LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION!

How to choose the right location for your family photo shoot

Location for your family photo shoot

“Where shall we do our family photo shoot?” is a question I get asked a lot.  Here I’ll walk you through my top tips for choosing the perfect shoot location for you and your family.

location for your family photo shoot

THE RIGHT PLACE

As soon as a client books a family photo shoot with me, one of their first questions is always “where shall we do our shoot?”  Choosing a location for your session is important and it’s got to be the right place for your family to feel comfortable and relaxed.  Furthermore, its got to capture the essence of your family’s personality!  But don’t worry… I’m here to help you choose the perfect spot.

There are a number of things to consider when choosing and discussing shoot locations with your family photographer.  Read on to find my 5 top tips to guide you through. Location for your family photo shoot.

Location for your family photo shoot

TIP 1 – IS THE LOCATION SPECIAL TO YOUR FAMILY?

Some families have a very clear idea of where they want their shoot.  For instance, a stunning North Norfolk beach, the family home or farm, a favourite country walk, Cambridge city centre with all its beautiful old architecture and tiny lanes….  If you don’t know where to start, think of the places you enjoy visiting and spending time together as a family.  Furthermore, mention a few of these to your chosen family photographer and chat together about whether they would work as a location for your session.

Collection of wall frames

TIP 2 – CONSIDER HOW YOU’LL DISPLAY YOUR FINAL PHOTOS

If you plan on hanging your photos at home, consider the colour palette of the room where they will be displayed?  I love greens in all shades as they feel so wholesome and organic and are abundant around Cambridge, however, they may not look great hung on a wall painted red.  The wide open beaches of north Norfolk are popular during the summer months, especially with the pink sunset tones at the end of the day, but may not look great hung above a traditional inglenook fireplace.   Likewise, the stunning sandy colours of ancient architecture in Cambridge city centre and the many tiny cobbled lanes provide a beautiful backdrop that are very versatile – we are lucky in east Anglia to have a huge variety of potential shoot locations for families!

TIP 3 – CAN YOU RELAX?

It’s important to be able to relax at your location, since any kind of anxiousness you feel will show through in your photos.  To put it another way, if you feel stressed or worried that your children might run off into the road, it’s best not to choose the city centre for your family photo shoot.

Is the space public or private?  Can your children run free without you worrying?  Will there be lots of people in the background of your photos which making shooting difficult?  Chat these through with your family photographer, and explore what works best for you both.

beach portrait
family photo shoot at Brancaster
location for your family photo shoot
family photos at Brancaster

TIP 4 – WHEN IS AS IMPORTANT AS WHERE

Locations look different at different times of the day according to where the sun is and how the light falls.  Discuss with your family photographer about the best time to shoot at your favourite location.  Having good light is VITAL for beautiful shots. With this in mind, if you need to have your photo shoot first thing in the morning because it’s the best time for your young baby, but the light is best at 8.00pm when its past his bedtime, you may want to consider an alternative location.

TIP 5 – ACCESSIBILITY

Can you reach your location easily?  Can you still reach it easily with a buggy, spare clothes, snacks, nappies, outfit changes and a photographer (potentially with lots of equipment)?  In other words, you might like the stunning views at the top of the Gog Magogg Hills, but if you spend half the session walking up there and everybody is hot and grumpy once your reach the top, it’s not a great outcome for your photographs.  With this in mind, choose a location that suits your family situation and the things you need to bring for the session.

Kings College Cambridge

the last word…

In summary, the location for your family photo shoot should reflect you!  It should be somewhere you enjoy spending time; and somewhere you all feel relaxed.  In spite of all this, it’s more about the people IN the photos than the location that’s important…. And you’d be surprised what a good photographer can make look great!

Louisa French is a family and children’s photographer working around Cambridge, Newmarket and Saffron Walden.  You can see more of her work and details about shoots and packages here.

FIND ME

Louisa French Photography

Cambridge Photographer

louisafrenchphotography@gmail.com