J.F.Penn – a headshot fit for an author of thrillers

The author J.F. Penn came to me from the smoke, in search of a new headshot for her novels and publicity.  To date, she has written two books, the ‘ARKANE thrillers’ Pentecost and Prophecy, both available on Amazon (both score an average of 4+ from the reader reviews).  Oxford features prominently in the novels (she studied Theology here as a student and frequently visits for research and inspiration), so the city centre with it’s ancient spires seemed like the perfect setting for the shoot.  My brief was ‘ancient mysteries, modern thrill’ and I bimbled round the city centre finding possible locations for headshots that would allow for a hint of the familiar face of Oxford  (think Radcliffe Camera, the Bod, all that) in the background of a headshot at ground level – we had hoped to climb up the tower at University Church and shoot downwards onto Radcliffe Square, but the tower is being renovated.  Here’s what J.F. Penn has to say about the importance of Oxford to her work:

“Oxford is a key part of my identity as a writer. I studied Theology here so the Radcliffe Camera was my library and where I spent my days studying. My thrillers feature a secret government agency, ARKANE, that investigates religious and supernatural mysteries across the globe. They have an Oxford base under the Pitt Rivers and Morgan Sierra, my kickass heroine, has an office in Bath Place near the Turf tavern. There are fight scenes set here as well as murders and chases, so I wanted to have Oxford as part of my author headshots. Mim did a fantastic job of incorporating the feeling of Oxford into the fantastic photoshoot.”

So, below are a selection of my favourites from our one-hour shoot on a grey Sunday afternoon.  Joanna was a great model, we had fun, and I’m looking forward to curling up with one of her novels soon!  You can check out her work and website here – she is currently writing her third book in the ARKANE series, Exodus, about a hunt for the Ark of the Covenant as the Middle East counts down to a religious war.

Oh, and here is a really lovely testimonial to boot:


“Mim chose some fantastic locations for the photoshoot that resonated with what I was aiming for, as well as bringing her own interpretation. She advised me on what to wear and made me feel at ease during the shoot. It’s never easy to feel comfortable doing these type of photos but Mim’s friendliness and encouragement really helped. I’m thrilled with the photos and will be using them on my site and also the covers of my novels.”
J.F.Penn, author. http://www.JFPenn.com

Over and out,
with love, 
Oxford headshot photographer