Yana Skakun
Journal
Photography Blog
Tips, guides, venue spotlights and behind-the-scenes stories from my photography sessions across England.
Portrait Tips
27 August 2026·10 min read
What to Wear for a 60th Birthday Portrait Session
A 60th birthday portrait session produces photographs that are carried and displayed for decades. Getting the outfit right matters more than for an everyday session — the images become among the most-used photographs in a person's life. This guide covers what photographs well at sixty, colour guidance by hair tone, outfit ideas for men and women, and what to avoid.
Read More
Headshot Tips
25 August 2026·10 min read
What to Wear for Personal Trainer and Fitness Coaching Photography
Personal trainer brand photography needs to communicate competence, professionalism, and approachability simultaneously. What you wear in front of the camera affects all three. This guide covers outfit choices for personal trainers and fitness coaches — from studio headshots to in-gym coaching photography — including colour strategy, what to avoid, and how many outfit changes to bring.
Read More
Photography Tips
25 August 2026·9 min read
How to take better photos for Instagram: A photographer's honest guide
Most Instagram advice is written by marketers. Here is what actually makes a photograph look good on social media — from light and composition to editing and what to avoid.
Read More
Family Tips
23 August 2026·10 min read
What to Wear as a Partner in Maternity Photography
Maternity photography often focuses exclusively on the pregnant person's outfit — but the partner is in every frame of a couples session. The most common failure is an uncoordinated partner outfit that visually disrupts an otherwise carefully styled maternity portrait. This guide is specifically for partners: how to coordinate with the maternity look, what register of formality to match, and how clothing can contribute to rather than detract from the images.
Read More
Wedding Tips
22 August 2026·7 min read
Engagement photography: 10 tips for natural, stunning photos
Your engagement shoot should feel like a celebration, not a chore. Here are 10 practical tips to help you feel relaxed, look your best, and get photographs you'll genuinely love.
Read More
Portrait Tips
21 August 2026·10 min read
What to Wear for Sailing and Nautical Portrait Photography
Sailing and nautical portrait photography takes place in one of the most visually demanding environments — bright marine light, reflective water, wind, and the structural geometry of rigging and sailcloth. What you wear on the water affects both the practical quality of the photographs and the visual narrative. This guide covers classic nautical wardrobe choices, what to avoid on deck, and how to coordinate for couple and family sailing portraits.
Read More
Engagement
19 August 2026·11 min read
What to Wear for an Autumn Engagement Session
Autumn is one of the most visually distinctive seasons for engagement photography — the colour palette of copper, amber, rust, and gold creates a warm, cinematic backdrop that rewards careful outfit coordination. This guide covers outfit layering for autumn light, colour choices that complement rather than compete with foliage, and location-specific considerations for outdoor Cambridge and countryside sessions.
Read More
Venue Guides
18 August 2026·8 min read
Photography in the Norfolk Broads: Locations, light & best times to visit
The Norfolk Broads is one of the most photogenic landscapes in England — open skies, winding waterways, ancient windmills, and some of the best sunrise light in the country. Here is a complete guide for photographers.
Read More
Headshot Tips
17 August 2026·10 min read
What to Wear for Nursing and Healthcare Portrait Photography
Healthcare professional portraits are used across hospital websites, practice directories, LinkedIn, and team pages. The most effective nursing and healthcare portraits communicate approachability and professional competence in equal measure. This guide covers clinical and non-clinical outfit choices, uniform photography, and the considerations specific to healthcare consultant and GP headshots.
Read More
Engagement Photography
16 August 2026·7 min read
Engagement Photography Along the Nene in Peterborough
The River Nene at Peterborough offers Cathedral tower silhouettes, heritage steam railways, Bronze Age archaeology at Flag Fen, and the quiet limestone villages of Castor and Water Newton upstream — an unexpectedly rich engagement photography corridor.
Read More
Photography Tips
15 August 2026·5 min read
Why Your Website Needs Custom Brand Photography (Not Stock)
Stock photography costs nothing and looks exactly like it. Custom brand photography costs something and earns it back many times over. Here's the case in plain numbers.
Read More
Location Guides
15 August 2026·7 min read
Ramsey Abbey & the Fens: Wedding Photography in East Cambridgeshire
Ramsey Abbey Gatehouse — the surviving late-medieval remnant of one of England's greatest Benedictine abbeys — stands in a walled garden against the enormous fenland sky. For elopements and intimate ceremonies, it is a remarkable and rarely-photographed location.
Read More
Prev123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142434445464748495051525354555657585960616263646566676869707172737475767778798081828384858687888990919293949596979899100101102103104105106107108109110111112113114115116117118119120121122123124125126127128129130131132133134135136Next
Photography Blog — Tips, Guides & Inspiration
Welcome to the photography blog by Yana Skakun — a professional photographer based in Cambridge, England. This journal covers everything from practical wedding planning guides and engagement session advice to family photoshoot tips, newborn photography guides, portrait session prep, and venue spotlights across Cambridgeshire, London, and East England.
Whether you're a couple planning your wedding, a family getting ready for a seasonal portrait session, or a professional preparing for a headshot shoot — you'll find honest, experience-based advice here. Every article is written from real sessions and years of capturing life's most meaningful moments across England.