My number one trick for nailing the family portrait

Mum and Dad were sitting on the grass having a quiet moment together, the kids were beside me as I yelled across at them to flirt with each other, they laughed and I turned to the kids and asked “which one of you wants to take a photo of mum and dad?” Their eagerness showed clearly on their faces and I let them each take a look at the viewfinder on the back of my camera and showed them where the shutter button was. 

“Are you guys ready to tackle mum and dad? I’m going to count to three and you guys are going to run up to mum and dad and hug them. Are you ready?” 

“One… two… three GO!” 

I laughed as I watched the kids run at full pelt across the empty space between us to tackle their mum and dad. Here’s the results of their family portrait. 

 

canberra family photographer

I absolutely had a blast with these happy, playful kids who were up for anything and had lots of great ideas of their own. Kim had specified she was very much wanting a lot of interactive, candid photos which fitted perfectly with what I love to do. 

Here’s what Kim had to say about her family portrait session

“My biggest concern before hiring a photographer for a session was that the effort required to get everybody ready and on location for the shoot would not be worth it.

It was totally worth it! The kids had a great time in a beautiful spot and the photos were beautiful!!

Following a disappointing photography experience , I wanted to capture my family now that I feel it is complete (since the arrival of my youngest). Also, having 4 kids, I know how fleeting their childhood is, I would love to be able to capture every precious stage. It’s the little things that I’ve enjoyed about parenthood so far, like the first time I heard my first two giggling together, an inside joke that I wasn’t a part of. Introducing the kids to a new sibling is always beautiful, but it was extra special to watch my oldest daughter meet her baby sister after nine long months of hoping she would get a sister and not another brother!! 

I might be biased, but I think we are a very strong and loving family. We try to do as much together as we can, which can be tricky when there are 6 of us. But we want to kids to know the value of family. We stick together no matter what!! My husband describes it as crazy, beautiful chaos, which is how I like to think of it too. Maybe it’s because of the challenges we have had to deal with, but I think that my husband and I are extremely grateful. Grateful for so many things. Our beautiful children (so lucky to have 4 healthy kids!) our humble home, good jobs, amazing extended family and gorgeous friends. We are a pretty active family. Our favourite things to do together are bushwalks and bike rides, camping, going to sporting events and eating ice cream! I love that every day when my husband comes home he says “How are my favourite 5?”

If you’re thinking of booking a photographer, don’t overthink it too much. Choose a good photographer then relax and have fun, the photos will always be great!

I would definitely recommend Little Grasshopper Photography! I would say the whole process was very professional, but at the same, genuine and warm. The concept of no charge for the shoot itself means there is no risk if the photos are not what you want (highly unlikely I would say!!). Steph was really easy to work with and very helpful in choosing the right product at the end.

I loved watching the slideshow of our photos with my whole family. I loved hearing the kids reactions to the photos of themselves and each other. It was lovely. It did make me want to buy all of them though!!”

 

My family portrait sessions are very play-based which result in amazingly happy, interactive photos that truly capture love and connection. I’ve got a number of other tricks up my sleeve to ensure you get great, happy photos of you and your family. If you are thinking of booking a session, get in touch! I’d love to sit down with you and design your session perfectly.

Enjoy the photos from Kim’s family portrait session below. 

Hi, I’m Steph

Family Portrait Photographer & Mum of two

My mission is simple, to give you a fun relaxing time with your family and send you away with beautiful memories to fill up your home.