Family Photography Somerset - Lizzy, Leigh Phoebe and Hattie
What an incredibly beautiful and joyful family these four are! Phoebe, Hattie and their parents travelled all the way from Cardiff to join me for an outdoor shoot. They have family in Frome so wanted to combine their shoot with a visit to their relatives. My lovely sister had put them in touch with me and Lizzy and I chatted so much ahead of their shoot. I was so looking forward to spending time with her, Leigh and their hilarious girls.
Outdoor Family Shoot, Somerset
In the days and weeks leading up to a family shoot it’s really important to me that I get to know all about the children. Their likes and dislikes, their personalities, what they love to do. That way, on the day, I can come armed with all kinds of knowledge that will get me into their ‘inner circle’ as quickly as possible and bring out all of their joy and character in the photographs.
Phoebe was three at the time of our session. A little cutie with the most glorious smile. Her mum told me that she is a kind, gentle soul - with an incredible amount of sass! Hattie, Phoebe’s younger sister, is cheeky and funny with a wicked laugh and a hell of a death stare! Luckily I wasn’t on the receiving end of that stare on the day, phew! Both girls love to sing and dance - well, that was just what I wanted to hear! I played music throughout our shoot and before too long we were all singing and dancing along to Let It Go. One of my favourite shots captures Phoebe belting it out at the top of her lungs!
Relaxed and Natural Family Portraits
Lizzy had told me she loved how natural my family shoots are and she adored the way that I use light. The day of the shoot was rather dull and grey. We arranged to shoot at 12pm, when some sun was due to peek out from behind the clouds. Now, photographers will know that this is NOT the ideal time for photography, however it was later in the year, the sun was nice and low and we made it work.
I wanted to keep things nice and relaxed, from experience I know that Dads in particular can take a little time to warm up to the idea of being photographed so I let Leigh join in his own time. The girls were brilliant. Phoebe was a little shy to begin with but Hattie threw herself in straight away! I always tell families that bribery is absolutely allowed throughout the shoot! Any non messy snacks are good - popcorn, biscuits etc. Wotsits are a no no! That orange dust is a nightmare on clothes! We were completely and utterly led by the kids. Hattie was fascinated by the crystals and fractals that I use to bring another element to the photographs while Phoebe was just happy to be singing and dancing along to her favourite tunes.
The whole session was a delight from start to finish. I adore how naturally loving and affectionate they all were to each other. We did a lot of my favourite photography game “Spin and Squish” which, you guessed it, involves spinning, squishing and giggles! We embraced the whole afternoon, it was chilly but none of us noticed, we were all having so much fun and that complete and utter joy shines through on the photos.
“Safe to say we are in LOVE with the photos, you’ve done such a beautiful job, Thank you so much for all your hard work and your amazing eye!”
If you're looking for family photography in Somerset, I'd love to hear from you. Get in touch and let's chat!