Baby Photography at Bishops Park and Fulham Palace

Helen Bartlett is a London-based family and baby photographer with over 20 years’ experience and a Canon Ambassador since 2017, specialising in natural, documentary-style black and white photography. This post shares a sneak preview from a summer baby photo shoot at Bishops Park and Fulham Palace, photographing a nine-month-old boy enjoying bubbles, books, and exploring the world around him.

A summer baby photo shoot at Bishops Park and Fulham Palace, with bubbles and wisteria in the early morning light, tummy time in the long grass, and cosy stories at home.

I was thrilled to be booked for this baby photo shoot at Bishops Park. I love visiting this part of Fulham, as I always really enjoy the sessions I do there. As an area it has such a relaxed vibe and such lovely people. Add to this the session was booked to photograph a nine-month-old baby, my favourite age for baby photography, and I was super excited for this session.

Nine months is a delightful age for baby photography. Little ones have so much personality, are sitting up steadily, and are full of smiles and laughter. It gives us so many opportunities for beautiful photographs.

It’s the joy of the age though that really makes it so much fun: little ones who are full of wonder, always seeing new things and new experiences, with everything exciting. I find that so inspiring. There’s nothing like seeing a baby sit on the grass, exploring the world and textures around them, to remind me to look a little closer at nature and remember what a wonderful place the world is.

I’m also reminded of what a wonderful world we live in when I see the interactions between parents and children – looks full of love and laughter. There is nothing like the way a child looks at their parent, or a parent looks at a child. It’s love in its purest form, and it’s a privilege to photograph it.

Bubbles and Wisteria at Bishops Park

Working around little ones’ nap times, when there is a mid-morning sleep, means we pack a lot of different things into a short period of time. Arriving at Bishops Park a little after 8, we had a lovely slot for some portraits before naptime beckoned. London’s parks are always at their best first thing, empty and tranquil and always worth getting up early for. The light was wonderful, and in this hot weather we’ve had recently it was great to be up and out before the day warmed up too much.

We had such a lovely time playing with bubbles, flying through the air, and exploring the stunning wisteria at Fulham Palace. He was such a cheerful little boy and a real joy to photograph.

Tummy Time in the Long Grass

After a nap for the little one, and a coffee and pastry for the grown-ups, we did a few more pictures at the park. Finding a patch of shade, we laid the little one down for a bit of tummy time and some exploring. I love how delighted he looks as he reaches out for the long grass to play with.

Enjoying time with his parents and playing together, there were so many opportunities for beautiful family photographs.

Home Play with Toys and a Baby Walker

It’s been hot recently, and so by mid-morning it was time to get back into the cool of the house for some indoor shots. With little ones I always love to do some indoor pictures, both because it’s nice to see them in their own environment, and because these are images that will have so many memories attached. He clearly loves his walker, and was so happy scooting around the wooden floor, learning the freedom of being up on his feet before he is yet able to walk. I love pictures like this because, in years to come, when he looks at his album with his parents, they will be able to tell him about this time – what he enjoyed doing and how much fun they had together.

This beautiful home was adorned by an incredible mirror, which really opened up the space and which was fascinating to my little subject, as he chattered happily to his own reflection, making all the adults smile.

Storytime and Beautiful Natural Light

Books are one of my favourite things, both photographically and personally, and I love seeing little ones enjoy a story. It’s also wonderful to see children enjoy books as objects: something to play with, to hold, and occasionally to eat. I think this happy familiarity can only be a wonderful thing when it comes to a lifelong enjoyment of books and the stories they contain.

The master bedroom, where we settled for some stories, had the most wonderful light, as is so often the case in these stunning west London terraces. Big windows gave soft light when facing away from the sun, which is perfect for portraits, but also allowed for some wonderful dramatic backlighting, which I absolutely love.

Book Your Family Photo Shoot Now

This was a wonderful baby photo shoot, and I’m thrilled with the pictures and can’t wait to share the full selection with the family in due course.

If you have enjoyed what you have seen on the blog today and would like to arrange your own family photo shoot this summer, then do get in touch via the contact form. I’d love to hear from you and photograph your family soon.

This session will suit families with a baby around the nine-month mark who want a relaxed mix of outdoor and at-home photography, capturing this fleeting, joyful stage before their little one is on the move. I’m based in London and photograph families across Fulham, Bishops Park, and the wider city, as well as further afield in the UK. If a morning of bubbles, wisteria, and cosy stories at home sounds right for your family, I’d love to plan a session with you.