Rainy day photoshoot with teenagers in Kensington

I’ve been regularly photographing this wonderful family for fifteen years now. Our first session – back in 2008 was a glorious warm day in Holland Park in West London and my tiny subject was a total delight, laughing and toddling around on her little legs. Fast forward in time and we’re discussion where she hopes to study medicine – here or in the US – and her plans for the future. I’m sure it will be a wonderful future for such a fun, intelligent and joyful young lady. It was a pleasure to photograph her with her brilliant and hilarious younger siblings.

We had a wonderful time for our photo shoot this year, as we always do. It’s a high point of my summer seeing this family, catching up on the news, and laughing my way through a fun packed morning. We always have such a good day.

This year, as has often been the case with the summer of 2023, we had a mix of rain and shine. I read somewhere it was the wettest July in fourteen years and I can well believe it. But that’s never an issue and it was lovely to have an indoor element to our family photo shoot after fifteen years of sunny days in London’s beautiful parks.

Indoor the kids were so relaxed – chilling on the sofas (and jumping on the beds). You can immediately see how close they are as siblings as they lean into each other, laughing and having fun together.

Of course, it didn’t rain all morning, it’s very rare that it does, and so we managed to get out and about a bit too. Our first forey into the fresh air was the balcony where the wind whipped round around creating such a lively portrait with hair flying everywhere.

Then, after another rain shower, we went out to the tiny garden at the bottom of the apartment complex for a run around. It’s amazing how little space you need to have fun and how the old games – chase in particular – remain such good fun and result in such lively portraits.

Our final outdoor location, after sheltering from another rain shower, was a tiny local playground. It’s unusual for me to find a playground in London I’ve never been to but this little one was completely new to me and had a surprising amount to do for its tiny size. Swings are always a high point and I love how the kids jump off them, leaping into the air at the highest point and flying confidently to the ground.

It was such a fun shoot from start to finish and I’m already looking forward to next year and seeing what everyone has been up to – a YouTube empire perhaps – I know whatever they have been doing it will be brilliant. Inspirational kids all round, I can’t wait to see them again soon.

If you have liked what you have seen on the blog today and would like to book your own session this year, then do get in touch via the contact form. I’d love to hear from you and together we can create some wonderful memories for your family.