How to choose great family photography locations
Today I am talking about how to choose great family photography locations and why it’s so important to get this right! Whether you are planning to book a professional photoshoot or want to take photographs of your family yourself, this post gives you some pointers on what to think about when choosing your location.
A key part of creating beautiful and natural outdoor portraits, is using beautiful and natural locations for the background of your session. The location really can transform your images from ordinary photographs to extraordinary portraits, you will want to hang on your wall!
1. Choose a location with good light
One of the most important factors in photography is the quality and positioning of light. As a natural light photographer, I am always searching for good light, in fact it’s become a bit of an obsession wherever I go! But what do photographers actually mean by the term good light? It’s a bit of a balancing act, it’s places with enough ambient light to light the subject, but not so much light that they are in direct sunlight. This is because direct sunlight can be very harsh and unflattering and creates shadows around the eyes and under the chin. To find the illusive good light, you need to find locations which have open shade…..
2. What exactly is open shade?
- Open shade means your subjects are shaded from any direct sunlight and instead are covered from head to toe in ambient light which is soft and even.
- Open shade is any area in shadow where you can still see the sky when looking up.
- When positioning your subject in open shade, look for a line on the ground where the shade finishes and the sunlight starts. Position them in the open shade, near the edge of the line, so their face is lit by the ambient light.
When looking for locations with open shade, I look for trees, bushes, statues or buildings casting large shadows. Using locations with open shade means my families will have even, soft, flattering light on their faces, which makes for wonderful family portraits. Photographers also use open shade to enable them to photograph people at different times of the day, even when the sun is overhead.
3. Pick somewhere your family feels comfortable
Picking a location that works well for you and your family is key. If your family like the location and feel happy there, this will be reflected in the photographs. When choosing locations, I am not only thinking about what will look beautiful on camera, but where families will feel relaxed and comfortable. Choosing a location that allows you to have fun together as a family, somewhere which it is safe, away from traffic and gives your children space to play and explore, is always a winner. Sometimes it’s as simple as ensuring the location is close to your home so your children don’t get too tired and fed up while travelling there. The location helps add something extra special to the overall experience of the photoshoot, whether it’s climbing on tree trunks, exploring in the woods, or roaming around on the beach. The location allows it to be less about the photoshoot and more about having a lovely time with your family.
4. Pick a location with a variety of backgrounds
Choosing a location that has a variety of backgrounds, with different scenery and textures, will really improve the variety and quality of your photographs. You don’t have to walk miles to do this either, sometimes just moving someone a couple of feet, or changing the camera angle will completely change the look and feel of the photograph. The four images here, are all taken in the same location. They are all within a few metres of each other, but as you can see, the backgrounds are all very different. When I find a location, I do a recce and find the areas I want to use for each portrait – these become my background sets. I am looking for backgrounds which provide a variety of textures, moods and scenery. Whether in a beautiful park, or a trading estate, it is my role as the photographer to seek out the right background for your portrait. I look for backgrounds that will be aesthetically pleasing that help to elevate my families and make them the star of the photograph. Think of the background like the mount of a painting, it is there to frame the image. It should add something to the image, but not distract you by being too busy. Ultimately the background is there to draw the eye to the most important bit, which of course is you!
5. My favourite outdoor location
When photographing outdoors my favourite location in London is Richmond Park. I love photographing there because it is so vast, has such a variety of backgrounds and most importantly, it has deer! I grew up in Wiltshire and I’m a country girl at heart. So I often find I seek out spaces in London, that bring me back to nature and remind me of home.
The first time I went to Richmond Park, I couldn’t get over how big it was and what a feeling of freedom and space there was, while still being in London. I have spent a decade exploring it and to this day I still find new spots. I love both of these locations for photography because there is a richness of nature; wooded areas, ponds, open parkland and more formal gardens.
Being able to see deer in both Richmond Park and Bushey Park is such a treat and it’s always a real bonus if I can incorporate them into some of my portraits. It’s a great game to play with children too, to see who can spot the herd of Deer first 
As I’ve touched on, location plays a big part in the look and feel of your photographs. From the light, to the way the place makes your family feel, to the aesthetic and mood it creates in the image. Whether you are booking a professional session or taking some photographs yourself, if you have a location in mind use the the tips above to start to think about whether it’s the type of location that will work well for your photography session. Does it have varied and beautiful backgrounds? Is it safe and away from traffic? Are there quiet spots with less people? Do you and your family enjoy being there? Does it have open shade? You’ll be amazed the difference it can make, once you start intentionally choosing locations for your family photographs! If you are booking a session with a professional photographer, then they will be able to guide you through picking a location and will always have lots of recommendations for great spots that they love to use and know work well.
Have fun!
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