About

Louise Down Photography

Who I am and how I got to be
a professional portrait and wedding photographer

I am a photographer, walker and cat mum to my two fur babies, Tiger and Bumble. I live in the picturesque coastal village of Mullion on the Lizard Peninsula in West Cornwall.
I have always been a creative soul. I started my working life as a set designer and scenic artist. I studied for a BA Hons degree at Leeds University and worked as a set painter for productions at the Watermill Theatre in Newbury. Whilst studying I became a specialist in set and lighting. There are lots of similarities between being a set designer and a photographer. You have to be aware of the entire environment your viewers are looking at, drawing their eyes into the scene using light, colour, texture, and composition.
As both a set designer and photographer you have to be aware of how people interact in that environment. Are they ‘centre stage’ in the frame or are they just silhouetted figures moving through the landscape? Once the scene is set a lighting designer can convey emotion and highlight detail on stage and this is true of a good photographer who understands the importance of natural and artificial lighting.

testimonial quote mark

The pictures almost seem to breathe they’re that alive – a rare gift!

Lewis Robinson

MORE CLIENT REVIEWS
I started work as a photographer about 10 years ago when my friend asked me to take some photos of their band performing in a local venue. I learned the art of taking excellent quality live photos of musicians, often in low light situations, and began life as an event and gig photographer. Soon bands were asking me to do more staged photo shoots for album covers and for social media and so I started to cultivate my skills as a portrait photographer.
As I was developing my skills I was also working part-time in the education sector as a teacher and already had a history of working with children in other sectors. A local nursery manager approached me to ask if I would consider doing their nursery photography. I developed a simple, excellent value for money nursery photography package, and following the positive feedback from the staff and parents, other nurseries and pre-schools started to get in touch.

From an early age, I had always been good with young children. I volunteered with Mencap and my local Youth Theatre in my teens and seem to have a natural ability to put children at ease and entertain them. For me, it made total sense to make the natural progression into family portrait photography.

Why I do it

Female-vintage-Singer-and-Songwriter - Musician Cornwall Personal Branding Photography - Album Photoshoot

Put simply, I love capturing the people, the stories, and the beauty all around me. People fascinate me and I love telling their story through the medium of photography.

Mum-and-her-two-young-sons-in-the-park Cornwall Family Portrait Photography - Family Photographer

I enjoy capturing the joy and excitement in children’s and family’s faces as they play in the park or go for a long walk in the woods, splashing in puddles or climbing trees.

Urban-Poet portrait - Cornwall Personal Branding Photography

It’s an honour to meet strong, independent makers, designers, artists, and entrepreneurs who love what they do and capture their essence for all to see.

Young-barman-mixing-cocktails - Cornwall Event Photography

It’s a joy to discover fantastic and exciting local businesses and showcase them to a wider audience. I choose to be a photographer as it brings joy to my everyday life.

as featured in

My creative and fashion work has appeared in numerous fashion and creative photography magazines including Photoshoot Magazine, Secret Eden Magazine and Seeba Magazine as well as many other local publications.

Secret-Eden-Magazine-Release-the-Kraken-Photoshoot- Sea Siren Cornwall Creative Editorial Photography
Secret Eden Magazine
Green-forest-witch Cornwall Creative Editorial & PR Photography
Photoshoot Magazine
Sheeba-Magazine-Page-3-&-4 Cornwall Editorial Photography
Sheeba Magazine