Blog
Mar 09

Choosing where to have my photo shoot

Choosing where to have your photo shoot

You may have somewhere that jumps to mind straight away, perhaps somewhere special to you as a family and maybe somewhere that you often go for walks or days out.  Some families try to plan their shoot around your Childs birthday or your favourite season.  Here are some of my favourite places….

The Forest

Regardless of the season there are always rich colours providing a vibrant backdrop.  Benches, bridges and trees are all great for framing shots. A little bit of water will add a little extra magic too. My favourite spots include; Moors Valley, Arne, Kingston Lacy & Puttles Bridge in the New Forest.

Puddle splashing, river paddling and feeding the ducks make for perfect natural photo opps.  Forest sessions tend to be a little more active as we will often walk to a few different locations. I can suggest somewhere buggy friendly if needed.

Sunlight peaking through the leaves is ideal all year round with the trees offering great shade in summer. The low light of autumn and winter is particularly beautiful too.  I am an early riser so can usually start a shoot from 9am.

Outfit Tips

Go with the season…. accessorise for autumn and winter so bring on the bobble hats, scarves and wellies.  In summer keep it neutral or add in a pop of colour and keep feet bare for river paddling. Casual and comfortable is key to looking relaxed. I always try to save the messy play shots for last so no need to stress.

The Beach

Grassy sand dunes, rustic wooden steps and of-course beach huts add gorgeous texture and create perfect framing opportunities for your shots. Even on the busiest of days we can always find quiet areas. My favourites include; Hengistbury Head, Sandbanks, and Avon Beach.

The more you and your children feel relaxed the better the experience and photos will be. I encourage children to explore, play and have fun. Ending the shoot with paddling & ice cream is always encouraged!

I always suggest 1-2 hours for your shoot as this gives the children enough time to feel relaxed with me. I can make any time of day work for your photographs but the best times are early evening sunset shoots when the sun is low as it gives a soft golden light which is just magical. It can also be cooler in summer months for little ones. Alternatively I can work around meal times so around 9:30 am & 2pm are popular with lots of families.

Outfit Tips

Neutral outfits work really well at the beach but adding a splash of colour can look awesome too. Just be sure to avoid too many patterns, slogans and black rarely looks good in photographs.

Flowers

These shoots are some of my absolute favourite purely because of the stunning COLOURS. If you have heard of/seen somewhere special just let me know and I am sure we can make it work.

Bluebells

Around April many woods get covered in a blanket of bluebells. There are popular spots as well as hidden gems around Dorset. They feel very magical and make great spots for relaxed photos and picnics.

Wildflower

Wildflower patches pop up all over Bournemouth & Poole around July/August. A tiny patch can make a gorgeous spot for pics… this centre photo was taken in a
very unglamorous spot next to a roundabout!

Sunflowers 

In late August to September there are some epic sunflower fields locally. They are such fun for children to play in as they meander through the stems.

Outfit Tips

Here you can really experiment with colour as the location is fun so bright cheerful colours will always work.  Just make sure that you avoid too many patterns and try not to choose clashing colours to natures backdrop.

I hope you found this helpful & thanks for reading!

Emma x

 

 

 

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1 Comment

  1. Liz
    March 9, 2020 at 4:44 pm · Reply

    Fabulous! And so helpful, x

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