Why I Love Taking Family Photographs

When it comes to family photographs, my manifesto isn’t too dissimilar to my wedding business: I want to take photographs that are timeless, natural and beautiful. Often families contact me because they’re celebrating an important milestone – a birth, a ‘big’ birthday, an anniversary – and it might be that they’re having a party or gathering at a special venue to spend a few hours together, with me tagging along. Equally though, I photograph families at home, on a family holiday, in their garden, in a local park, just doing what they do and being themselves. Your everyday is just as special as those ‘important’ dates.

Professional family portraits – both posed group shots and natural, documentary-style images – are an ideal way to preserve special times for the years to come and family members of the future. With the arrival of digital cameras and particularly smartphones, we seem to take more photographs than ever, but I’d argue that your family is worth more than a blurry image on a screen. And the clients who contact me for a milestone birthday, anniversary or to welcome a new addition to the family give me faith that there are lots of people out there who share my view.

There’s a saying about rearing children: ‘the days are long, but the years are short’. I suppose it’s a cliche but, like all good cliches, it contains a grain of truth. When we’re surrounded by our nearest and dearest day in, day out, we don’t see the changes happening before our very eyes. The ponytails fall out of favour; the baby teeth make way for adorable gappy grins. One day, your baby boy or girl might announce they want to travel the world; perhaps they already have! Lots of my clients decide to have family photos taken when their far-flung brood are all back home together for a holiday, Christmas or an important family occasion. Childhood, adolescence and early adulthood is a rollercoaster ride of growth and change, and family photos help you map that journey.

Plus a family photoshoot is, I’m delighted to be told again and again, a lot of fun. When I arrive at a shoot destination I’m invariably greeted by happy, excited faces and families love the opportunity to spend some time together without any distractions. Posing for photographs is all part of the fun – no awkward or cheesy poses here, I promise – but I also aim to capture the magic of a family dynamic as it unfolds – naturally. I’ve captured some of my favourite family shots as groups stroll across a beach or children play together in their garden at home seemingly unaware of my presence. My signature documentary style is candid and relaxed, and I strive to convey that natural laidback feeling in all of my photos, even the ‘posed’ group shots.

If you’re thinking of having some family photos taken, feel free to take a look at some of my work here to see if we could be a good fit. But regardless of where you go for your family images, a plea from me: get those images framed and on your walls! Decorate your home with photos of your beautiful family; don’t keep them hidden away on a storage cloud or a hard drive. That’s another great reason to have some professional family pictures taken: I really do believe it gives you an extra push to get your images printed and framed. A professional photographer will be able to give you plenty of advice, or even arrange printing, framing or wall art for you. Feel free to have a look at my shop to get some ideas.

Considering a family photoshoot? I’d love to capture some beautiful images for you to treasure. Get in touch.