Christmas time for me, like many has always been a very special time to spend with my family. A period focussed on traditions, laughter, food and most of all feeling the warmth and love of togetherness.
“Traditions have a very special way of keeping favourite memories forever in our hearts”
I could tell it was the same for this beautiful family. Megan first contacted me all the way from America, to say that she was flying in on Christmas Eve and would it be possible to squeeze all 8 1/2 of them in for a family session between Christmas and New year! I always struggle with saying no, so after having a little move around in the diary I replied, “Of course I can”… I mean how could I decline when she was travelling that far to be with her loved ones for Christmas and asking me to help capture new family memories.
So before flying back over the pond to the USA I happily welcomed them all in to my studio, which with four generations of their family became quite cosy I must say! It really was a wonderful session.
“Families are like branches on a tree. We grow in different direction, yet our roots remain as one.”
The two little cousins did so well throughout the session. Little baby J had done so much travelling in such a short time frame, he was a little trooper, giving me the best smiles just at the right moments. Bigger cousin O wasn’t a bit phased by this session being her first photo shoot, and sat so perfectly for a couple of photo’s on her own.
We stuck with a neutral background to match the decor of every family member, and I think you’ll agree they all did an amazing job co-ordinating their outfits to compliment each other.
Being able to capture generations of a family is something a little extra special…. Perhaps it helped that we were all still reeling in the magic of Christmas. Those of you who are regular followers of my blog posts will know how important I believe grandparents are… watching as the children were doted on by theirs throughout the shoot truly warmed my heart! It was a total pleasure to photograph Megan’s family and to begin creating what I hope will be a new family tradition….
I hope they had a safe trip back to the states and will be visiting again soon.
To see more from our family sessions, and all the wonderful memories we’ve captured for our clients click here.
“The best things in life are the people we love, the places we’ve been, and the memories we’ve made.”
Photographing families really is a joy for me If your looking to capture some memories of your family please don’t hesitate to ask. Here’s my top tips for planning your family photo shoot…..
- Schedule a time which will work for everyone in the family. Give priority to the youngest member of the group. Small children generally have nap times which we will need to work around. They also will have the shortest attention span (second in line is the dad’s), and I tend to start the session photographing the youngest one’s first.
- I’m always asked what to wear, and for our seasonal set’s provide “What to wear guides”. When it’s an individual family session we will always have a pre-session consultation where we will discuss colour schemes and what to wear.
- When choosing your clothing you don’t want to match but co-ordinate with each other. I suggest gathering everyone’s outfits together on your bed, or dining room table. (yes even the shoes you’ve chosen!) Construct them together as they would be worn. (Shirt at the top, trouser at the bottom etc.) Place the adults clothing down first, and then the children’s in front. Does everything co-ordinate? Is there one item that standing out? Squint a little this also helps to spot anything that stands out too much.
- Try to stick to block colours and not anything too overly pattered. Instead layers and accessories work best to bring in texture and a pop of colour.
- Your clothing, make-up and hair should be somewhat natural. Plan a hair style that frame’s your features. For children with fly away hair, try to tame where you can, but be careful of anything that will annoy them during the session.
- My final top tip!! Be yourself!! You want to look at your images and see YOUR family, in all their Wonderfull glory. Bare the above in mind, but ultimately wear what you’re comfortable in.
