Spring Family Photo Shoot on Hampstead Heath and Golders Hill Park
Helen Bartlett is a North London-based family photographer with over 20 years’ experience and a Canon Ambassador since 2017, specialising in natural, documentary-style black and white family photography. This post shares a sneak preview from a spring family photo shoot combining Hampstead Heath and Golders Hill Park, photographing two brothers as they explored the Pergola, played in the park, and cooled off with ice cream.
A spring family photo shoot on Hampstead Heath and Golders Hill Park, capturing two brothers at the historic Pergola, in playful portraits, and enjoying ice cream in the sunshine.
Session at a Glance
Hampstead Heath and Golders Hill Park, North London
Family photography, outdoors
Two brothers, a toddler and a young child
The Hampstead Heath Pergola, Golders Hill Park, relaxed play, ice cream
Natural, relaxed, black and white, lifestyle and documentary
Helen Bartlett, Canon Ambassador, Award Winning, 20+ years’ experience
My ninth photo shoot with this lovely North London based family might have been my favourite one yet. I was thrilled when they booked in for a spring session to update their family photos. Even with regular sessions the changes between one photo shoot and the next can be huge when the children are little, and it was amazing to see the little one up on his feet and running around, as he’d been a babe in arms when we’d last taken photos.
For this session though, everyone was up on their feet and full of energy for a wonderful morning on Hampstead Heath and Golders Hill Park, a brilliant combination of locations for our family photos.
Family Photography at the Hampstead Heath Pergola
We started bright and early on this sunny morning, not least because we wanted to visit the Hampstead Heath Pergola, which gets very busy as the day goes on. This amazing structure was part of the private garden of the now demolished manor house owned by William H Lever, later Lord Leverhulme, and was the brainchild of Thomas Mawson, a celebrated landscape architect. It’s a beautiful spot and a wonderful location for family photographs.
Portrait Photographs with Two Brothers
I love the variety of images I get to take over the course of a morning with my clients, and it’s one of the reasons I love to do longer sessions, spending a whole morning with my clients rather than rushing through things in an hour. I feel we need time to relax into the session, get genuine expressions from the kids, and also to have loads of fun.
The types of portraits that we can take over the course of a morning are a wonderful thing, recording quizzical expressions, cheeky grins, and all manner of quiet and excitement as energy levels and activities ebb and flow.
Group pictures are also so important to me and something I ensure to record for all my clients. These don’t have to be formal, looking-at-the-camera images, but it’s so important to have some pictures with everyone in. I love how, when given the chance to relax, families come together to explore, to play, to blow a dandelion clock, all the little things that make up childhood.
Sibling Interactions and Family Bonds
Interactions are another thing I’m always looking for. I love how the touch of a hand, the stroke of a head, the way a little one holds a parent’s arm, all these little details tell us so much and show us love in its purest form. Having these images to look back on when they are older will be such a joy for the boys. Here, in picture form, is the love in their family and the strength of the bonds between them. I know these boys will grow up to be the best of friends, and I love to think of these pictures adorning their walls as adults, reminding them to pick up the phone to each other or get together for a meal. Whatever jobs they do, wherever in the world they live, they will have each other. Siblings are a wonderful thing.
Ice Cream Breaks on a Hot Photo Shoot
It’s been hot recently, with a number of photo shoots seeing the temperature tip over thirty degrees, and it looks like it will be doing that again this coming weekend. These sessions are great fun, but managing the heat is an important part of it. We stick to the shade and fuel with ice cream, the perfect recipe for happy children, a happy photographer (mint choc chip for me please), and wonderful, joyful photos.
Unstructured Park Play to End the Session
We finished with some gentle play in the shade, just chilling out and letting the kids enjoy themselves. By the end of a session, we usually let the action occur around us rather than lead it in any way, as the kids are tired. This unstructured play often leads to wonderful images, as I find different angles and approaches to tell the family story.
Book Your Photo Shoot Now
If you have liked what you have seen on the blog today and would be interested in booking your own family photographysession in 2026, then do get in touch via my contact form. I’d love to hear from you and to meet your family for a joyful morning of fun and photos.
This session will suit families who already know and love natural, relaxed photography, as well as those booking for the first time, especially if you have more than one child and want images that capture their relationship as siblings. I’m based in North London and photograph families across Hampstead, Golders Green, and the wider city, as well as further afield in the UK. Let me know what your family loves to do and where you love to go, I’d love to plan a session with you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, and it’s one of my favourite combinations in North London. The Heath offers woodland, open space, and the historic Pergola, while Golders Hill Park has beautifully kept gardens and play areas, so moving between the two over a morning gives lovely variety in a single session.
Yes, very happily. This was my ninth session with this family, and returning regularly means I get to watch the children grow and capture how quickly things change, especially in the early years.
I plan around the heat wherever I can. We start early, stick to shady spots like the Pergola and the woodland on the Heath, and build in breaks, including the occasional ice cream, to keep everyone comfortable and happy.
A typical session lasts a full morning, from breakfast through to lunch, and includes a real mix of portraits, group shots, and natural, unstructured play. I find this variety gives families the richest set of images to look back on.
Always. Capturing the relationship between siblings is something I particularly love, the small moments of connection between brothers or sisters often become some of the most treasured images from a session.
