Extended Family Photo Shoot in Kew
Helen Bartlett is a London family photographer with over 20 years’ experience and a Canon Ambassador since 2017, photographing families across London and further afield in a natural, black and white documentary style. This post is a sneak preview from an extended family photo shoot in Kew, West London, celebrating a grandmother’s birthday across three generations.
A three generation family celebration in Kew, West London, marking a grandmother’s birthday with games, laughter, and the everyday joy of being together.
Session at a glance
Kew, West London
Extended family photography (three generations)
Grandparents, parents and children, birthday celebration, hide and seek, model planes
Natural, documentary, lifestyle, relaxed, black and white
A morning session
Helen Bartlett, Canon Ambassador, 20+ years’ experience, award winning
A fun family day in Kew with grandparents
I was so excited for this session that I did recently, an extended family portrait shoot in Kew in West London. I’d been contacted about it earlier in the summer and, from the first messages over WhatsApp and then later emails, I had such a good feeling about it. I could tell it would be a session that I would really enjoy and I wasn’t disappointed, we spent a brilliant morning together and I’m thrilled with the photographs.
The brief was an extended family photo shoot to celebrate the grandmother’s birthday. A treat to record everyone getting together, as some family members live abroad, and to just celebrate the everyday moments and the joy of spending time together with people we love.
So with two grandparents, two brothers, one with his wife and children too, we set out for a morning of fun, laughter and photos.
Grandparents and grandchildren in Kew
It was grandparents and grandchildren we were really celebrating on this session, and I loved how everyone leaned into the fun of games with the children. Hide and seek was a real favourite, there were some amazing moments of dancing which I’m looking forward to sharing with the family (there are so many images I love it was hard making a selection for the blog), and there were also some wonderful model planes, those tiny ones I remember from my own childhood which were a brilliant and entertaining prop. A game of catch, a tickle with a twig, there was so much fun to be had, and I made sure to take a picture of the grandparents together too, so many images to treasure.
BrothersÂ
Brother’s were also a big theme for the day on this family photo shoot in Kew with both generations of siblings clearly getting on so well. As an aunt myself, I really celebrate the uncle/aunt relationship, and it was wonderful to see nephews and uncle getting on so well throughout the session.
I love how the young boys laughed together and headed off into adventures, holding hands as they walked along the sun dappled paths. For the older ‘boys’ it was a posed photo, arms around each other, that I love. Both smiling for the camera in a lovely moment of togetherness.
Parents and children together in Kew
Of course, parents and children are important too and it was so fun to take both eyes to the camera shots of everyone together but also the relaxed playful photographs which are often my favourites.
Games galore on a family photo shoot
This was a session full of fun and games and love and laughter. It was a joy to spend time with everyone and a real privilege to be part of such a wonderful birthday celebration.
Frequently asked questions about extended family photography in Kew
Yes, extended family sessions are some of my favourite to photograph, and Kew in West London is a wonderful setting for them. Bringing grandparents, parents and children together for a joint celebration like a birthday makes for a really special morning.
I find games are the answer every time. Hide and seek, a tickle with a twig, a couple of model planes, all give everyone something to do together rather than posing for the camera, and the best photographs usually come from those in between moments.
Absolutely, and this session is a lovely example. It began as a way to mark a grandmother’s birthday and to bring family members together who live abroad, and the photographs became about celebrating that time together rather than a formal record of the day.
I love photographing sibling relationships across generations, and this session included two brothers as adults alongside two young boys. Seeing those family patterns of shared fun is one of my favourite parts of extended family photography.
I usually spend a full morning on my photo shoot, which gives everyone time to settle in, play some games, and relax in front of the camera without feeling rushed. It also means we can capture both posed and candid moments.
Is this the right session for your family?
This kind of session suits extended families celebrating a birthday, reunion or another special occasion, especially if you have grandparents, siblings, or family visiting from abroad and want to mark the time together with natural, documentary photographs rather than a formal group portrait. I photograph families across London and the UK in this relaxed style, and I would love to hear from you if this sounds like the right fit.
Book your family photo shoot now
If you have enjoyed this blog post and would like to arrange an extended family photo shoot to celebrate a birthday, reunion, or another special occasion, then do get in touch. As a Canon Ambassador with over 20 years’ experience photographing families across London, I have some availability in the coming months, so do drop me a line via the contact form and together we can plan the perfect celebration for your family.
I can’t wait to see which images are everyone’s favourites when the family have seen the full gallery. In the meantime I hope you all enjoy this sneak preview from an extended family photography session in Kew in West London.
