Family Portrait Photography in Richmond Park

I love Richmond Park, it’s one of the most stunning spots for family photo shoots in the whole of London.  I don’t go there often, but when I do I’m always filled with wonder at the beauty that surrounds me and the sheer variety of amazing spots for family pictures that Richmond Park has to offer.  To me it’s like a giant adventure playground with options everywhere for games and adventures.  So I was thrilled when Richmond Park was suggested as the location for my recent family photo shoot with Sarah, our fourth annual session together.

Each year we have had new adventures and always a wonderful time together.  We’ve explored different parks, played different games and I’ve been privileged to watch the boys grow up.  Each session gets more fun as they get older and play so happily together while I run around with a camera, joining in the games and working with light and background to create images for their parents to enjoy now and for the boys to treasure as adults.

When I’m working, I’m always looking to create a variety of pictures, from close up portraits to wider shots that include the environment.  Years of taking landscape pictures for fun has meant I’ve always been particularly drawn to these wider environmental portraits and finding ways to frame the subject creatively, while also working around a game that is being played with no thought to light or angle, is one of the most exciting bits of my work.

Here I wanted to use the incredible shapes of this fallen tree and also the framing from the leaves above and the trees at the sides.  I knew the light was coming from behind and from the side so, ideally, I wanted my subject either in profile or looking out to the side, not straight at me.  Often in situations like this I’ll find a spot and then wait, watch and see what happens.  Usually the moment will occur when angle light and expression come together but you can’t’ force it with kids or you just get a cheesy grin or a look of disappointment at a game interrupted.  Waiting is rewarded by an image like this with a beautiful natural expression in perfect light and composition a beautiful family portrait photograph in Richmond Park.

This autumn I’ve also been loving my new camera, the Canon EOS R5 and particularly working with it in conjunction with the sublime Canon RF 50 f1.2L lens which has a magnificent sharpness in the detail combined with beautiful bokeh to produce stunning images. Of course, it isn’t all about the kit, but good kit does make a difference and learning to use your equipment to its full potential is a great challenge for us as photographers, and possibly a good exercise for us if we get locked down again in the coming weeks.  This image is at f1.2 at 1/400 at ISO 100 and really shows the incredible 45mp files to their best advantage.

I hope you like this child portrait photograph from Richmond Park as much as I do.  There are a few slots still available in November and December if you would like to arrange a family session for your children.  We are, currently, still able to meet for photo shoots and it would be lovely to be out and about in the autumn sunshine.  We could go to Richmond Park or another spot where you love to go as a family, spend time together, play games, laugh and take pictures. If that sounds good, then do get in touch and have a lovely weekend!