Family portrait photographer Surrey

Family photography at home in Surrey

When I approach family sessions, I have no formula to follow. What we do and what I photograph is completely organic and dependent on how everyone is feeling and what they happen to be doing. That said, I always like to discuss ideas for activities with the family before I arrive and in this case we thought that we might play a ball game outside if the weather allowed. What you can’t plan for are the one chance in a million moments …as when one of the twins fell during the game and her mother comforted her and wiped away her tears, or when the girls found some snails at the bottom of the garden and held them up to show me. In the words of one of my favourite photographers, Mary Ellen Mark, “there’s nothing more extraordinary than reality”.

Family and child portrait in home sessions are my favourite type of session, because home is where we feel we belong and where we feel the most comfortable and relaxed. I like to allow the family I’m photographing to just be…as I followed the kids around their home, photographing them lying on their parents’ bed, showing me their pets, playing a game in the garden, discovering snails the children became more and more at ease with the camera until they forgot it was there. The two hour session provides enough time for my subjects to get to know me and feel comfortable with having their picture taken. I also have enough time to observe the quieter moments as they happen, as I like to step back and allow everyone to get on with it without interruption. Group pictures can be a challenge….sometimes there can be such a formula to them. Its always a challenge for me to get a fresh take on it…in this case everyone played a trick on Dad to get him really belly laughing. This is also the part of the session that the children enjoy being involved in, and I’m always excited to hear their ideas!