TRAINING REVIEWS

I recently had training with Maddy and it was out of this world. I have been following Maddy for some time now and am in her mentoring group so I knew she would be teaching me at a high standard but it really did go above and beyond my expectations.

Maddy put me at ease instantly and even on the second day, during the hands on session, I felt much more confident than I thought I would and was able to pose without feeling the usual nerves.

The style of Maddy’s training is very calm and patient but also to the point, which is great when you need the guidance to know what to do next. The second day of hands on training is crucial in learning how to move from one pose to another.

What a fantastic experience and I would recommend it to any level of photographer. For people that are just starting out but also for brushing up on your skills.

Thank you so much, I hope I can replicate some of the poses and do the training justice.

– LOUISE POLLITT

I had the most AMAZING couple of days training 1:1 with Maddy Rogers Photography!

I have been a member of Maddy’s Mentoring Group on Facebook for a good couple of years now. During this time I have learnt so much from simply being in the group alone! Maddy’s training videos are incredible to watch and cover almost everything you could possibly want to know about being a successful newborn photographer.

Being part of the group and watching Maddy work is extremely valuable but it cannot compare to training with her in person! I had the most AMAZING couple of days down at her studio in Lincolnshire and will never forget the experience I had of working with one of the most respected newborn photographers in the UK!

I first decided to book my 1:1 training with Maddy when my own work began to hit a wall. I could see the areas that I needed to improve upon but just didn’t have the knowledge or skills to progress.

Maddy tailored my two days of training to me; taking into consideration my current level of experience and what I wanted to learn and improve.

On day one, I watched Maddy carry out a full newborn session! This covered everything from styling to the general flow of a session, reading sleep and keeping a baby settled. I also learnt how to use posing beans more effectively and how to pose a baby safely in an upright prop!

In the afternoon Maddy went through her editing process in detail, this was incredibly useful for me as I was not only keen to develop my editing skills but I also wanted to improve my efficiency and speed up my own editing workflow.

Day two and it was my turn! I was a bit nervous but Maddy made me feel at ease straight away and made the whole experience enjoyable. By having hands on training I learnt how to refine my posing and transition between poses safely, I improved my wrapping skills and composition skills, and was encouraged out of my comfort zone with regards to styling and colours!

Maddy is an outstanding trainer. She is extremely talented, creative and passionate. She is very open, non-judgemental and is genuinely rooting for you to succeed! Maddy is wholeheartedly there to support you and to help you progress.

Training with Maddy has developed my confidence significantly and given me the skills to take my work to the next level! I would highly recommend Maddy to anyone who is ready to take that next step!

– JT PHOTOGRAPHY

Maddy came to me to train me in my own studio in March 2020, 1 week before we went into lockdown. She spent 2 days with me. It was so invaluable to see how she worked. She gave me advice on styling, light placement, posing and editing, revealing all of her tricks and techniques. I was so nervous but I had no need to be, as she put me at ease straight away and gave me loads of confidence.
Unfortunately, It was a while before I was able to put my training into practice, but, this amazing lady let me film everything which was totally invaluable. I was able to look back on my training day, plus all of the amazing videos in her paid support group and use these to refresh my memory.
Over lockdown I practiced what I learned from the editing side on old images. GAME CHANGER! And now, I feel that my posing, lighting & editing has improved so much and keeps on improving with the help of her support group. Thank you so much Maddy. Can’t wait for the Glasgow workshop next year for a refresher xx
If you’re looking for Newborn training, don’t bother wasting your money elsewhere. She’s booked up for a reason. She’s the best in the industry. She tells it like it is, kind, honest and won’t blow smoke up your arse. Just how it should be 😉

– LOUISE FERGUSON

Newborn training with Maddy Rogers one of the UK’s premier trainers, is definitely a must, without a doubt! She is an amazing lady, her training covers everything that you need to know and she tailors the session to suit your needs. Her work is just gorgeous and speaks for itself.

She is hot on newborn safety, which should be top of this list when searching for a newborn trainer! I believe it is so important to invest heavily in ongoing newborn photography training, not only to provide clients with gorgeous images they will cherish for a lifetime but more importantly in how to pose and handle their newborn safely. It’s not just a case of just taking images of a newborn, it should be every newborn photographer’s top priority to ensure baby is handled in a way, not to cut off circulation, air way is not restricted, baby is wrapped and positioned correctly. This is all covered.

I first came across Maddy when I joined her mentoring group, my knowledge just rocketed, I was hooked and learned so much. Being very new to photography and with just a handful of newborns I had photographed, I just had to get booked in. I have had newborn training elsewhere but wish I had come to Maddy first! I booked the 1:1 2 day course which was invaluable. She went through all I needed to know the first day and the next day it was my turn. This is what also attracted me to Maddy’s training, getting to handle and pose baby, while Maddy was by my side, every step of the way.

I can definitely see the change in my work since the training and my confidence which she also helped me with. Ongoing support afterwards is also available and I love how Maddy is straight to the point with her cc’s and tells you what you need to know to grow in the industry.

Thank you Maddy for everything, so grateful and really appreciate it. So my message to any one thinking of booking, just book!!

-ASTRA TONDEL

I’ve been photographing newborns for a few years now and found myself in a rut. My work not quite as good as I wanted and my business not performing the way I had hoped. I joined Maddy’s group and learned so much there, I knew Maddy offered training and it was definitely on my wish list to do a one to one but when I saw her ad for Mentoring programme I knew this was exactly what i needed!

I am now just past the halfway point in the course having done training days covering the admin side and working with babies and my whole business has been transformed! My work has dramatically improved and I am finally producing images I can be really proud of. I’m so glad to have invested in this training programme, its been such an eye opener for me. Maddy has a way of explaining her process that makes it seem so simple and achievable that you almost wonder why you didn’t already figure it out. I love her direct approach to training, we don’t get sugar coated answers from Maddy that doesn’t help us we get direct, honest feedback and advice that helps us see where we can improve. Can’t wait for the next training day!

– JILL GARVIE

“I’m just going to put this as it is. Just BOOK the training with Maddy. I have been trained in large groups, by some of the top newborn photographers across the globe. But Maddy gave me one thing, they couldn’t. She gave me 1:1 and hands on. Both are invaluable. Maddy is down to earth, funny and sharp witted, she observed my posing techniques and took me further. She unblocked my own worries about flow posing, settling babies and wrapping.

She gave me confidence in my OWN abilities too. This is my main take away from the course with Maddy. She has reminded me of my own confidence and all the good things I already do in sessions….and she honed them. My very first studio sessions since the training have seen me coming across as more knowledgeable, confident and secure in my approach and technique. As such the babies have been better settled and I am achieving poses I couldn’t manage previously. Added to this, the retouching section of the training was an eye opener! So many light bulb ‘aha’ moments! I still have a long way to go, but Maddy has given me the confidence to keep on believing and improving.

Thank you so much wonderful lady!”

– REBECCA WARWICK

“My newborn training day with Maddy. She is amazing! I’ve never said ‘wow’ so many times until today. I had so many jaw dropping moments whilst she was training me in the studio and the production after. She helped me with ways to settle and pose baby, wrapping, editing, marketing, everything! I’m very lucky to have been trained by Maddy and I’m so very thankful of what she has taught me, thank you so much Maddy xx”

– CHARLIE MARTELL-DOY

“Last year Rebecca and I decided to take the plunge and make a go of photography. Being local to Maddy we had heard of her and had seen her work. We knew that if we could get to be half as good as her then we would be happy. We already knew of another photographer local in the area who put us in some photography groups. Sure enough Maddy was there offering advice to others. Rebecca kept saying to me that she wanted Maddy training. The training was booked and the rest is history! We have noticed a huge increase in bookings and revenue. Maddy offers something we haven’t seen in other trainers and that’s continual, ongoing support and mentoring. Don’t expect her to blow smoke up your arse for the sake of it. If she likes your image she will tell you, if she deems areas for improvement she will tell you. She’s non judgemental and won’t laugh at you or your work. She will help you and laugh with you. Photography is a journey and you won’t find anyone better than Maddy to be on that journey with. Apart from me.”

– RICHARD MELBOURNE

“I’m very new to photography still and I have found that often this journey is a lonely one as not many professional photographers are accepting of new photographers. Then in stepped Maddy. I came across her in a photography group and her name kept popping up offering help and advice. This lady runs her own very successful business yet still spends so much of her time mentoring others. I heard about her mentoring group and I knew I had to join – I needed more Maddy in my life. The group is invaluable from the videos she posts which are so helpful, to the challenges she sets in them. For example just a few weeks ago I had never ever touched photoshop and Maddy set a challenge to do a composite in Photoshop. This gave me the push to give it a go and wow – I did it! Maddy is always there to offer advice and encouragement. She doesn’t sugar coat everything which is what you need as a beginner and she wants to help you improve.
I cannot explain how invaluable her group is and I’ve since booked her in for my two days of training and I know that is going to excel my photos and business to another level. I’m so glad I found her.”

– SELINA SKINNER

“I joined the Maddy Rogers training group about a month ago, I have been an admirer of her work for a while. Even though I have been reluctant to start photography training, I know I made the right decision for choosing Maddy the moment I joined – the group is fun and informal, very down to earth but exceptionally helpful and informative.

We are free to post questions and ask advice or share anything relating to our work, and get advice and opinions from not only the expert herself, but also others in the same position as us. The group is not only made up of brilliant photographers, there are togs on all different levels, so it’s not uncomfortable asking advice etc.

Maddy had a live newborn session that she broadcasted, she started the day before when she selected and planned the shoot in terms of colours and props etc – all of this was shown to us – live, with running commentary. The next day baby arrived for her session and we were taken along for the journey, we experienced everything, from Maddy soothing baby etc, all different wrapping techniques, posing, different set ups etc. All of us watching could ask absolutely anything we wanted to know and Maddy “taught” as she went along, we asked question about props, lighting advice, how and why she did certain things etc. A couple of hours after the session Maddy shared the pics with us and we were able to watch her edit – again, lots of useful advice and info.

Through this group, we have been able to learn and experience as near as possible, person to person training as we can, considering physical distance. Not only do we see the amazing images when they have been completed, but we now have insight as to how they are created from the initial planning stages all the way through to editing. I think she has only just scraped the barrel of how useful and helpful this group will become.

She’s a brilliant photographer but even more brilliant a trainer, because she’s so hands-on and down to earth. Can’t wait to learn more and watch the videos again while taking notes! Very glad I joined this group, absolutely worth it.”

– SHARON KAPLAN

“I first encountered Maddy Rogers on a fervent search to find myself THE best newborn trainer in the business. All roads seemed to lead to her.
Her images are just exquisite and safety is her number one priority, so to find she was offering access to a private, life long, mentoring group, with regular ‘how to’ vids from an epic 3.5hr full newborn session to videos on photoshop editing techniques was incredible. I don’t think she knows what a truly valuable resource she is to me and the other members of the group!
She is happy to answer any question at all, and quickly and simply explained to boot!
Einstein once said “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough” Maddy explains it beautifully as well as really building your confidence. I’m so impressed I’ve booked a 1:1 with her!”

– HANNAH NEECH

I already have a lot of photography experience and have enjoyed some exciting trips to expand my skills, but when it came to training in the extremely specialist area of newborn photography, there was only one person I wanted to work with; Maddy Rogers.

Maddy has an amazing reputation and her work is spectacular, so it wasn’t a bind to make the flight from the Isle of Man to meet her at her studio in Lincolnshire and as soon as I arrived, I knew I’d made the right choice. I’d decided on a two-day course and she had a fantastic 48 hours planned.

I had already completed some newborn shoots, but I was keen to really hone my posing skills, as well as general techniques, and on the first day, I met Oliver; a beautiful little boy who was to be photographed. Watching Maddy close her sets and put the family at ease was inspirational and I can’t deny that I took a lot of notes, like a bit of a nerd, but there was so much to take in and I didn’t want to overlook anything!

Learning how to properly soothe and settle a baby for a photo shoot was fascinating. I have three children of my own, but this was different. Getting to know Oliver properly and connecting with him allowed us to understand which poses he would be comfortable in; a vital element for his welfare and safety and it gave me a great insight into just how frequently supports (often a hand) are used and edited out at a later stage.

Understanding which angles to shoot from and how to light a sleeping baby was a revelation, as you want them to stay asleep and calm. This lead to a wonderfully frank discussion about when you should and more importantly, when you shouldn’t try certain poses or props. Finishing the day with a refresher course on Photoshop and Lightroom, we looked at how to seamlessly remove supports from finished pictures and create those pretty creamy skin tones that all newborn pictures have. A fantastic day, it left me excited for the next!

Day two came around and I was ‘running’ the shoot, which was exciting and a little daunting at the same time. I chose my preferred sets and was lucky enough to have the beautiful baby Harper Rose as my subject. She settled with me quickly after some reading, a trick I use with my own children, and we got to work snapping some dreamy shots.

Maddy was quick to help me find those perfect and flattering angles that parents adore and even had a realistic ‘stand in’ baby to practice wrapping. It’s amazing just how useful a faux baby can be, as you can set up an entire shot, without disturbing a sleeping babe and then bring them in when you’re ready. Genius!

With my finished final shot taken, my course came to an end and I left Maddy feeling more knowledgeable, confident and safety-conscious than ever before. There’s no doubt in my mind that I chose the right person to train with and I can’t wait to start photographing in my own studio now.