Create a Lasting Family Tradition with Yearly Family Photography Sessions

Everyone’s family is constantly evolving. However mundane our daily lives may feel at the time, with hindsight the routine tasks and small incidental moments gain gravity and meaning. We are all continually changing—and our children at such a rapid rate, we sometimes can barely catch our breath—so what better reason to have yearly family lifestyle photography sessions? In these sessions I aim to capture each stage of family life – in all its glory! Remember when Dad grew a moustache? Remember when our little one insisted that he’d only wear mismatched socks? Watch as individual personalities begin to reveal themselves. Follow sibling interactions as they develop over the months and years. Hiring a professional family photographer ensures all these quirks, phases and stages are not lost in the mists of time.

When a client approaches me about starting yearly family photography sessions, we discuss how they would like their story telling. For instance, would they like the photoshoot to take place at the same time and in the same spot each year, so that that the photographs follow the same trajectory, or would they prefer to mix it up a little with the location and/or season varying year on year? Whichever option they choose, the season in which each session is shot will influence the overall feel of the final photographs.

Holding the family photoshoots outdoors in spring, summer and autumn allows me to use nature as the backdrop. With the season directly influencing the colour palette, I ask my clients to bear this in mind when selecting their outfits for the session. Spring is all about new beginnings and the colour palette reflects this – fresh greens, sunny yellows and luminous peachy pinks. Clients need only wear light layers. With gardens and parks in full bloom, summer shoots are all about colour – hot pinks, vibrant purples, bright whites and glowing oranges. The overall vibe is often joyful and free, with families in floaty cottons and linens, floppy hats and sunglasses – perhaps running around barefoot. With autumn, the tone is somewhat more sedate; the colour scheme emulating this – burnished

browns, warm oranges, golden yellows and rich purples. If possible, I like to incorporate texture into these photographs, capturing families stomping through crunchy leaves, admiring trees laden with smooth apples and prickly conker shells, whilst dressed in chill-defying tweed and corduroy. In winter, although outdoor sessions can work really well, particularly if they coincide with frost or snow, it is my favourite season for shooting clients in their homes. It gives me chance to capture that much sought-after ‘hygge’ feel with families cocooned in woolly jumpers huddled on sofas together, reading books by candlelight under big snuggly blankets and sipping hot chocolate by roaring fires. Depending on the month and the family, there may even be a Christmas tree twinkling in the

background, with deep reds and emerald greens bringing festive pops of colour.

Tying in a professional family photoshoot with a landmark event is a wonderful way to bookmark a special occasion. Images of your family beginning their next chapter in a new home; your child progressing to the next stage of life as they start school; or the arrival of an excitable and playful furry friend are all moments worth preserving. As cherished possessions, I always encourage my clients to make the most of their family photographs by displaying them up on the walls of their home as artwork. For something a little different, I also suggest sharing them with loved ones by using the photographs on Christmas and holiday cards.

There is something magical about making family photography sessions a yearly tradition – carving out a space in our hectic lives, a time when everyone comes together to strengthen bonds and celebrate their family unit. And, unlike DIY photoshoots, there’s no need for one person to be behind the camera and therefore absent from the shots. Lasting a lifetime and beyond, family photographs will be passed down to generation after generation. There’s no need for a time

machine, photographs will keep you and your family forever in the present.

Get in touch to find out more about the family lifestyle photography sessions I offer.