Capturing Charlotte Potter & Nurry Lee | A Creative Portrait Shoot in Glaisdale and Lealholm
Every now and again it's nice to step away from weddings and spend a few hours doing something completely different.
That's exactly what happened recently when I met up with Charlotte Potter and Nurry Lee for a promotional portrait shoot in the beautiful villages of Glaisdale and Lealholm, deep in the heart of the North York Moors.
As a North Yorkshire photographer, I spend most weekends capturing weddings, but opportunities like this remind me why I first picked up a camera all those years ago. There were no timelines to follow, no confetti runs to organise and no speeches to catch. Instead, the afternoon was all about creativity, exploring locations and creating photographs that reflected the personalities of two incredibly talented musicians.
Charlotte Potter is a highly respected classical singer whose performances have taken her to prestigious venues across the UK and beyond. Alongside Charlotte was Nurry Lee, an accomplished concert pianist whose musical career has seen her perform internationally. Together they wanted a collection of natural, relaxed promotional images that felt authentic and personal rather than overly formal.
The North York Moors provided the perfect backdrop.
Wildflower Meadows, Woodland and the River Esk
One of the things I love most about photography is finding locations that add something special to the story. Around Glaisdale and Lealholm we were spoiled for choice.
The wildflower meadows were absolutely stunning and created some beautifully soft portraits surrounded by ox-eye daisies and summer grasses. These locations suited Charlotte perfectly and allowed us to create images that felt light, natural and full of personality.
As the afternoon progressed we moved into woodland areas and eventually down to the River Esk where the shoot took on a completely different feel. The calm water, overhanging trees and peaceful surroundings created some of my favourite images from the day.
There was only one small problem.
To get some of the angles I had in mind, I ended up standing in the River Esk myself on more than one occasion!
Thankfully that's all part of the job. If climbing over rocks, balancing in streams or lying in long grass helps create something unique, then I'm always happy to do it.
Photography Without Limits
What made this portrait shoot so enjoyable was the freedom to experiment.
At a wedding, you're always conscious of timings and making sure you're in the right place at the right moment. On this shoot we had the luxury of slowing down, exploring ideas and simply seeing where creativity took us.
Whether it was Charlotte surrounded by wildflowers, Nurry reading quietly in the river or the two of them laughing together between locations, every image felt natural and genuine.
That's always my goal as a photographer.
I don't believe people should look uncomfortable in front of a camera. The best photographs happen when people relax, enjoy the experience and simply be themselves.
Why Location Matters
The North York Moors offers some of the most beautiful photography locations anywhere in Yorkshire. From rolling countryside and rivers to woodland and hidden villages, it's a photographer's playground.
Glaisdale and Lealholm provided exactly the variety we needed, allowing us to create a collection of images that felt completely different from one another while still maintaining a consistent style throughout the shoot.
The result was a gallery of promotional photographs that reflected both Charlotte and Nurry as performers while showcasing the beauty of the Yorkshire countryside at the same time.
A Brilliant Afternoon
Photography isn't always about weddings.
Sometimes it's about meeting talented people, exploring new ideas and spending an afternoon creating images simply because you can.
Working with Charlotte Potter and Nurry Lee was one of those shoots that reminded me how much I enjoy the creative side of photography. The locations were beautiful, the company was fantastic and the freedom to experiment made it a genuinely enjoyable experience from start to finish.
And yes, I did spend part of the afternoon standing in a river.
Thankfully, the photographs made it worthwhile.
Check out their websites - Charlotte Potter | Nurry Lee
Call | Text | WhatsApp - 07739121743 | Email
