London weather, like the weather back home in the Netherlands, is often grey and wet. I can’t remember the last time I saw snow, but it must have been long before Ivy was born. So when we woke up on Sunday morning and saw the snowflakes dropping from the sky we rushed out of the house.
Ivy was super excited, as this was her very first experience in the snow, and I’ve never seen her abandon Bing (her current favourite tv show, and one that I personally find extremely annoying) as quickly as she did that morning.
I had just got a new 24mm Sigma Art lens (an early birthday present) so it was the perfect time to test it out. I really love the look and feel of this lens, it’s very different to the 35mm Nikon lens that I use for my family photo sessions.
We just moved to North Cross Road in early December, the street where you can find the Saturday market here in East Dulwich, and it was great to see our road turn all white - albeit for only a few hours. :-)
Ivy had a great time (apart from one tiny tumble!) and I hope to see some more snow soon, although I wonder if we might have to wait for a while!
I finally found some time to go through my photos from December. One of my favourite photography sessions of that month was the one I did in South Kensington. I mainly photograph families in South East London and, after not having travelled on public transport for a very long time, I was super excited to go into town for this shoot.
I love South Kensington, there are so many beautiful buildings and it’s an absolute joy to photograph a family on the King’s Road during Christmas. So many lights and beautiful decorations!
We started our family documentary session at home. Alessandra and Marc welcomed me in their gorgeous apartment and their photoshoot was one of the most relaxed ones I’ve ever had. We spent a good hour at home and I was able to capture some adorable and intimate family moments.
Their baby boy loved the shoot and was completely obsessed with my camera, daddy’s water bottle, and his own reflection. :-)
Alessandra planned a really good walk from their apartment to Sloane Square, so I managed to capture the Christmas spirit by photographing them against some lovely colourful shop windows and lots and lots of Christmas lights.
The park located next to the Saatchi Gallery is the perfect spot for some great outdoor shots. The entrance to the park was beautifully decorated which made the perfect background for some stunning “Christmassy” unposed family portraits.
I might have to wait a bit longer until I can resume my indoor sessions, but I’m positive 2021 will be filled with lots of lovely family photoshoots. Happy New Year everyone!
Unfortunately, with the new Lockdown restrictions and London being in Tier 2, I can no longer photograph families indoors. The good news is that I can still do my outdoor family photoshoots and with the beautiful Autumn colours currently all around us, this is the perfect time to photograph families outside.
Parks like Peckham Rye park or Dulwich park are great outdoor locations for a family photoshoot. I love the Sexby Garden and the Japanese garden in Peckham Rye park. I did a mini photo session there last week, and the trees are absolutely gorgeous at the moment!
I often start my Slice of Life family sessions at home, but I always try to go outside with the family as well. The playground is another fab outdoor location for a documentary family photographer. It’s perfect for lots of action shots when you are photographing slightly older children.
Apart from the park and the playground, outdoor locations for a family photo session can be found anywhere. I love the colourful graffiti walls in Peckham Rye, great background material for fun family portraits. I did a lovely on ”on location shoot” in Peckham a couple of weeks ago.
Whether it’s a mini photoshoot in the park you’re after or a two hour “on location shoot”, if you book your outdoor family photo session now there’s still plenty of time to get your photos printed before Christmas. Don’t wait too long though!
