Family Portraits- is there a 'best time'?

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It seems to have been the season of family portrait updates! It always amazing me how my work comes in clusters of either corporate, wedding, interiors or portraits. But this passed month or two it's been all about family shots. It may be due to the fact I photographed many of them a few years ago, and they change so quickly that one morning they appear in skin tight pyjamas, a mouth full of braces and and a few pimples and we think....'oh no....my baby has gone and I need to capture this new creature living in our house.' Teenage portraits are a whole lot harder than toddler portraits too, just getting them there is challenge and as for cracking a smile...well?!

There is no perfect time, you can wait till braces are off, bruises have gone, or the bad haircut grows out....but really why wait? It is what it is and we should capture all things whether good, bad or ugly. It's a moment in time you don't want to forget...so stop waiting.

PS...Photoshop will cure all bad acne!

Autumn Portraits....the perfect light to capture your kids at play.

in

I often get inundated with family portraits just before Christmas, which is understandable, but not always ideal. Autumn is the best time to grab your camera, brush that unruly hair and get outside. The harsh summer sun has dipped just enough to give us soft hazy light and a warm afternoon glow. Your kids probably still have a sun-kissed complexion, from a summer spent on the beach, and hopefully an hours worth of co-operation!!

Early morning or late afternoon, are the best times to shoot portraits, but if the sun is still high then seek out some shade. My favourite spots would be a large tree, an old verandah, or inside near a window with plenty of natural light. I'm not a huge fan of dressing your children in all white or blue, however, soft colour are usually more flattering. Let them get messy and be themselves, you want to capture candid moments and not forced grimacing smiles. 

As I often say, "it's the small moments that leave big impressions" so less direction and more observation.