Family Photo Session - Surrey

An annual family picnic beside the lake at Windsor Great Park was the perfect setting for one of my most recent family photo sessions.

It was at the start of the very hot spell we have been having so beside the lake, in the shade of the trees we stopped to take some relaxed family photographs.

The six grandchildren gravitated towards a clearing in the trees to play. The harsh midday sun was diffused through the branches creating a soft and warm glow - perfect for more portraits.

It was a relaxed, fun few hours of photos in between stopping for lunch, drinks and of course ice-creams.

5 tips for great family photos (with a self timer)

As our baby turns 6 months, I've realised we don't have a single photo of the four of us.

Getting some professional pictures taken is definitely on my to-do list but we've just not got round to it. Life has been busy.

Last weekend I was determind to get a picture - the four of us, our little family, my camera and a self timer. Easy right? 

It took patience, a lot of patience with a toddler running into the garden after every shot and being dragged back to the sofa for 'just one more!'  We got there in the end though.

Here are some of my tips for getting that family shot:

1. Choose your weapon - you may have an SLR or compact camera and a tripod. You may be looking to balance an iPhone on a pile of books. Choose what works for you and work out how to use the self timer function.

2. The set-up - my advice (particularly if you have young children) is to decide on your location in advance (ideally close to a window with some natural daylight). Clear away clutter and any distractions. Use an adult to pose for a trial shot and see how it looks. If you have everything set up in advance, you just literally need to bring the children in and get going.

3. Patience- we bribed our toddler with a biscuit and entertained her with songs. She was not playing ball but we just kept persevering with the self timer, taking numerous shots.

4. Eyes to camera? Do you want everyone looking at the camera? We tried shots some looking at the camera and some away. The image I chose was less posed and more natural. This is the style we prefer but the beauty of the self timer is that you are in charge and you can try lots of different options.

5. Editing - my editing for clients is done on my desktop computer with Photoshop software. Increasingly for day to day family pictures of our life at home I upload my pictures straight to my iPad using an Apple card reader. I then use the VSCO or Snapseed apps to crop, tweak colours and contrast or change to black and white. 

 

Before & After

Before

After

As you can see I chose to be close to a window with plenty of light. I had originally tried to include a painting we have in our kitchen but in the end decided the painting was a little too distracting and cropping in closer would work better. I also decided without the painting, I preferred the picture in black and white form.

Using the self timer is definitely something to try out. It takes a little planning but great to have a family photo ready for framing on your mantelpiece. 

Taking the freelance road

Two years ago I had a great job as Picture and Video Editor for a UK TV channel.

As the end of my maternity leave loomed, I realised I had a big decision to make - do I return to work?

When we sat down and did our sums, it didn't make sense.

I'd be working full-time, we'd be paying London prices for childcare (I shudder) and at the end of the month, I'd be left with just pocket money.

I wanted the best of both worlds. I wanted time with our daughter but also a creative outlet and the chance to use my 10 years of photography and photo editing skills.

I took the plunge. My small newborn and baby photography side business would become my full-time job.

There was a lot that appealed, I would be my own boss, work the hours I wanted and have a good mix of work and family life. I could build up the business slowly and at my own pace.

In recent years many companies have put a greater focus on a healthy work/life balance and flexibility for their employees. This shift in attitude has seen the rise of freelancer communities such as The Hoxby Collective, making it easier than ever to work on your own terms.

I also made the decision that in between photo shoots, I would continue to work on improving my skills and striving to be better at what I do. 

Gone are the days where heading out in the dark to sit in a classroom is the only option. There are loads of great courses online with passionate and enthusiastic teachers. 
 

These are a few I have completed and really enjoyed over the past year:

Makelight

Emily Quinton runs Makelight, a company offering a selection of photography courses and workshops both online and at her London studio. She has a stunning Instagram feed - take a peek here.  I didn't really understand Instagram at first, so looked to Emily and her Beautify Your Instagram course.  She teaches you about composition, editing, hashtags and shares her tips for photographing with a smartphone.  As a mum of four she also offers advice on how to run your creative business whilst balancing family life. I signed up to the course and each day, for a week, a new video landed in my inbox. All I needed to do was find a spare half hour to put the kettle on, listen and learn.

Visit www.makelight.com to find out more.
 

Family Photography: Modern Storytelling by Kirsten Lewis

Kirsten is a wonderful documentary photographer. In this course she shows how she produces special, unique, tender family moments.  Her course is amazing and has had a huge impact on me. Kirsten also runs through her whole editing process and her photography style has opened my eyes and given me a fresh perspective on my own work. Kirsten's class consists of 37 lessons, available to buy and download at www.creativelive.com.  
 

Can't Crop This Class from Studio DIY

I don't even remember how I found this class but I'm so pleased I did! Jeff and Kelly at Studio DIY run Can’t Crop This Class which is a series of downloadable videos. They teach you about building a profile on Instagram, branding, editing and composition. They make the class fun and their tips for using different editing apps on your phone has made a huge difference to my Instagram feed already.

Can’t Crop This Class is available at www.studiodiy.com

Find me on Instagram: katiecollinsphotography

And then there were two

Microwaving my first coffee of the day (yep, it's already gone cold), I hear tears. Our toddler has just tumbled head first over the footstool in our lounge. Cuddles and one Mini Milk later, she seems to be on the mend. Then our baby (four months old) starts to cry...

I'm loving my days with my two girls but my word, it's tiring! Breastfeeding alone is exhausting. Trying to feed whilst acting as a human climbing frame for our toddler (determind not to miss out on cuddles) is also a challenge. 

But I know these days will whizz by. I know I just need to relax, have fun and accept the lack of sleep won't be forever.

So I've made some decisions and parked the idea of bed and a lie-in for a little while...

For starters I've started to take a picture every day and uploading it to my Instagram. There are clever apps such as Artifact Uprising which let you turn your feed into coffee table books. Great gift ideas.

 

I'm also going to pick up my brilliant Kikki K 'Things My Kids Say' journal and jot down those hilarious 2 year old mutterings before I forget them; and my gorgeous  journal by The Green Gables for remembering our baby's milestones.

I'm going to factor in some 'me time' - have a massage, get my nails done, make a start on reading a good book. With a bottle of milk and an excellent daddy at hand,  I'll plot my short escape. 

Of course I'll drink a cup (or three) of good coffee to help me power through the day (preferably hot and not microwaved). I'll keep working on that one...

Weekly Reflections Journal (top left) from The Green Gables; Things My Kids Say by Kikki K; Inside Charlie's Chocolate Factory by Lucy Mangan from Amazon

Reading material (for babies)

We discovered one of our baby's favourite books in a small West Sussex village called Steyning.  Tucked away at the bottom of the main shopping street is a white house which is actually an independent bookshop - Steyning Bookshop. At the back of the shop is a treasure trove of children's books and stylish greetings cards. This shop made me long for the days of high street bookshops as so many independents have disappeared due to the boom in online buying. It was at this bookshop that I spotted Space Walk. It's a simple hardback book comprising bold shapes and colours exploring the planets of the solar system. Even though I knew our daughter was too little to understand, I decided to buy the book anyway and to start reading it to her. It's been a huge hit. She spots it across the room and her eyes light up when we open the first page.  I have since bought this book for other friends with babies as we just love it so much. We have a collection of books which we read to her to get her in the mood for sleep. Here are some of our favourites: 

Space Walk - Salina Yoon

Deep Sea Dive - Salina Yoon

Goodnight Moon - Margaret Wise Brown

Where's Spot - Eric Hill

Not Now Bernard - David McKee