Family Photo Shoot in East London Park

It’s been quiet here on the blog this last month, I’ve been enjoying the summer with the kids off school and the opportunities for photo shoots that has given me.  This last month I’ve been lucky enough to photograph so many families – some who are new to me and many who have been returning clients updating their family photos for another year.

I was thrilled when Spacey booked in her fourth photo shoot and even happier when the day dawned warm and dry.  We met in an East London Park to update the family album and catch up on all the news.  Since our first photo shoot back in 2017 I’ve always really looked forward to our sessions, the days are always so relaxed and always involve lots of fun games and running around. They are almost always in parks that are new to me too which is lots of fun and this park was a lovely find with so many opportunities for beautiful pictures.  Arriving nice and early we had the playground to ourselves, and the kids had a brilliant time playing on the different equipment, climbing the netting, reaching new heights on the swings, and showing off their maths skills with the giant abacus.  Playgrounds are one of my favourite places for a photo shoot and I like to include some time in them where possible as they always result in such joyful images with the kids really relaxed and having fun.

From the playground we moved on to explore and play with some of the wonderful toys Spacey had thought to bring with her. A giant bubble wand provided a huge amount of entertainment as the children leaped and bounded around the grass trying to pop the biggest bubbles.  Then a quiet moment with a book allowed me to capture a beautiful family photo in amongst the greenery of this amazing park. I’m always looking for different moods and activities over the course of a photo shoot as I want my pictures to really capture the children’s personalities in all their varied moods.

The best thing for me on this shoot was the discovery of a small, localised flood. When I had woken up after a night of torrential rain I was worried about the damp grass and if mud was going to be an issue. Instead, I was greeted with a fabulous water feature that made for incredible photos and something totally unique, a moment in time that can’t be repeated. The flood would have receded within days, we can never take pictures like this again.

In some situations we wouldn’t have been able to make the most of the situation but with incredible foresight Spacey had bought waterproofs and wellington boots for the children and so they were perfectly placed to enjoy the water. We even had butterfly nets which could be repurposed for fishing for worms – it’s the stuff of childhood dreams.

I also had my waterproofs and my gortex boots did a sterling job and only filled with water towards the end of our paddle. It felt ridiculous to be leaving the house with waterproof trousers and fur lined boots in July but I’m so glad I did; these pictures will make me smile for years to come.

I hope you like them as much as I do, this sneak preview from my recent family photography session in East London.