Cat Lawton: Bespoke Commissions & Licensing

Every project I take on is different. Different brief, different location, different story to tell. That's exactly what I love about bespoke commissions — there's no template, no off-the-shelf package, no assumption that what worked for the last client will work for you.

This is how I work, and why.

What a Bespoke Commission Actually Means

Bespoke doesn't just mean 'tailored' in a vague sense. It means that every single decision — from the initial brief through to the final image selection — is built around your specific project, your specific goals, and your specific visual needs.

Before a camera is ever picked up, I spend time genuinely understanding what you're trying to achieve. Who are the images for? Where will they be used? What feeling do you want them to create? What's been done before, and what needs to be different this time?

That conversation shapes everything: the shoot plan, the locations, the approach to light and composition, the pace of the day, the edit. Nothing is decided in advance of understanding what actually serves your project.

The Kinds of Projects I Take On

My commissions fall broadly across three areas, though the lines often blur in interesting ways:

Brand and lifestyle photography. Working with businesses — from boutique hotels to wellness brands to luxury lifestyle companies — to create imagery that tells their story authentically and compellingly.

Architectural and interior photography. Capturing buildings, spaces, and interiors with the care and technical precision they deserve — for architects, developers, interior designers, property owners, and heritage organisations.

Travel and destination photography. Creating images for tourism boards, travel brands, and hospitality clients that go beyond the obvious and capture what genuinely makes a place worth visiting.

Each of these requires a different approach, different technical preparation, and different creative thinking. What they share is my commitment to producing work that genuinely serves the brief rather than simply looking impressive.

Licensing That Fits the Project

Bespoke commissions come with bespoke licensing. I don't apply a one-size-fits-all licence to every project, because no two projects have the same usage needs.

Whether you need broad multi-territory digital rights for a global campaign, a time-limited licence for a specific marketing push, or exclusive perpetual rights for imagery that will become central to your brand identity — we build the licence around what you actually need.

I'm always transparent about how licensing works and what it costs, because I believe you should be able to make fully informed decisions about your investment.

What Working With Me Looks Like

Most commissions begin with a conversation — either a call or a meeting, depending on what's most useful. I want to understand your project properly before I give you any kind of proposal, because the quality of the brief is directly connected to the quality of the work.

From there, I'll put together a proposal that covers the approach, the deliverables, the timeline, and the licensing. Once we're aligned, I handle all the logistics — location research, permits, equipment, scheduling around the best light — so you don't have to.

On shoot days, my job is to make the process as smooth and enjoyable as possible, and to find the images that genuinely do justice to your project. After the shoot, I handle the full edit and deliver a carefully curated image library that's ready to use.

If you have a project in mind and want to talk through what a bespoke commission could look like, I'd love to hear from you.