Submitted by Darren on
Photographs with character for Families with personality - West Midlands Family Photography
Since covid has forced many people to put their wedding plans on hold, I’ve had the opportunity over the last 6 months to do more of something I love: no, not sitting around watching telly – family shoots!
Say ‘family photo shoot’ and most people will think straight away of a studio setting with a white backdrop, a few props to play with, and a picture of Mum, Dad, and their 2.4 kids in one big hug all smiling at the camera. And there’s nothing wrong with that! But as times move on and families change and break the mould in lots of ways, photography can capture their individuality in less conventional ways, too.
The feedback I consistently get from couples whose wedding days I’ve photographed is that they love the candid, documentary style pictures I take for them. Lots of people are worried that ‘professional photographer’ means staged and stifled photos, but as I showed more and more couples over the years that they could have relaxed and informal wedding pictures that were still gorgeous, I started to wonder if I could apply the same formula to families, too.
Turns out, the answer’s YES! Instead of bringing families to an unfamiliar studio, we head out all together to an environment that’s already full of happy memories for them. For some that means the park, for others it might be their favourite local walk, or a frequent hangout in town. Whichever place we choose, it’s always guided by the family and it’s always somewhere that means something to them.
Some recent shoots I’ve done have included families on their allotment, in their favourite den-building spot in the park, and in their home. They’ve felt relaxed in their familiar surroundings, which makes for more natural photographs, and I think in years to come, when they look back on the photos, they’ll be glad that they’re somewhere meaningful that really evokes those special family memories.
This is why I absolutely love taking pictures of families! Not only is it really good fun, but it’s a unique and personal experience every single time, and there’s nothing I enjoy more than taking pictures full of personality.
Documentary Family photography West Midlands, Warwick, Leamington Spa, Solihull, Warwickshire.
