The Photo Coach

The Photo Coach Photography, Made Simple. Clear, beginner-friendly lessons that help you shoot with confidence and take photos you’ll love.

Sarah creates emotive and authentic family photography with just a little hint of magic. Based in Cowbridge in the Vale of Glamorgan, Sarah works throughout Wales and the rest of the UK. Sarah has been a premier, specialist child and family photographer since 2007. Sarah also hosts regular camera training events and has taught hundreds of beginners how to get started in photography. With private a

nd commercial clients throughout the UK, Sarah has worked with a number of high profile and celebrity clients and has also been published in a variety of national magazines.

It's time for the Weekend Photo Project! 📷This week's theme: The Weather.Whatever it's doing outside your window this we...
24/07/2026

It's time for the Weekend Photo Project! 📷

This week's theme: The Weather.

Whatever it's doing outside your window this weekend, use it.

Rain on a windowpane. Mist rolling across fields. Dramatic clouds building on the horizon. Even flat, grey, uninspiring drizzle has something to offer if you look at it the right way.

Most beginners wait for perfect light. Clear skies. Bright sunshine. A beautiful day.
But photographers use whatever they've got.

Some of my favourite images were taken in truly awful conditions. There's a mood and an atmosphere to bad weather that golden sunshine simply can't replicate.

Moody. Dramatic. Real.

So whatever the forecast this weekend, get out there anyway. Embrace it. Work with it.

Then come and show me what you made of it in the comments below. 📷
Same time next week, new theme. Who's in? 👇





Steve had owned his camera for two years.Like so many people, he wanted to learn how to use it, but every time he picked...
20/07/2026

Steve had owned his camera for two years.

Like so many people, he wanted to learn how to use it, but every time he picked it up, all the settings baffled him. So it stayed in the cupboard.

Then his daughter’s prom came along.

She had the most beautiful dress, and Steve had even arranged for an incredible American Fire Engine to collect her. It was going to be one of those days the whole family would remember.

He didn't want to be standing there wishing he'd learned how to use his 'proper' camera.

He wanted to be the one capturing those memories.

So he signed up for my Camera Kickstart mini course.

The day after the prom, this message landed in my inbox:

"Hi Sarah, I think I've only gone and done it! I have this fantastic photography teacher and she's the bee's knees. Thanks so much, you really made all the jargon sound a breeze and I'd never have been able to take shots like this."

Reading messages like this never gets old.

Because this wasn't really about learning aperture or shutter speed.

It was about a dad capturing a once in a lifetime memory.

That's why I love what I do.

If you've got a special moment on the horizon and you'd love to feel confident with your camera before it arrives, comment the word KICKSTART and I'll send you the details.

It's time for the Weekend Photo Project! 📷This week's theme: Something Small.This weekend I want you to get close. Reall...
17/07/2026

It's time for the Weekend Photo Project! 📷

This week's theme: Something Small.

This weekend I want you to get close. Really close.

Pick something tiny: a flower, an insect, the detail on a leaf, the bubbles sitting on top of your morning coffee and fill your frame with it completely. No background. No context. Just that one small thing, as large as you can make it.

Here's what I love about this exercise. The world looks completely different from six inches away. Things you walk past every single day without a second glance suddenly become fascinating. Texture. Pattern. Colour. Detail you never knew was there.
Your phone will do this beautifully. Most cameras will too. Just get as close as your lens will allow and see what happens.

It's one of those exercises that makes you realise how much we miss when we're always looking at the bigger picture.

Get close to something this weekend and share it in the comments below. I can't wait to see what you find. 📷

Same time next week, new theme. Who's in? 👇





Hooray! A new way to learn photography with me...My 1-to-1 photography training sessions have always been really popular...
16/07/2026

Hooray! A new way to learn photography with me...

My 1-to-1 photography training sessions have always been really popular, and over the years I’ve had lots of lovely messages from people asking if there was a way to join from anywhere in the UK (not just South Wales).

So I’m excited to say that I can now offer Personal Photography Training via Zoom.

Three personalised 1-to-1 sessions designed around you, your camera, your experience and the things you want to learn.

Whether you’re:
✨ still feeling confused by your camera settings
✨ stuck in Auto mode and wanting to take the next step
✨ looking for feedback and guidance to improve your images

I’ll help you build confidence, understand your camera and take photographs you’re proud of.

No jargon. No pressure. No trying to keep up with a group.

Just friendly, practical photography support from the comfort of your own home.

And because photography improves through practice, you’ll also receive:
✅ Lifetime access to Get Camera Confident worth £97
✅ Membership of The Friendly Camera Club - my new learners community

So your learning doesn’t stop when our sessions finish.

If you’ve always wanted some personal guidance with your photography, I’d love to help.

Find out more here in the link in the comments or drop me a DM.

Want to add instant depth to your photos? Try this. 📷There's a simple technique I use all the time and once you see it, ...
15/07/2026

Want to add instant depth to your photos? Try this. 📷

There's a simple technique I use all the time and once you see it, you'll want to use it everywhere.

I call it the subject matter sandwich. 🥪

Foreground. Subject. Background.

Three layers. That's all it takes to transform a flat, ordinary image into something that feels rich, deep and almost three dimensional.

Look at these images I took in the autumn. See how the leaves in the foreground frame the subject naturally? And the soft, blurry woodland behind her gives a sense of place without distracting from her face?

Your eye knows exactly where to look but it's also got something beautiful to explore around the edges.

That's the sandwich working.

The foreground doesn't need to be anything special. Leaves. Flowers. A branch. A window frame. Anything that sits between you and your subject and adds that first layer of depth.

Next time you're about to take a portrait (or even a landscape) ask yourself: what can I put in the foreground? What's behind my subject? Is there a story in all three layers?

Have a go and share your results in the comments. I'd love to see your sandwiches. 🥪🥪🥪

When Ian first got in touch, he'd already completed my training and understood how to use his camera.But he felt like hi...
13/07/2026

When Ian first got in touch, he'd already completed my training and understood how to use his camera.

But he felt like his photos were still missing something.

So instead of heading out to photograph the obvious sights at Barry Island, we spent a sunny evening looking for the pictures that most people walk straight past.

We slowed down.

We looked for interesting shapes and textures.

We paid attention to colour and light.

We experimented with slow shutter speeds and movement.

We searched for the little details that tell a different story.

The result wasn't a collection of typical seaside snapshots. It was a gallery of thoughtful, creative images that captured Barry Island in a completely different way.

One of the biggest shifts people make as they develop as photographers isn't buying a better camera or learning another setting.

It's learning to see 👀.

That's often the difference between taking a photo of what's in front of you and creating a photograph that makes people stop and look.

Swipe through to see Ian in action, along with some of the images he created during the session.

Which one is your favourite?

If you are interested in personalised in person training just comment the word COACHING below and I'll send you the details.

It's time for the Weekend Photo Project! 📷This week's theme: One Colour.Here's your challenge. Pick one colour — any col...
10/07/2026

It's time for the Weekend Photo Project! 📷

This week's theme: One Colour.

Here's your challenge. Pick one colour — any colour at all — and spend 20 minutes finding it everywhere you can.

A red front door. Yellow daffodils in a neighbour's garden. A blue mug on a white tablecloth. The green of moss on an old wall.

It sounds simple. And it is. But here's what happens when you try it, you stop wandering around hoping something catches your eye and you start actually looking. Really looking. And that shift, from passive to intentional, is one of the biggest things that separates a snapshot from a photograph.

This is one of my favourite exercises to set because the results are always surprising. People find beauty in the most unexpected places when they give themselves a reason to look for it.

So. What colour are you going for this weekend? Pick one, get out there, and show me what you find in the comments below. 📷

Same time next week, new theme. Who's in? 👇





This made my day. 😊Steve had a camera sitting around for two years. He couldn't get to grips with the jargon, couldn't g...
08/07/2026

This made my day. 😊

Steve had a camera sitting around for two years. He couldn't get to grips with the jargon, couldn't get his head around the settings, and so — like so many people — he just stopped using it.

Sound familiar?

Three weeks after starting The Camera Kickstart he's not only using his camera with confidence, he's already moved on to Get Camera Confident and hasn't looked back.

That's exactly why I do what I do.

If your camera is currently gathering dust, it doesn't have to stay that way. The Camera Kickstart is just £17 and it might just be the thing that changes everything.

The link is in the comments.

You’re not bad at photography.You might simply be trying to learn too much at once. 📸I see this all the time with beginn...
06/07/2026

You’re not bad at photography.

You might simply be trying to learn too much at once. 📸

I see this all the time with beginners.

They pick up their camera and suddenly feel like they need to understand every button, every menu and every setting before they can take a good photo.

No wonder it feels overwhelming.

The truth is, you can take huge steps forward by understanding three things first:
✨ Aperture
How much light comes in and how much of your photo is in focus.
⚡ Shutter speed
How movement is captured.
🌙 ISO
How your camera handles light when conditions are darker.

Once you understand what these settings actually do, your camera starts to feel much less intimidating.

You stop randomly changing settings and hoping for the best. You start making decisions.

After 20 years as a photographer, one thing I know for sure is that beginners don't need more complicated explanations.

They need someone to break things down, make it simple and show them how it works in real life.

That’s exactly how I teach photography.

Simple steps.

No confusing jargon.

Real photos and real situations.

If you’re ready to feel more confident with your camera, comment "Kickstart" and I’ll send you the details.

It's time for the Weekend Photo Project! 📷This week's theme: Golden Hour.That last hour before the sun goes down. The li...
03/07/2026

It's time for the Weekend Photo Project! 📷

This week's theme: Golden Hour.

That last hour before the sun goes down. The light turns warm and soft and everything it touches looks a little bit magic.

You don't need a dramatic landscape or a special location. Step into your garden. Walk to the end of your street. Sit on your doorstep with a cup of tea. Golden hour doesn't care where you are, it just does its thing.

For me, there is nothing quite like that low, warm light hitting something ordinary and making it look extraordinary. A fence post. A flower. Your dog sitting in a patch of evening sun. Suddenly everything has depth and warmth and atmosphere that simply wasn't there an hour before.

This weekend, get outside in that last hour before sunset and shoot whatever you find. Phone, camera, whatever you have to hand.

Then come back and show me what you found. Share your shots in the comments below — I genuinely love seeing what you all capture. 😊

Oh ,and if you want a free download to give you some extra hints ant tips, click on the link in the comments.

Same time next week, new theme. Who's in? 👇





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