6 Essential Tips For Preparing For Your Outdoor Family Photo Shoot

There’s nothing quite like an outdoor family photo shoot to capture your family in the most natural and relaxed way possible. Here in Derbyshire, we really are spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing a location for your outdoor family photo shoot. We have stunning parks and gardens such as Sherwood Pines and Elvaston Castle, to the rolling hills and gorgeous backdrops of the Peak District. This can make choosing a location for your outdoor family photo shoot quite difficult, with each location having something unique and special to offer. However, choosing a location is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to planning your family photo shoot. In this post, I’m going to break down the key details that are vital to ensure your family photo shoot goes as smoothly as possible.

1. Location, Location, Location

As you’ve already seen, choosing the right location is key to ensuring a successful outdoor family photo shoot. The best place to start is to think about what you want to get out of the photo shoot, and how you want the final images to look. For example, do you prefer family photos set in vast, open meadows, or do you prefer photos with a more intimate feel? If you’re not really sure where to start, I highly recommend having a look through my gallery. This will give you an idea of some of the locations that I like to use for family photo shoots, and should help you make your decision. Some of my favourite family photo shoot location in Derbyshire include Sherwood Pines, Padley Gorge, Wollaton Hall and Highfields Park.

In my opinion, certain locations work better at certain times in the year. For example, in the autumn, I love to capture the leaves changing colour. Therefore, I would recommend a location with lots of foliage that will make a lovely, golden backdrop for your images. However, in winter, a snow covered field or meadow can look stunning. Another thing to consider is how busy a location might be at certain times, especially around the school holidays! For shoots at these times, I’d definitely recommend a more secluded, private location to try and avoid some of the crowds.

2. Shoot your outdoor family photo shoot during the ‘golden hour’

Choosing the right time of day for your outdoor family photo shoot is vital. Photographers always go on about the ‘golden hour’ as the best time to take family photographs. The ‘golden hour’ describes the time of day 1 hour before sunset and one hour after sunrise. At this time of the day, the sun is low in the sky, creating a lovely warm, golden light. Having your family photographs taken with the sun behind you at this time of day can also create a ‘halo’ of light around your family. This gives your photos a magical, fairy-tale feel. Shooting at ‘golden hour’ also means you are avoiding any harsh, direct sunlight. This sort of light can look unflattering due to the shadows and bright spots it can create.

I find that shooting a an outdoor family photo shoot at ‘golden hour’ is much easier in winter than in summer, due to the shorter days. This is especially relevant if you are including young children in your family photoshoot. While kids can find it exciting to stay up late or get up early for a photoshoot, if they are too tired they might (understandably) not be 100% cooperative on the day. Similarly, for very young children it is important that you try and schedule a photoshoot so that it doesn’t interrupt their sleep schedule. No one wants to do a photoshoot when they’re tired, even adults!

3. Shoot your outdoor family photo shoot during the ‘blue hour’

My second favourite time to photograph families is termed ‘blue hour’. This is the period of twilight, just after the sun has set, or just before it is due to rise. At this time of day, the sky takes on a purple/blue hue, which creates a soft, flattering light that makes for a gorgeous backdrop to your family photographs. I love seeing the surprise when a family thinks they’ve seen it all after a gorgeous sunset, only to be amazed by the wonderful tones of the ‘blue hour’ that follow.

4. What should I wear for my outdoor family photo shoot?

Above all else, it’s important that you wear clothes that you feel comfortable in. My outdoor shoots tend to be rather active, so I wouldn’t recommend any clothing that obstructs movement too much. This is especially important for the kids! Regarding colours schemes, I always encourage my clients to choose neutral or earthy colours – think brown/beige. Although this might seem a bit boring, wearing neutral, earthy colours gives your photos warmth.

I tend to encourage clients to avoid any bold or bright colours for several reasons. The first is that if one person in the family is wearing a bright pink jumper, but everyone else is in black, then the pink jumper will distract the eye. Bold colours also make the editing process much harder, as it can be difficult to make them ‘fit in’ with their surroundings. I always try to create harmony between the setting and the clothing, to form a cohesive picture pleasing to the eye.

I would definitely recommend avoiding any graphic-heavy clothing or clothing with bold patterns. Remember, you want these photos to look just as good in 50 years time! Wearing bold, statement pieces that might be all the rage now, possible wont age too well. Wearing any clothing with writing on is also best avoided. It is inevitable that not all of the wording will be visible on all the photos. So ‘best sister’ could look like ‘est sis’ in the photo, distracting the eye and essentially spoiling the photo.

Essentially, plain clothing is best. This doesn’t mean that your clothing has to be boring, though! Why not add interest to your photos by wearing different textures, such as wool and lace. The next big decision is whether you all want to match, or not. This is definitely up to you! Some families would prefer that everyone looks similar, whereas others like to not match outfits.

For children, it is important that they have tried on the clothes prior to the shoot. I find that children don’t like being fussed over with outfit changes.

Ultimately, it is up to YOU how you decide to dress for your Derbyshire Photography shoot, but to summarise:

• Avoid bold colours
• Make sure your clothing is comfortable
• Avoid any clothing with bold graphics or writing on it
• Make sure kids try on their outfits before the shoot
• Aim for timeless, classic outfits to ensure the longevity of your photos

5. Pack light, but don’t forget the essentials!

None wants their pram/buggy/changing bag in their family photos. Unfortunately, they are often a necessity, especially for families with younger children. You can help minimise the issue by ensuring you pack as light as possible. My family shoots are typically only an hour long, so you shouldn’t need to carry much. It’s a good idea to bring a few snacks for children, and a bottle of water during the warmer months.

My personal bugbear is having mobile phones visible in front pockets. While they are definitely a necessity for most people, on my shoots I always ask that my clients place them in their back pocket. You don’t want to ruin a great photo with the outline of a mobile phone clearly visible.

6. Relax and enjoy the moment

The best photos, are the ones where you’re having so much fun you didn’t even notice that they were being taken. Kids will be kids, and you should absolutely let them be! These are the moments of childhood that will pass all to quickly, making them all the more important to capture. If you (the parents) are relaxed, then this will rub off on your children. So don’t fret about getting your kids to stand in the perfect place and say cheese, just let them be themselves. This is the best way to get natural, unscripted images of your family.