One of the first questions I get asked when chatting about a family photoshoot is "WHERE shall we GO?" A crucial part of your photographers job is to help you choose the best location for your photoshoot, and talking through your ideas and thoughts with your photographer in advance will help you decide.
Here are a few HANDY HINTS to help make the decision process easier.
What type of FAMILY are you?
Are you a family who nothing better than splashing in puddles and climbing trees? Or do you enjoy taking a walk through a town and playing in a play park. Family photographs work the best when you feel relaxed in your surroundings so giving a little thought as to what makes you tick as a family can help you decide where you would like to have your photoshoot.
Is the location SPECIAL to you?
Is there a park near the place you got married, or somewhere you used to bring your now teenagers when they were little? Or bluebells are your favourite flower so you would like a photoshoot in a bluebell wood? Finding somewhere that speaks to you and sparks joyful memories will help you have a closer connection with where you are on the day and with your pictures for many years to come.
Can you RELAX there?
Truly beautiful and relaxed family images are created when you are all relaxed, having fun and being yourselves. Choosing a location where you are worried about the dog running off or where you have left the car is not going to help you relax. If you have small children and babies you may want to have your photoshoot in your home and garden so it is familiar to them. It is important to chat through any worries you might have in advance with your photographer so you can find a solution that works the best.
How ACCESSIBLE does it need to be?
Finding the perfect spot needs to include thinking
about the journey there! By that I don't just mean the car journey but if little legs and prams are involved or even elderly family members, it would be advisable not to choose a location that involves a long walk before we start shooting. It is also worth thinking about how comfortable everyone is in front of the camera. I often find, especially with teenagers, it can work well to have a walking route to follow so they don't feel they have to smile and be in front of the camera from the off!
WHEN is as important as where?
The time of your photoshoot is as important as where. With babies and young children your photographer will probably recommend a morning photoshoots before they have the chance to get tired and hungry. Golden hour (the early evening) is a gorgeous time for photographing people, but it depends on how the light falls on your chosen area at that time of of day. Forests can get darker much earlier in the afternoon that more open spaces. Your chosen photographer should be able to advise you.
There can be lots of things to think about when arranging a family photoshoot but it's your photographers job is to make the process easier and help you choose somewhere you all feel relaxed and happy.
THE IMPORTANT BIT......... The PEOPLE in the photographs are the most IMPORTANT! And who you will be looking at hanging on your walls for many years to come. A good family photographer can often work wonders in any location so make sure you can work with your photographer to choose where works BEST for YOU and YOURS.