Photography in Finsbury Park and Queens Wood
Baby photography at home in Crouch End, and outdoors in Queens Wood and Crouch End Open Space
It’s been lovely photographing some local babies this year, and I was thrilled when I was contacted to photograph a beautiful four-month-old baby in Finsbury Park recently. The family love the local area and were keen for some outdoor baby photographs in Queens Wood and Crouch End Open Space, as well as some photographs in their beautiful home.
I’ve been photographing families, including a great many babies, for over twenty years, working in a natural, documentary style in black and white. I’m a Canon Ambassador, but what I love most is exactly this kind of morning: no posing, no pressure, just a family doing what they’d normally do together.
It’s been a lovely autumn this year, and it was a beautiful day when I made my way down the hill from Crouch End to meet the family. I was welcomed by a smiling baby, the most beautiful greyhound and a happy daddy who had the kettle on ready for making coffee while mum finished getting ready. It was a lovely, relaxed vibe, and I knew I was going to have a brilliant day.
Finsbury Park and Queens Wood baby photo shoot – at a glance
Location
Family home in Finsbury Park, then Queens Wood and Crouch End Open Space, London
Session type
Baby photography, four months old
Family
Mum, dad, baby and their greyhound, Pogo
Time of year
Autumn
Style
Documentary with portraits, black and white, natural light
Setting
At home, then outdoors in ancient woodland
Starting at home
Before the session we had exchanged a few emails about things to do, and I had suggested the parents think about all the things they love to do together as a family: the little rituals that really sum up their lives at the moment, things they would look back on and have memories attached to. This way the pictures have such an authentic feel, and will be the kinds of activities they will be able to discuss with their baby when he’s older: “we used to sit on the bed with you on weekend mornings, all of us together reading stories”. I wish I knew what Saturday mornings looked like when I was only four months old. Isn’t it lovely to think that this little one will know.
So pyjamas and chilling on the bed was the best way to start the day. Superworm is the favourite book of the moment, and it was great to include that in our pictures. There’s so much in the little details that I find so precious.
Downstairs play
When photographing little ones at home, I often like to move around the house a bit, taking in different spaces and finding the light. Different rooms have different vibes, and you will always get a really different type of image in a bedroom or in the sitting room. It’s nice to have both, to make use of all the spaces in the house.
The sitting room was beautiful, really elegantly decorated and with such a lovely relaxing vibe. We were to play in here a bit more at the end of the session, but at this point we took a few shots in the window seat and sitting on the sofa.
Naptime and a trip to Queens Wood
Four-month-old babies are a joy to photograph. It’s such a smiley age, and I love how they can lift their heads up when lying on their tummies, as seen in the picture on the bed. It is a time, though, when naps can be unpredictable, and little and often was the order of the day: sneaky cat naps to recharge between bursts of pictures.
As the little one was clearly getting tired, we popped him in his car seat and headed out to nearby Queens Wood. He could have a quick snooze in the car, and we could find a great new location for our baby and family photographs.
I love Queens Wood. It’s one of my favourite locations in London for baby and family photographs, not least because it’s close to home and a place I know very well from walks and runs. I was amazed to be shown some new corners on this photo shoot. It goes to show that no matter how much I think I’ve explored a place, there’s always something new to find.
Baby and dog photographs
The dog, Pogo, was a huge part of this baby and family photo shoot in Finsbury Park and Queens Wood. I always love it when we have dogs on photo shoots. They add in a lovely extra element, are always so photogenic, and there is something marvellous about the interaction of children and their pets that I love to see.
They interacted so beautifully, and I know this will be a friendship that will be so important to them both over the coming years.
Light and environment
Queens Wood and Crouch End Open Space are such beautiful spots, and the wonderful ancient woodland makes for an amazing location for family photography. We had soft autumn light for most of the day, which gives such a beautiful look to the pictures.
The little one was so inquisitive, looking around at everything: leaves, animals, trees, all the bounty that nature provides.
Back home for a few final shots
We finished with a few final pictures back at home, as we hadn’t taken any of the little one playing on his playmat, which is a real favourite activity. Often with little ones, it’s these little bursts of activity between feeds and naps, and an extra twenty minutes doing a different thing is always worth it at the end of a shoot. The more different activities we do, the more different pictures we have, and my aim is always to create the most interesting and unique set of photographs for my clients.
Frequently asked questions
Four months is a particularly lovely stage. Babies are often smiley, alert and can lift their heads during tummy time, while still being small enough to photograph easily on a bed or playmat.
Both, and I find the combination works beautifully. Home gives us the everyday rituals and favourite corners of a family’s life, while a nearby park or woodland, like Queens Wood here, adds light, space and a lovely change of scene.
That’s completely normal, and we simply work around it. Babies of this age often take several short naps, so I build the session around little and often, using those awake bursts for pictures and letting naps happen when they need to.
Absolutely, I love including pets whenever a family has them. The interaction between a baby and their dog or cat often produces some of the most natural and joyful images of the whole session.
I’d recommend booking as early as you can, particularly in autumn. This time of year gets busy quickly with families wanting photographs before the Christmas deadline, so early enquiries have the best choice of dates.
Nothing complicated. I usually ask parents in advance to think about the everyday rituals and activities they love doing together, whether that’s story time, playmat time or a favourite walk, as these tend to make the most meaningful and authentic photographs.
If you have liked what you have seen on the blog today and would like to book a baby and family photo shoot for your child, then do get in touch. Autumn is getting very busy indeed, but I have a few remaining spaces before the Christmas deadline.
Drop me a message via the contact form, or send me an email or give me a call. I’d love to hear from you, and together we can plan the perfect photo shoot for your family.
