Family Photo Shoot in Clapham SW4
South West London family portrait photographer
I’ve been spending a lot of time in Clapham SW4 recently taking family photos. Clapham is one of my favourite locations for children and family portraits with a wonderful combination of beautiful homes and, of course, the amazing Clapham Common.
This session was great fun taking in a lot of outdoor play and some pictures inside in my client’s stunning home. It’s always good to have a mix of indoor and outdoor pictures when the weather allows as the variety is wonderful in the final set of family photos.
Portraits and action shots
Over the course of a morning, I aim to take a wide variety of photographs for my clients, from portraits to action shots, as together they tell the full family story.
We started at home with a couple of quick pictures before we headed out. This gave me the chance to have a quick cup of coffee (as I start at 8am and it’s a bit of a journey from my North London home), and for the kids to get used to me and the cameras before we hit the park.
I love this shot of the children together on the sofa in the kitchen, relaxed happy faces as we discussed the day and I could see them realising that we were going to have fun and it wouldn’t be boring, it wouldn’t be boring at all!
Table tennis
Heading towards Clapham Common our first activity presented itself as there was a table tennis area. A game is a great way to start the day particularly with slightly older children as they can relax into things and have fun.
We had a brilliant time, and I love the joy on their faces as they battle to win points against their parents.
From here we headed towards the main common…
The Avenue
As we walked, I’m constantly looking around, I’m trying to find good backdrops, compositional opportunities, good light, places that will work well for games and for some family group shots. Constantly looking is essential for me as a photographer because what we will find at the park varies from day to day, with ever changing light and the challenges of other park users.
It was a very bright day – this amazing weather has been wonderful over Easter – and so I was keeping an eye out for shade and soft light for my images.
The avenue of trees was a perfect opportunity, and I love the shots I’ve taken there.
Working with the light
One of the things I love most about being a location-based family photographer ist hat I’m not bringing artificial light with me when I’m out and about. I’m working with what the day offers and creating images that utilise the light in different ways. From the silhouette of the favourite climbing tree which opens this blog post, to the back light used for a game of cricket, working with the sunshine is enormous fun.
When we got to the bandstand the shadows add to the composition echoing the architecture of the bandstand itself for a really joyful, yet complex, composition.
The playground
No family photoshoot would be complete without a quick trip to the playground, it’s always a treat for the children and even if we are only there for ten minutes there are always some wonderful opportunities for pictures as the children play.
Indoor pictures to finish the session
By this time everyone was beginning to get tired, so we headed home for a drink and a snack and a few indoor images to finish the day.
A game of chess was so fun to watch as a battle of wits was played out on the board. The concentration was amazing, and these pictures are the kind that will have so many memories in days to come. For the ladies it was Dobble, a game that I love and, at which I was thoroughly beaten by the kids, as I couldn’t resist joining in the final round. I clearly need to practice!
Indoors and outdoors, quiet moments and joyful activity, sports and games and fun. It was a brilliant morning from start to finish and the kids were so much fun to photograph. I’m thrilled with the images and can’t wait to share the full set with the family soon.
Book a family photo shoot in 2025
If you have enjoyed the photographs here on the blog today and would like to find out more, then do explore my website. You can see portfolios of different ages – families, younger children, and teenagers as well as newborns and babies or even browse my growing up galleries and see children over the years from tiny newborn to teenagers and beyond.
I hope you will like what you see. If you would like to arrange your own family photo shoot this year or find out more about it then do drop me a message via my contact form and tell me a bit about your family. Then, together, we can plan the perfect family photo shoot for you this spring.
