I’ve known Vicki for years. We first met back in 2005 (ish!) when I was her producer on Heart Breakfast in the East Midlands, but this was the first time I’ve photographed her (other than a drunken selfie on a night out). Hard to believe! 

She was after some new headshots for her profile page on North Media Talent, for BBC Wales, where she presents a show, and general press/social media use. We’d chosen Cardiff as the location. 

Sadly the weather wasn’t on our side, which was a bit of a pain. Chris, her agent and Dale, my partner, were on hand with umbrellas for us both and we managed to catch a couple of breaks in the rain. Otherwise it was a case of carefully selecting some sheltered spots… or being swift with the few dry spells we got.

It’s probably one of the easiest location shoots I’ve ever done (despite the weather). I think that was mostly down to Vicki having a clear vision of what she wanted and being able to communicate that to me before the shoot. Knowing each other for so long was also a massive help. We’ve undoubtedly developed a shorthand in conversation from our radio days when it comes to knowing if we’ve nailed something, or need a re-take.

The other thing which can dictate how long it takes to get the best shots is whether the subject knows what poses suit them best. Vicki knows exactly how to pose and look comfortable in front of the camera, which makes her a dream to shoot… especially when you’re trying to get as many different shots as possible in the 10 minutes it stopped raining!

It was great fun photographing Vicki and, of course, getting all the shots she wanted! Be sure you check out Vicki on BBC Radio Wales.