Absolutely. The location of your shoot is up to you. I divide my shooting time between Nottingham and London. Your local park, your home or your favourite café would all make for a great location.
This is the most common question I am asked before a session. With family sessions I would suggest that you come to the session wearing what you intend to be photographed in. There is not much time during a family session for outfit changes. However you can bring some accessories such as hats and scarves, and perhaps a spare jacket for a second look.
Scarves, hats, flowers in the hair for girls, jewellery, sweaters, vests, jackets, etc. – all these things can take a ho-hum image and make it feel “complete”. Don’t let the accessories overwhelm the subject or the photos though. I believe that especially with sweet babies and toddlers that they don’t need much in the way of “accessories” … they are beautiful in their simple purity, and I want them to be the star of the show instead of making one’s eye go straight to a giant headband as big as their head as they sit awkwardly in a big bucket. I want the viewer to notice my subject and their personality first … the accessories and clothing should just complement them – not be centre stage.
Here are a few guidelines for clothing choices that should help.
Trey and avoid big logos on tops that will be distracting. Yes, your little one may love their Toy Story shirt but you may want to skip it for the family photo session. Just like patterns, characters on shirts can be pretty distracting. Avoid totally white or totally black clothes. If you are wearing an all white shirt then it is very easy to blow out parts of your shirt causing it to loose its detail. Same can be said with all black, it’s easy to have clipping on black clothing and the detail is lost. Jeans are always good and can be mixed with just about anything. Layers of clothes tend to photograph the best as it gives depth and texture to an image. Hats are always a good choice and give the photograph another dimension. A chunky necklace is great and photographs nicely. If you or your children have very distinct eye color, clothing that matches that eye colour looks really good.
If you are coming for a family shoot and are struggling to find just the outfit for the day then try this… find a dress or top with a pattern for one family member. This usually works best with one of the children in the family. Then dress the rest of the family from the colours in that pattern. You will end up with a nice colour palette of outfits while avoiding all wearing the same colour and looking too uniform.
Think classic. These photos will be hanging on your walls and treasured for years to come. By choosing simple, classic clothes you will help give your images a timeless feel.
For further clothing ideas please visit our Pinterest board where you will find lots of sample photos.
Approximately 14 days after your shoot I will email you a link and password to your personal on-line gallery where you will be able to view the images from your shoot. Please feel free to share this link with friends and family. Your gallery will remain live for 2 weeks. During those 2 weeks you may place your order on-line using the shopping cart feature that is connected to your gallery. After 2 weeks your gallery will no longer be available.
I will begin to process your order as soon as they are received and payment has been made. Prints typically take 1 week to come in from the Lab once we place the order; please allow a few extra days during holidays.
3 months from the date of your session your images will be archived. You will always be able to come back to Nottingham Family Portraits to order additional prints, however, there will be a minimum order requirement of £150. So please be sure to include prints for Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles when you place your original order.
Your gallery will only be active for 2 weeks, during which time I will accept any orders. After 2 weeks your gallery is no longer available and you will not be able to place any orders after that time.
If you have not received a link and password for your on-line gallery your photos may not be ready to view. Please allow up to 2 weeks to receive your on-line gallery details. You may check the blog (and Facebook page) during that time to see sneak peaks from your session.
If your questions weren’t answered here please don’t hesitate to call or email me.
I would love to get you more information to help you make the best decisions for you and your family. As a parent of two, I know all too well the importance of documenting children’s lives. Blink and they’ll be all grown up!
The photos are beautiful, better than we could have ever imagined! Thank you so much! You've captured Nancy just as we see her, and that's exactly what we wanted. It's going to be almost impossible to choose which to put on the wall. We are so pleased, thank you.
We have been very happy with your service and the way everything has been handled. Your helpful suggestions and attention to detail have been excellent, and the fact that we have received the photographs so quickly is another plus. We shall certainly be recommending you to any friends who are looking for a photographer for that "special" occasion, and will keep you in mind for any of our future photographic needs.
Having a family photo shoot at the park was fantastic! The children thought it was great fun and were very relaxed with Mamad who got some lovely, natural shots of all of us. Everyone who has seen the photos loves them.
Mamad took some wonderful pictures of our family. Our kids were relaxed throughout the session (inspite of a cold day!). He knew how to put them at ease so the kids look naturally on the photos. They laughed and cuddled and for them it was all about fun. We would truly recommend Mamad to anyone who needs a family photographer.