Just One – Olivia – children’s portrait photography in Sevenoaks, Kent

Sometimes when I’m out and about taking pictures with families, we find a location that is just wonderful and brings an unexpected element that will raise our family portraits into something unexpected. This was the case with this wonderful fallen tree that we found on my shoot with Stephanie and her daughters in Sevenoaks in Kent, and I knew immediately that it would be my Just One preview image.

We were visiting the wonderful Knole Park in Kent, exploring the woodland, climbing trees and playing forty-forty-home (a particular favourite of mine) when Stephanie pointed out this wonderful fallen tree in the distance. We went over to investigate and Olivia was straight in, laughing up at us from her new den. I was thrilled – it’s always lovely to take a picture that you know from the moment of clicking the shutter that you will love.

Everything came together in this picture – Olivia’s big smile; her arms, unposed by me, but the curve of them echoing the spherical nature of the tree; the wonderful rings on the tree showing its age and also bringing added texture and interest to the image. The drama of the dark interior of the trunk and Olivia’s blonde hair and white top further emphasise the graphic nature of the image and its dramatic potential.

It’s an image that also makes me think of the imagination of children and the wonder of childhood. It makes me think of Alice in Wonderland or the Magic Faraway tree, and the stories that bridge the generations, and the wonder of exploration and of make believe. All the best things of childhood!

I do hope you enjoy this preview image from my recent children and family photography session in Sevenoaks in Kent, and I look forward to sharing more pictures from this fantastic photography shoot in another blog post soon.