I rarely leave reviews
I rarely leave reviews, but I feel compelled to share my experience in the hopes it helps others make an informed decision. What was meant to be a fun and memorable birthday shoot turned out to be incredibly stressful and disappointing due to poor communication and lack of professionalism at Poetic Sparkles Studio.
I booked this shoot well in advance, paid my deposit, and communicated my needs around my makeup artist’s availability. The photographer agreed to a 12 noon start time, with me arriving around 10:30/11:00am so my makeup could be done beforehand. However, on the day, the studio door was locked when we arrived slightly later than expected (10:45am), and I was surprised when the photographer acted as if we hadn't agreed on the earlier arrival.
Despite my best efforts to stay on schedule — even pre-styling my wig the day before to save time — things didn’t go as planned. I clearly messaged the photographer asking to begin the shoot at 12:30 instead of 12:00, to which she responded “alrighty,” so I naturally assumed my session time would begin then. But at 1:00pm, I was shocked to be told that my time had been counted from 12 noon, without any prior warning or flexibility. I was rushed, barely had makeup on, and was almost in tears as she ended the session abruptly at 2pm without allowing even a few extra minutes — all while taking personal calls during the shoot.
The studio offered for us to return at 5pm, but by then my makeup would have melted off, and the moment was already ruined. I had paid £180 for less than 45 minutes of usable shoot time and two rushed outfit changes. It felt like I was treated as just another slot in a packed schedule, not as a valued customer.
Post-shoot, I paid extra for 24-hour delivery of edited photos and selected an additional 8 images. I made the selection while at an event, just trying to get it done, but the next day a friend pointed out that one of the images looked awkward. I politely asked to swap it. I was asked to pay more — which I did — and was told the revised picture would be ready the next day. However, when I followed up, I was then told it would take 3–5 business days. This was a complete contradiction of what I had been told just the day before.
This kind of misinformation and upselling is, unfortunately, a pattern I’ve experienced with this photographer. Our last photo from an earlier engagement shoot was delayed past the promised due date, and I had to keep constantly chasing her up despite explaining that the photos were urgently needed for our wedding invitations and printouts. It’s deeply ironic how there is such a lack of empathy toward customers when it comes to timing — both on the day of the shoot and in post-production — yet she’s quick to impose rigid time restrictions during the session. You would think loyal patronage would guarantee good service, but instead, I was met with indifference and defensiveness. I eventually had to request a refund for the final image because her attitude had become completely unacceptable.
The editing itself was minimal — barely distinguishable from the originals — which made the drawn-out delivery time even more frustrating.
This was a deeply disappointing experience from start to finish. My advice: support other studios that treat their clients with empathy, communicate clearly, and honour what’s agreed. Sadly, I cannot recommend Poetic Sparkles Studio based on my experience.