I always enjoy doing a session for a family portrait in London, because it allows me to capture those emotions that I consider being the core of my work.

Families with children are one of the most exciting subjects to shoot. I like portraying children of any age, from newborns, to toddlers, young children, teenagers, and young adults. I learned that while newborns are naturally more unpredictable, and teenagers are sometimes moody, children between 5 and 12 years old love posing for a family photoshoot, and really enjoy this kind of experience.

Why I love children photoshoots

Let me tell you a story.

It was a Saturday afternoon, and I was at my studio in Nicosia (I was working in Cyprus, back then) with a lovely family of three: mother, father, and their gorgeous 7-year-old daughter.

Unfortunately, she was very nervous and shy, and I noticed that since the first few family portrait shoots. Her parents told her to smile, and tried to make her look happy and to encourage her to give the best version of herself to the camera, but nothing seemed to work.

I realised that she had too much pressure on her shoulders, and that was the reason why she wasn’t smiling.

When we think about the best pose a child can have, we always imagine a big smile straight into the camera, but it doesn’t work that way for everyone, however, for a parent who knows how beautiful their daughter’s smile can be, it is a natural fact to ask her to smile.

Understood this, I didn’t want to upset anyone, so I decided to do some individual portraits first, and I started with the young girl, while her parents were taking a break on the sofa in another corner of my studio.

During the first few minutes, I had a chat with the little girl, asking her about her friends, hobbies, school, and so on. Without taking a single picture.

Then I showed her my camera, and what kind of wonderful pictures we could take with them, and in that moment she opened that beautiful smile, and started to take photos. I also gave her advice on poses and where to look at, and she listened to me, and the shots were stunning.

When doing a family portrait photoshoot with children, you need patience, but the outcome will always pay you back. The most important thing is making people feel comfortable and make the shooting session a positive experience.

It’s a matter of plan…

Here in the UK, things didn’t change much: I plan every session for family portrait in London very carefully in order to meet and exceed my clients’ expectations.

First of all, I organise a meeting at my photography studio in Richmond, possibly with the whole family, but the real reason is allowing children to familiarise with the environment, the camera, and obviously me. Furthermore, I can have a better understanding of my client’s expectations and organise my work in a certain way.

And a matter of time

Sometimes it takes quite long for a child to relax in a new environment, but I can entertain a child and help them get used to the new situation at the same time by explaining them how a family photoshoot works.

When they have the chance to have a closer look at the camera, they realise it is not something they should fear, and they even get excited about taking some photos.

Normally, an average session of family portrait in London, at my studio, can last up to 2 hours, and patience is mandatory. However, we will always have a chance to take breaks, so the session does not get boring.

In other situations, a shooting may last longer, but it is essential not to put pressure on the little boys and girls. Family portraits must be fun!

Family portrait in London? Come to my studio

A great result for a family portrait session always revolves around the role of children: if they are happy, the whole family will be happy, if they are not, the whole experience will be quite frustrating.

I know how to make children feel at ease, and make sure they look as more natural as possible. I will shoot on coloured and black backgrounds, which will offer a more personalised experience and a great variety of images.

Are you taking your family portrait in London? Contact me with your idea and we can agree a meeting.