description
* customers' pictures and testimonials are valued social proof

And don't forget the abandoned carts. Everyone is busy, distraction (esp from little people) is real! Simple email reminding customers that they wanted to get your product will be welcome.

📷 Organically Epic has a lovely 20% off her sustainable dental range until Sunday. My fav? The floss for sure!

28/03/2022

I always like to leave on high 😜

The last photo of the last subscription shoot. I'd run these for a handful of businesses for a few years. It's been an insightful journey and one that taught me that there is no end to creativity. More you do, more you get. No shoot was the same, every season brought new ideas and needs - which also surprised me!

This package was designed for clients who needed or wanted fresh images, especially for social media, often - but also for other needs, like website, workshops and PR. Someone who is the personal brand (which is most of my clients) but who are actively visible on their platform.

Although things are changing here, I still wanted to keep something exclusive for returning clients who need top up every now and then to represent seasons, look or new offers. It's by the hour service and it's called Refresher package. You can find all I offer on my website. I will link it in stories for a quick 👀

23/03/2022

From the recent Headshot day 👀

These are real sneak peaks but promise, all galleries are coming out today.

Thank you for joining me .like.a_mother

Need new headshots yourself?
It costs £69. There is usually between 10-15 photos to choose from, 2 photos included in price, 20 mins shoot, 10 mins chat.

Next Headshot day is on 8 June. DM me for link or you can find it under Brand on my website. I'll pin it in my stories today too.

Brand photography by Petra

16/06/2025

09/05/2022

03/05/2022

25/04/2022

21/04/2022

19/04/2022

15/04/2022

07/04/2022

05/04/2022

31/03/2022

28/03/2022

23/03/2022

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