PLANNING YOUR FAMILY SESSION
GALLERIES + RESOURCES
Welcome! Thanks for having a poke around. My hope is that you’ll get some ideas and reassurance for your upcoming session, and find families that might look and feel a bit like yours. If you can’t - send me an email. I’ll dig out a gallery, or better yet - come and photograph you and your loved ones.
Still have questions? Send me an email.
FEATURED SESSIONS
LIGHT + LOCATION + TIMING
Location is everything in real estate but only part of the picture in photography. It is every kind of cliche, but I care about the light a lot more than I care about the backdrop - it can make an otherwise blergh spot sing, or make an otherwise beautiful setting borderline unusable. This is one of the reasons photographers prefer shooting outdoors at dawn and dusk - the light is a lot more forgiving and tends to make everything glow (it isn’t about a sunset sky, at all). If you have young children these hours can seem a bit impossible but it can actually work better than the chaos of the middle of the day - the first and last hours of light are a bit hypnotic on all of us.
It isn’t the be all and end all though - there are advantages and disadvantages, and opportunities, in every location and lighting condition.
The key is in both the planning and (this is the hard part) - the letting go.
For indoors sessions - the world is your oyster, and never underestimate how wonderful family sessions at home are.
EARLY MORNING
SUNSET
ON THE FARM
GARDENS
IN THE BACKYARD
AT THE BEACH
IN THE BUSH
OLDER KIDS
RAIN AND WIND AND WEATHER
This is in the category of ‘there is only so much we can control.’ I do keep a close eye on the forecast in the days leading up to your session and get in touch if it is looking a bit dicey. If you have your heart set on a glowy sunset or blue skies we will look at rescheduling, or we can explore other options - under cover at home (e.g. inside, under a front verandah etc), in a sheltered location (e.g. the Conservatory in Rosalind Gardens) or going for it with wellies and umbrellas if it’s drizzling. There is something about rain and a bit of wind that can add a bit of magic - it gets people out of their heads and encourages snuggling and laughter, and kids look really cute in gumboots. Deep cloud cover does often clear in the very last breaths of sunset, or we can move the session a bit earlier in the day and get fantastic true to life colours and the dimension of light and shadow (I love it!!!).
There’s no right or wrong answer here - we will play it by ear but it is very much a part of the job for me. Thankfully Bendigo is - for the most part - reliably pretty sunny!
STORM CLOUDS, RAIN AND WIND
SHOULD WE INCLUDE OUR PETS?
They are a beloved part of the family, and for many kids - a crucial part of their self regulation. Whether to include your pets in family photographs is entirely a judgement call and a bit dependent on your session length, family and location - I’m always happy to talk this through with you.
I love having them there and they can make all the difference sometimes for anxious kids (and grown ups!) coming out of their shell. My main suggestion is having a safe way to tie them up or pop them outside for some of the time, or we tend to spend too much of the session trying to get the dog facing the camera and losing opportunities to capture the kids.
Generally my recommendation is not to bring them for mini sessions.
EXTENDED FAMILY PHOTOS
Can I let you in on a secret? This is one of the very best ways to update your family photos. Each individual family gets a mini session, and you get time to photograph the whole family and lots of combinations and permutations of siblings and cousins and grandparents. You all get access to the gallery to download and print your photographs.
We can do them in the backyard, before/during/after a beautiful brunch at a winery, or any of the other wonderful spots you’d normally have family photos. Allow 10-15 minutes per individual family as well as 20-30 minutes for the whole group.
