One of my absolute favourite things is when families come back to update their family pictures with me. I first worked with Sam and her family a long time ago, when I was studying the relationship between motherhood and photography for my MFA, and just starting out as a family photographer. She's been with me along this journey and I've had so many gorgeous opportunities to photograph her family as it has grown.
We found a lovely local spot and we kept things really relaxed despite the pretty questionable weather. We made the absolute most of our time together. There's something pretty special about photographing a family before it changes. When you're expecting your second baby you've got a little bit more of an idea about what's coming. You know how quickly things change and how important it can be just to slow down and spend some time together before life looks a bit different. Sam and her team had had a pretty busy day and when they arrived they weren't entirely sure how the session would go so we took things back to basics. We had a quiet walk somewhere easy to get to and we chatted and laughed and we took pictures along the way. No big expectations, no need for everyone to be on their best behaviour. Just time together.
If you're thinking about attending a session, whether or not it's your first or you've got a little one or older children in tow, these are some things you should know…
No one's expecting your child to perform, and no one is expecting you to perform either. The best family sessions happen when you allow your team to just be
We can work around what's going on for you. If people are a little tired or things haven't gone to plan, we can slow down and we can find a rhythm that works for you all.
You don't need to know what to do because there's nothing to do. If it’s needed I can prompt you, but actually we're just spending the time together, usually having a walk or being in an environment that you guys know well.
It's really hard for mums to get into any kind of picture, and especially one with a bump. My joy is taking the work of catching their family memories from mums, and making the space to enable them to be a part of the story.
Here are some lovely words that Sam wrote, which really sum up, to me, what it means to be in family photos. You don't all need to arrive organised, dressed identically, and in a perfect mood. Sometimes you just need a little bit of time together and someone to take the load of making sure you're all in the picture.
“I bought several dresses and new outfits for this shoot, but they just weren’t me. So I wore my ripped and stained vinted purchase and I couldn’t be happier with the way these photos have turned out. It’s not about the clothes you wear, or the perfect picture, be true to yourself.”
If you’d like to chat about a family photography session, then pop me a message here.
