Family Photo Shoot in Mill Hill, North West London
Helen Bartlett is a London-based family photographer with over 20 years’ experience, a Canon Ambassador, and one of the UK’s most decorated family photographers. She photographs families at home, in the garden, and in local parks across Mill Hill NW7 and the surrounding areas of North West London, including Totteridge, Finchley and Hampstead Garden Suburb. This blog post is a sneak preview from a summer garden and swimming pool family photo shoot in Mill Hill with a long-standing client family, now in their seventh year of sessions together.
A summer family photo shoot in a Mill Hill garden, featuring pool play, bubbles, and wildflower borders, photographed by Helen Bartlett, Canon Ambassador and North West London family photographer.
Mill Hill family Photo shoot session at a glance
Mill Hill NW7, North West London
Family garden and swimming pool photography (returning client, seventh session)
At home, in the garden and by the pool
Summer
Garden games, bubbles, wildflower borders, above and underwater pool photography
Natural, documentary, lifestyle, black and white
A morning session, with lunch to follow
Helen Bartlett, Canon Ambassador, 20+ years’ experience
Welcome to my blog and I hope you will enjoy todays post about a recent family photo shoot in Mill Hill.
My favourite thing in all the world is when clients become friends. I’m so lucky that I work with my clients long term and so many of them become so special to me, people who I really look forward to seeing and whose sessions are highpoints of my year.
This is the case with this wonderful family who I have photographed seven times now and whose annual session is one I look forward to so much, we always have such a great time. Our summer session was no exception, a brilliant morning that segued into a relaxed lunch and chatting by the pool. No rush, just hanging out with friends knowing that we had a truly special set of images under our belts to add to the ever-growing gallery on the wall.
This was a fantastic session and I’m already looking forward to next year.
Planning a summer photo shoot
It’s always such fun to plan a photo shoot, to work out some activities and have an idea what we might do, always knowing that the kids might take us in some new directions or the action will swerve to a different game. I love this about spending time with children and how it interacts with my work. I might have a few ideas of things we might do but I never know at the beginning of the day what my morning will hold.
We decided for this session that we would stay at home for the photo shoot, the garden is just wonderful and there were lots of different things we planned to do. Add to that there is a pool and we were all keen for some water play to celebrate the summer. I hadn’t done any underwater work in a while: clients need their own pools, so it’s not something I get to do that often. It’s always such a pleasure when the opportunity arises though and it’s something I’d love to do more of in the future.
The beauty of an English garden
The previous owners of the house had been keen gardeners, and it’s been lovely to hear how wonderful the year has been seeing perennials spring up throughout the garden. It was definitely looking spectacular when I visited, although I hear the wildflower meadow had been even more magical a few weeks before. It must have been incredible, as it was stunning when I visited and I took one of my favourite pictures of the day of the girls standing amidst the plants.
Wildflower meadows like this one are having a real moment, and the RHS has some lovely guidance on creating one if it’s something you fancy trying at home.
Running around
Some of my foremost childhood memories are playing in the garden at home, and I’m sure it will be the same for these girls when they look back on these wonderful years. Running around, chasing each other, playing on the swing, turning cartwheels and enjoying the joy of movement and being outside.
There is a fantastic little path at one side of the garden, and this is just the kind of little place that I’m sure will be so full of memories, a place where they can run and hide and jump and race. What joy to take photos here that the girls can look back on in the future.
Bubbles
Bubbles are one of my favourite things to play with on a photo shoot, particularly one on a very bright day as bubbles look their best when there is some sun around. The light catches and reflects and gives a really high contrast look to an image. Here we had the best conditions, a dark background and backlit by the sun, perfect for stunning images
Garden games
The best thing about working with children is that really and truly anything goes. Kids find the fun in everything and it’s one of the most brilliant things about them. Whether it’s leaping for a stomp rocket (always makes for a wonderful picture), demonstrating an excellent farmer’s carry with dad’s weightlifting set, taking aim with a toy bow and arrow, or a hard-fought game of garden tennis, there is fun everywhere to be found. The more games the better on a family photo shoot as we never know which ones will capture the imagination and draw everyone in.
A cycle ride near home
Before we jumped into the pool, we headed out for a quick bike ride, cycling past some of the pretty old buildings near home. I love including a change of scene like this in a family photo shoot in Mill Hill, even a short ride together as a family says so much about your everyday life, and it meant everyone arrived back at the garden ready for the rest of the day’s adventures.
Swimming pool photographs on a family photo shoot in Mill Hill
Of course, the activity we had all been waiting for, and a great one to do towards the end of the session and just before lunch, was the swimming pool. It was worth the wait and so much fun.
With pool pictures it’s fun to do some on top of the water and some underwater as the images are so different: exciting jumps in and splashing around, and also a few with the children under the water like tiny mermaids gliding to and fro.
From this session I think my favourites are from above the water: jumping in, splashing around, flicking hair with water droplets flying everywhere and glistening in the sunshine. It was perfect conditions for these photographs.
This family photo shoot in Mill Hill was a joyful day from start to finish, a real high point of my summer and one of my favourite photo shoots of the year so far.
I can’t wait to share the full set of images with the family in due course but in the meantime it’s a pleasure to share this sneak preview on the blog today.
About Helen Bartlett
- Professional family photographer since 2003. Over twenty years experience.
- Canon Ambassador since 2017, the only family photographer in the EMEA region to hold this title
- Over 20 years’ experience photographing families across London and the UK, exclusively in black and white
- Recent winner of LuxLife Best Family Photographer UK 2025, and 100 Businesses Best Black and White Family Photographer 2026 multi-award-winning across 20+ years
- Work published nationally and internationally
- Over 400 blog postsdemonstrating the quality and consistency of the work across more than two decades.
- Countless reviews from happy clientsover two decades.
- Many clients return year on year, from their first newborn session through to their children’s teenage years.  You can see some examples in my growing up galleries.
Family photography in Mill Hill and North West London
If you’re based in Mill Hill NW7 or nearby areas such as Totteridge, Finchley, or Hampstead Garden Suburb, I’d love to hear from you. Sessions like this one, whether at home in your garden, by the pool, or out in one of North West London’s parks, are exactly the kind of family photography I love to create. Do take a look at my family photography gallery and the blog for more examples of the style and variety of images I produce.
Do get in touch if you would like to arrange your own family photography session this year. The diary is getting very busy in the autumn but I still have a few weekend slots in September and October, and there is some midweek availability too.
The Christmas print deadlines are early November, so if you are thinking of a session this year then don’t delay, as the next few weeks always fly by and it would be a shame to miss the opportunity.
Drop me a line, we can have a chat about your family, what your kids love to do, and together we could plan the perfect family photo shoot for you.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, I regularly photograph families in Mill Hill NW7 and the surrounding areas of North West London, including Totteridge, Finchley and Hampstead Garden Suburb. I work at your home, in your garden, or in one of the local parks, whichever suits your family best.
Absolutely, some of my favourite sessions happen entirely at home although you do need a big garden for it to work well. A garden you know well gives us space for games, quiet moments, and even a pool if you have one, and it means the pictures reflect the place your family actually spends their time. If you only have a smaller garden or your garden has very little shade, then a park will work better for the outdoor element of your photo shoot.
I do, when a family has their own pool. I photograph both above and below the water, so you end up with a real mix of splashy, joyful jumping-in shots alongside calmer underwater images. It’s one of my favourite things to photograph when the opportunity comes up.
Summer is wonderful for gardens in full bloom and pool play, but I photograph families all year round. Spring gives lovely soft light and fresh growth, while autumn gardens have their own quiet beauty.
I’ve been a professional family photographer since 2003, and many of my clients come back year after year. The family in this post is now on their seventh session with me, and watching children grow up through an annual gallery is one of the real joys of my work. You can see some examples of my family photograph where I have been following families for over two decades in my growing up galleries.
My autumn diary fills up quickly, and the print deadlines for Christmas are in early November, so I’d recommend booking well ahead as I do get booked up.
