Name of establishment

Expression Creative Photography

Style

A light and modern glass-fronted shop. The intimate waiting area is more like a cosy front room, complete with sofa and chairs, and a flat screen TV on the wall where you can watch a slide show of their work as well as framed artistic portraits of previous clients who have visited the studio.

Ambience

Expect a warm and friendly welcome. Front of house is relaxed, as all the hard work and creativity happens in the studio which is just off the spacious corridor. This is where the fun begins.

What to buy

They offer a full range of exciting services under the following categories: Expression Portraits, Day In The Life (which will capture a precious moment in your child or family’s life), Your Wedding Day, Maternity & Newborn photography, Fashion Shoots (for the budding models among us - you’ll leave with magazine quality images), Commercial Portraits and the latest addition, The Expression Crazy Room (mobile photo studio) which you can book for a party or an event.

Images can also be reproduced onto wallpaper, tiles and even stereo speakers.

And new this summer is a three-day photography course for children aged 11-16, plus a professional retouching service (normally only done by the glossy magazines) to restoring old photos or enhance digital images.

Why do you like it

By their own admission, Carla and Adam set out to create fun, candid images of you, your family, friends and pets. The end result is not just a mere photo but a work of wall art. Their style is classic and the atmosphere in the studio is fun (and nicely air conditioned), with the latest tunes being played through the sound system.

They have the ability to capture what makes you unique, and after only a short time in front of the camera, get a good idea of your personality. They give clear direction and are  spot-on as to what will and will not work in a photograph. In short, they produce much more than the ‘stand in front of the camera and smile’ portrait. Be prepared to be creative. They are.

When to go?

If you want to capture an image that is natural and just ‘being yourself’ this is the place to come. You’ll come back with a perfect long-term memento captured on film. And special occasions are a must.

Insider knowledge

The work doesn’t stop at taking the photo. A lot of time goes into post-production to achieve a flawless image. You can opt to have this framed or put onto canvass, and if you live outside the Algarve, delivery to the UK and Ireland can be arranged. Ask at the outset.

Location

32 Rua do Commercio, Almancil 8135-125.

Make a right at the main Almancil junction if you are coming from the main roundabout at the top of the town, travelling towards Faro. The shop is a couple of hundred metres on the right-hand side. Parking, though extremely limited, can be found outside.

Price guide

One hour studio session time - €150

Expression offer a bespoke service, so prices on top of that vary depending on the number of images you select when you return to view your shoot, and the size of the images you select. As a guideline however, they start at around €50, and go up to €2000 for the largest wall pieces.

Opening times

Mon-Wed: 10am-6pm

Thurs-Sat: by appointment only