An outdoor Surrey family shoot with Maddie and her mums, before they become a family of four

It was so lovely to have this outdoor woodland family shoot with Maddie and her mums, because the last time that we met she was not even earth side yet. Jess, Ella and I had met previously for an outdoor maternity shoot on Brighton beach together. So now to meet Maddie and have my lovely couple expecting another baby, it was extremely special. Returning to photograph clients again is such an honour. It is also a privilege to witness families grow and being able to capture the love is so wonderful.

We met on the common for our outdoor Surrey family shoot, which was a familiar place for Jess, Ella and Maddie. It is great to have family shoots which are in new places, other than Surrey locations that I can suggest. But I like to ask families for locations that are special or have meaning to them. This can create a lasting memory to have photographs in a place that is somewhere that is unique to families together.

Fun and Relaxed Outdoor Woodland Family Shoot

thank you to Maddie and her mums for letting me share their wonderful photographs of them together.

Thank you for looking through this outdoor family session. If like Maddie and her mums, you would also like an outdoor Surrey family shoot please do get in contact. I would love to capture your gorgeous family and cannot get enough of family sessions. Priding myself in being an LGBTQ friendly wedding and family photographer, there are so many wonderful families out there. If your would like some more inspiration here is Joseph and his two mums on a family session together, or perhaps this outdoor maternity shoot with Jaleh and Hannibal.

The beauty of family photography at home is that you can have and outdoor garden family shoot in the comfort of your own home. In these uncertain times, and for the safety of my clients, 98% of family shoots are outdoors.  Previously I have written about the importance of practising safe socially distanced family photography since the pandemic restrictions. It is so wonderful that as a Surrey family photographer I am still able to capture families together. Having your photograph taken is even more important since the pandemic. I feel very privileged to be able to photograph families like this one.

OUTDOOR SURREY FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHY

Rathi contacted me as I had been referred to her through a friend. Years previously I had captured Ali and her extended family on a relaxed Richmond Park shoot. It was wonderful to be able to make a connection through previous families. Spending the time with Rathi and her family was so relaxed. Both her little boys are such characters!  We got the bubbles out, played in the garden and had running races. It was a quintessential sunny afternoon in the garden.

Fun and Relaxed Outdoor Garden Family Shoot

The beauty about having an outdoor surrey family photography shoot is that you are in the comfort of your own home. This is useful for families with young children as they feel most comfortable in a safe space. They are able to roam around a familiar place and feel relaxed in a garden space that is theirs.

THAT’S ALL FOLKS!

THIS WAS SUCH A LOVELY OUTDOOR GARDEN FAMILY SHOOT 

Thank you for looking through these photographs of Rathi and her beautiful family. If you are interested in socially distanced family photography then please do contact me as I would love the opportunity to capture your family life together.  Here are some examples of my outdoor surrey family photography sessions post lockdown:

ST MARTHA’S FAMILY SHOOT

BOX HILL FAMILY SHOOT

DANISH FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHY AT HOME

This lovely outdoor Surrey family photography session, was a particularly gorgeous Nonsuch Mansion family shoot.  After months of lockdown and being stuck indoors an outdoor family shoot was just what the pandemic doctor ordered. In correlation with the government guidelines I was able to meet Alison and her family outdoors at Nonsuch Mansion in December for her family shoot. I have written all about having COVID safe family photography with all the ways that I am keeping my business safe for clients. Having socially distanced family photography outdoors is a perfect setting. Having a Nonsuch Mansion family shoot is a rather wonderful location. There is space to run around, gorgeous foliage and gardens, all with the back drop of a Surrey mansion.

Socially Distanced Relaxed Surrey Family Photography

Having your Surrey family photography shoot outdoors means that although you are in battle with British weather, it also means that you have the freedom of space. This is also perfect for a socially distanced family shoot, whilst still being able to capture family moments. Being confined into a studio for example leaves no room for exploring or adventure with your children. This is the way that I love to capture families. Outdoors, in surroundings that are visually beautiful. Following the guidance of children’s interaction with the world and leaving room for some portraiture when the mood is right.

This is not to say that family photography at home is not on the cards. I adore these shoots as well. Take a look at this Danish family photography at home shoot that I captured just before our third national lock down. This is because I find that families create better photographs in areas that make them comfortable. Children are most comfortable in their own surroundings or when they are able to roam free. Take for example Joshua and his mums who were able to explore the Surrey woodland on their family shoot.  This was exactly what was so wonderful about Alison and her family. They were able to roam the grounds of Nonsuch Mansion and follow where ever their little explorer would take them!

Enjoy This Autumnal Nonsuch Mansion Family Shoot

Thank you For Looking Through This Nonsuch Mansion Family Shoot

If you are looking for a Surrey family photographer please do get in contact with me to talk about your wonderful family and how I can capture some memories for you. Perhaps you would like to document your family before your little one arrives, like Ella, Jessica and their maternity beach shoot in Brighton. 

When planning outdoor family photography, I always find myself going back to areas that hit the best criteria for Surrey family photography locations. Having been a Surrey family photographer for nearly 10 years now, there are some firm favourite go-to spots for family shoots. Usually before booking a session in, the families get a chance to select a venue or place that is special in some way to them. Perhaps it is their grandparents garden or a local park that they go walking in every Sunday. It is not necessary that there has to be a memory tied with the location; it could be somewhere central to all participants or somewhere visually they find appealing. However, on some occasions families are not familiar with one place and this is when I get to give a list of my favourite Surrey family photography locations. Here we go!

St Martha’s Hill

Apart from being a strong family favourite of my own, St Martha’s Hill is just spectacular for outdoor family photography. On a good weather day you can see for miles and miles. The views are unparalleled and are really something. It has got quite a hill so it is not somewhere that I suggest for families including elderly members. But if you are game, the long walk up is a great way to have a chat and ease everyone into the shoot together.  The ground up and around St Martha’s hill are sand. This is especially important to note if you have your family shoot in the wet seasons of the UK.

St Martha’s is my go-to suggestion as there is never any mud all year round! As well as good underfoot there are so many excellent places to take natural portraits together as a family. With trees to climb, swings to discover and gorgeous pine trees, it really is a plethora of photographic beauty. Take a look at Che and Charlotte’s outdoor Surrey family photoshoot with their little boy Joseph. They had a marvellous time playing in the woods and having fun together on their shoot last summer.

Richmond Park

Up next on my list of favourite Surrey family photography locations is Richmond Park. With the chance to spot deer and the wide open expanse, this park is perfect for outdoor family photography. You can visit Richmond Park and photograph two family shoots and have them look completely different. Which is something that I love about the park. There are always more places to discover! With tree lined pathways, lakes and woodland – there is almost too much scenery to choose from. The openness of the park makes it very easy to capture families without feeling too crowded or featuring too many people in the back grounds of the images.

With wide sweeping pathways kids can bring their scooters and parents can bring buggies alike. There are lots of locations within the park to choose from so the variety is something that as a Surrey family photographer I find appealing. It gives every family the opportunity to have unique images, whilst benefiting from a glorious outdoor park. One of my favourite sessions was with Ali and her family at Pen Ponds in Richmond – there is never a limit to family members on my shoots, the more the merrier! It is wonderful to capture the interactions of all ages within a family unit.

Blackheath Common

Much like my favoured location of St Martha’s, this next spot has many similar qualities. Blackheath Common is just beautiful. It benefits from having large open sandy areas as well as woodlands. Which makes it one of my best Surrey family photography locations. There is enough space and secret areas for you to have your family shoot without prying eyes. Plus there are so many pathways that you can have a variety of locations in one photoshoot. Unlike St Martha’s this landscape is not as demanding, so it perfect for little ones and elderly alike. There are also plenty of wooden benches and seats along the way. This location is perfect in the morning and even more so with a hint of evening sun.

Virginia Water Lake

Possibly in a past life I was a sea creature as I find myself always drawn to areas of water. This is especially true of Virginia Water Lake which is on my preferred list of Surrey family photography locations. With its choice of botanical gardens, open water, wide pathways and woodland, this Surrey hot spot is a smorgasbord of scenery. Like many of the other locations I have recommended, this location is great for its wide open spaces. You will not feel crowded or on show in this park, which is perfect for camera shy adults and children alike. There is enough space that everyone is able to roam freely and find new places to capture natural portraits in, just like Adrian and his family did here. 

Chantry Wood

Last but by no means least on my list is Chantry Wood. Like all of my other location suggestions, Chantry Wood has many similar qualities. There is such a broad scale to the Chantries that you can walk for a long time without bumping into anyone. Because of this there are lots of lovely places to have family sessions within the woods. It lends itself for outdoor family photography on brighter days as some of the woodland is quite dense. But on a sunny afternoon, the sunlight can create such beautiful dappling effects. There are many ways up to the Chantry Wood so if there are less able bodied people in your family unit there are many ways to make it up to the woodlands. Like many other Surrey locations on this list there is a lot of sand underfoot, which makes walking around and sitting down together for portraits a pleasure. Take a look here to see this lovely laid back family shoot to celebrate Maddy’s mother in laws birthday.

There you have it, my top FIVE favourite Surrey family photography locations

At the time of writing this blog I am aware that socially distanced family photography is still high priority.  As a Surrey family photographer in this pandemic I am extremely aware of the importance of safety for everyone. If you are reading this and want to book in a Surrey family photography session but are unsure of how you feel then please do take a look at this Covid safe family photography blog I wrote all about how I am adapting my business.  Luckily outdoor family photography lends itself amazingly well to complying with social distancing guidelines. You can even have family photography at home with social distancing measures in place just as Frederikke did with her family before the country went into lockdown at Christmas.

Having this Danish family photography at home was very special. It was before Britain’s third lockdown and was with one of my favourite Danish families (apart from my own)! Being predominantly a Surrey family photographer, I get to visit lots of lovely people at their homes for family shoots. If you are no stranger to this blog then you would have no doubt seen these beautiful faces before.  As a Surrey wedding photographer I was lucky enough to photograph Frederikke and Thomas’s breathtaking wedding, with their laid back garden reception at the family home.

Relaxed Danish Family Photography at Home

Keeping in contact with families after their weddings is such a privilege. There is a special connection, especially if you share the same Danish heritage and traditions. Then a year or so later, I had the pleasure of capturing Frederikke and baby Valdemar on a mother and baby photoshoot at home.  There was a part of me that thought it would be a while before meeting up with Frederikke and her family again. With the family moving to Denmark and then Covid-19 shaking the world, I was unsure of the future. However, as luck would have it I was contacted for some socially distanced family photography just before Christmas. The family was living together in the family home and Frederikke, Thomas and baby Valdemar were to stay up until the new year until work resumed.

It may not be well known but the Danes are passionate about Christmas. So when Frederikke suggested to have the shoot around Christmas I was extremely excited.  With a big beautiful garden and airy light conservatory – it was a perfect place to have safe family photography at home. I have previously written about how all my Surrey family photography shoots are performed and organised to the highest Covid safety standards. You can read here about how to have Covid safe family photography.

Fun, Candid and Relaxed Socially Distanced Family Photography at Home

It was so wonderful to meet and catch up with this family again. It was even more amazing to see how much little Valdemar had grown since we last saw each other. As I arrived he was (in an extremely Scandinavian way) snuggled asleep in his buggy outside.  Which meant we were able to capture some outdoor family portraits and individual couples shots as well. Once little Val had awoken, he was wary of me and quite rightly so. This is why I leave a two hour family shoot time minimum because you can never tell what mood children will be in. Stress about time is not something parents should worry about as well as children’s temperament on a shoot.  We ran around the garden, took some spontaneous and candid images. We even fitted in a little of Valdemar’s (and one of mine) favourite film – The Sound of Music.

THANK YOU FOR LOOKING THROUGH THIS LOVELY SCANDI SHOOT

If you would like to see more examples of my Surrey family photography work why not take a look at this post lock down outdoor newborn family shoot at Box Hill. Or perhaps this fun St Martha’s family shoot with Che and her family. Perhaps you are also planning a Winter family shoot, take some inspiration from this Nonsuch Mansion family session. Or if you are scanning this in a Scandinavian capacity and are searching for a Copenhagen wedding photographer then please look no further and email me immediately as I am your gal!

What Does This Look Like?

This blog is all about reassurance that your socially distanced family photography shoot is going to be business as usual. Since Corona Virus entered the world our lives have looked very different. Luckily my outdoor family photography style has not been massively effected by social distancing. Apart from high-fiving a particularly well behaved child for not pulling funny faces, there will not be many noticeable differences in making sure that your COVID safe family photography experience is enjoyable.

Socially Distanced Family Photography – How Does It Work?

My documentary style of family photography lends itself to social distancing. Apart from newborn shoots that usually happen inside, the majority of my family sessions are always outside. This is because I like you as a family to interact with each other without any pressure. Whether that is on a walk, feeding the ducks, or having a picnic together.

Giving you time as a family to play enables me to capture you without being commanding. When the time is right, if you all look particularly cuddled up or there is a lovely setting we will stop for some family portraits. But this is as ‘posed’ or ‘forced’ as the shoot will become. Kids respond better to candid photography with little ‘SAY CHEESE’ action. With this I am able to keep my distance and observe the moments from a safe distance. I have specific lenses and cameras that were made for this type of photography without impacting the photographs.

As usual, when booking your family shoot we will choose somewhere outside that either has a special meaning to you as a family, or is just a picturesque place. Take this gorgeous family how always walked their dog up on Holmbury Hill, so this is the special place they chose. However, when we meet I will not be shaking your hand or giving you a warm hug to greet you. I can no longer give your squishy babies feet a little tickle. But I will be there with my smiling face and a big HELLO!  We can still chat and interact with one another like we usually would do. I can still craft and capture magical moments for your family, whilst keeping a safe distance. I may just have to be that little bit more silly to get the giggles flowing from the younger generations – which in turn will help the adults!

Keeping Each Other Safe

Upon booking a family shoot with me we will keep in conversation with one another. If at any moment you become unwell or a member of your family exhibits symptoms we can re-schedule. This is the same on my side of the fence too.

I will be cleaning my camera kit regularly, as well as washing my hands before and after shooting. There will also be anti-bac gel with me on all of my shoots as well.  I will also be vigilant to observe the Governments guidelines to ensure the most care is taken.

Together We Can Make Your Socially Distanced Family Photography Shoot Work

If you are interested in booking a COVID safe family shoot with me then please do contact me and we can arrange something magical. Otherwise why not take a look at some post lockdown family sessions that I shot socially distanced – Che, Charlotte and Joshua at St Marthas Hill or John and Sarah and little Margot at Box Hill. 

This outdoor baby photography shoot was meant to be a surprise newborn session that John had booked for his wife. However, 2020 had other plans in store for this surprise shoot. As lockdown intensified it was clear that John’s thoughtful newborn baby photography would turn into something a little different. As the guidelines eased I met John and Sarah with little Margot for a socially distanced family shoot at Box Hill.

Outdoor Baby Photography at a Socially Distanced Space

A socially distanced family shoot is luckily not too different from a usual session with me. As a practise within family photography I let you as a unit interact naturally with one another. There is no pushing or poking. No forced smiles or enforced posing. I take a step back, and allow families to have a cuddle and a giggle with some guided portraiture instructions. This creates a natural atmosphere not only in the photographs, but also for the family taking part.

Having an outdoor baby photography shoot is a very natural thing to do. Although newborn photography is slightly easier at home, take for example Frederikke and her mother and baby shoot. However, a shoot with a slightly older baby is lovely to do in the open. They are less dependant on nap time and like looking around at the surroundings! The sessions are still baby led with no enforced posing but light direction. Following social distance guidelines is easy do to with outdoor family photography. Babies benefit from not too close contact with strangers and smiling from two meters is the same however you do it. As you will be able to see from the photography little Margot was such a smily baby!

John, Sarah and Little Margot’s Outdoor Family Shoot

THANK YOU for looking through John, Sarah and Margot’s family shoot

If you are interested in a booking a socially distanced family shoot please do contact me here.  If you would like some more examples of distanced family photography have a look at Che, Charlotte and Joseph’s family shoot at St Martha’s Hill post lockdown.

Fun Outdoor Surrey Family Photoshoot With Ché, Charlotte and Little Joseph

This gorgeous two mama LGBT family was my FIRST post lock down family shoot out in the wild world and it was AMAZING.  Ché had got in contact with me through her choir. She had performed in a show with LGBTQ+ singers The Fourth Choir in a Christmas production at The Globe. It just so happened that my mother and auntie had produced it, so this was a lovely coincidence. Chance encounters like these are so wonderful when running a small business. We met at one of the most gorgeous locations Surrey has to offer, St Martha’s Hill. This obviously is a personal opinion, but whilst looking through these images I dare you to have another opinion!

 FIRST POST LOCK DOWN FAMILY SHOOT 

Now it is no lie that this year has been surreal to say the least. Usually summer is packed with weddings and squeezing a family shoot in mid-week is normally the protocol. However, with COVID postponing the years worth of weddings that were scheduled, I was able to meet this gorgeous family on a sunny weekend in July.  Ché and Charlotte’s son Joseph was possibly the most adorable little boy that you could ever meet! Walking up to the top of the hill together Ché, Charlotte’s and Joseph then explored the woodland. This is usually how a family photoshoot will look for me. Natural moments, mixed in with some guided portraiture when the kids are at their most co-operative. No fuss, no tears and just copious amounts of smiles.

FUN AND RELAXED OUTDOOR SURREY FAMILY PHOTOSHOOT 

Thank you for looking through this delightful family gallery

It is no lie that this area of Surrey is a favourite location – check out Scott and Hayley’s couples shoot here or Jade and Paul’s rather rainy St Martha’s wedding. If you have enjoyed looking through this gorgeous LGBT family photography shoot, then perhaps you would like to peruse through my Surrey Family Portfolio.

When I first photographed Sapphire, the idea of brand and influencer photography was only really getting momentum. Especially wedding business brand photography! Influencers were not as prominent in social media as they are thriving today. At the time of photographing Sapphire, she was running her floristry business The Flower Arranger. The idea of photographing the people behind the business was a relatively new concept – and one that I really liked the process of.

When you buy into a small business, you are really investing in the person

This is what so many small businesses and creative people rarely get images of. The artistic process behind the job. Luckily the idea of capturing brand photography has take off and it is such a wonderful thing to document. Since documenting Sapphire and her Flower Arranger floristry studio I have worked with many others.  Including Ellie from Milk Street Kitchen and captured how she works to create her wedding cakes.

THE FUN BEHIND WEDDING BUSINESS BRAND PHOTOGRAPHY

There should be a little disclaimer with this blog post. Although this is a wedding business brand photography shoot, Sapphire has since left floristry behind. If you do not follow her on social media – which I think you all should – she has gone on to create The Coven. Which is an online community platform for female-founders and creatives. Although, saying that, I had a really enjoyable morning documenting the goings on of her floristry business. Capturing the little moments that would showcase behind the business. Having wedding business brand photography allows you to showcase to your clients what happens in the run up to their big day. So often a couple will never see their florist or caterer on their wedding day. This way you are able to convey across to them your creative process.

THANK YOU TO SAPPHIRE and TO ALL YOU LOVELY PEOPLE FOR LOOKING THROUGH THESE IMAGES

If you are a creative person or a small business owner and are interested in brand and influencer photography please do get in touch with me. You do not have to be within the wedding industry. The beauty of capturing the person behind the business is that you could have any job and I would want to photograph it to showcase YOU!  If this interests you here are a list of reasons why we should work together.

Family Bid Farewell To Their Childhood Family Home

This London family photography shoot is particularly special.  It has taken a pandemic to realise, that in the height of wedding season madness this family shoot at home never got blogged. Which is a crying shame as it was over two years ago! There was so much sentiment behind this family shoot. If you have been an avid reader of my blog you may recognise a few familiar faces.

With my family photography I have had the pleasure of photographing Jennie, Edward and their little girl Arabella on two separate occasions. The first was when I met them as part of a competition to win a family shoot, and the second was to document their last few weeks as a family of three before their new addition arrived.  Since then I have had the pleasure of photographing the whole gang at their parents new family home at Christmas (ironically after this first shoot I am about to blog).

London Family Photography Shoot At Home To Celebrate

The family wanted to have a shoot at their childhood home, for them to remember and celebrate all the wonderful memories they had shared. As their childhood home was to be sold Jennie got in contact as a surprise for the parents. Taking the time to remember all of the wonderful childhood memories is important. Documenting trinkets, rooms and decor is something that is also important. As the family chatted and reminisced was able to document these happenings. During this London family photography shoot there was time to take some portraits all together, as well as in pairs. Particularly in places that were memorable for the family.

THANK YOU FOR TAKING A LOOK 

As I had said before I had the privilege of photographing the family at their new home in this blog post if you wanted to take a look. However, if you were on a roll and wanted to check out some more family shoots at home then take a look at Anna and Ross’s relaxed newborn shoot.