Cambridge portrait photographer
A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of photographing this amazing family. They had been given a gift voucher for a family photoshoot last Christmas and wanted to book something in over the summer. We found a date where all the children would be home and started making plans for their session.
Planning their session
I chatted with Katie, the Mum, before the shoot. I asked questions about what the children enjoyed. Are they outgoing in front of the camera? What do they enjoy doing? Katie, herself, was nervous about being photographed. She wasn’t looking forward to being in front of my camera at all, but knew her husband and children would be fine. We talked through some of the ‘must-have’ shots they wanted. Some of all three children together was a definite! Some of the whole family too. We would include their two Rhodesian ridgeback dogs and their cats if possible. We talked about what they would wear and discussed what would happen on the day of the shoot too. I sent her my guide to preparing for your session, which you can read here. Everything was set!
Photo Shoot Day
The family photo shoot took place during ‘golden hour’. This is the last few hours of light before the sun sets. I run most of my summer shoots at this time of day as the light is much softer and warmer.
When I arrived, I spent a good half an hour getting to know the family over a cup of tea. I wanted to make sure everybody was relaxed and felt comfortable with me. I learnt that their eldest daughter is at drama school and hopes to be a film actress. Their son is fanatical about racing cars and their youngest daughter loves pizza! I met the dogs, and the cats and Katie talked to me about some of the gorgeous family photographs displayed in their home.
By the time we were ready to take photos, everybody was relaxed. We went for a walk, laughed, joked, played with the dogs, picked blackberries and enjoyed a few hours of relaxed company together.
Choosing their photographs
Katie currently has a beautiful collection of black and white photographs in her home. She wanted to add some more to this collection from our photoshoot. Around two weeks after the shoot, she chose a selection of images for me to print. Some black and white ones for her wall collection and some colour ones for her family. As part of her photo package, Katie also has a USB of digital files which included all the photographs from her session in both colour and black and white. Perfect for making photo books or giving extra prints to family!
Booking your family photography session
If you’d like some beautiful new family portraits, you can find more details about my family photoshoots here. If you’re ready to book and would like to secure your session date, please drop me an email on louisafrenchphotography@gmail.com.
Louisa Williams is a family and children’s photographer based near Cambridge and working throughout Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and the surrounding areas. You can see more of her current work and enquire about family phtoshoots here or follow her on Facebook and Instagram.