There’s a pull to studio portraits that’s always had me hooked. It’s not just a face, it’s a whole world caught in a frame, shaped by clever lighting, a thoughtful pose, and a photographer’s quiet spark, my first introduction to the studio portrait was my school photos, from nursery right up until I left school after 5th year in 1993 but there’s something romantic about the idea of a nineteenth-century studio: heavy drapes framing the scene, props artfully arranged, and the soft glow of gas lamps lending an almost ethereal quality to the environment. The studio portrait was born here, a revolution that took portraiture away from the exclusive domain of painters and made it something the everyday person could afford. It was groundbreaking, a way for families, individuals, and communities to see themselves immortalised for the first time. No longer limited to the wealthiest few, portraiture became a way for people to assert their identities, mark significant moments, and leave a tangible legacy.