Family stories / Aberdeenshire
Autumn family photos in Aberdeenshire
You do not need a perfectly behaved family or a perfectly timed pile of leaves. Here is what an autumn session with me actually feels like.
Autumn in Aberdeenshire can give us that lovely warm colour in the trees, but the best bit is what your family does once we get outside. The children find sticks, somebody spots a dog, and before long you are all doing something together instead of wondering where to put your hands.
I’ll help you choose a place that works for your family and the ages of the children. A woodland path is brilliant, because we can wander, stop when something catches their eye and use the light as it changes. There is no need to march from one pose to the next.
Maybe you have a favourite place close to home, or maybe you want me to suggest one. I think about how far little legs can walk, where we can pause, and where the light falls through the trees. That bit of planning means you can turn up and enjoy being together.
We start with a wee wander
At the start I’ll have a chat with everyone, then we’ll walk. I might bring you into a patch of good light or ask you to sit together for a moment, but the conversation and the cuddles are yours. If your child needs a few minutes to warm up, they get those minutes.
We’ll make room for the photographs of everybody together, the children on their own and the smaller combinations you would love to have. I’ll keep an eye out for what happens between those pictures too.
What to wear, and when to meet
Layers and shoes you can walk in make life easier. Pick colours that sit well together rather than trying to match everyone exactly. Your favourite jumper and the children’s comfortable boots will do far more for the photographs than an outfit they cannot play in.
I’ll help us choose a time and place that suit the season and your children. Autumn light can change quickly, so I look for the lovely patches of light without asking a tired wee one to keep going for the sake of a picture. Bring a spare layer or a snack if that makes the outing easier. You can carry your child, sit in the leaves and be yourselves.
If the children want to run, let them
Children do not need to stand still for an hour to give us photographs you love. We can play, kick through leaves, carry a wee one for a bit or stop for a snack. If they are full of energy, I use that. If they would rather stay close to you, that is lovely too. I watch for the moments when they forget I am there.
I’ll give a little direction when it helps, but I am not expecting you to perform for the camera. The aim is that you leave feeling you had a nice hour together.
Parents, you are in the story too
I know it is tempting to stand just behind me, fixing a collar or asking the children to smile. Come into the picture. They will want to see how you held them, laughed with them and looked at them at this age.
I’ll guide you when it helps and make sure we get those photographs of everyone together. Then we can loosen things up: a cuddle, a race to the next tree, or a few minutes sitting with a child who has had enough running. That is a family session, and you do not have to organise every moment of it.
What if the weather changes?
I’ll keep an eye on the forecast and the light before we meet. A cloudy sky can be beautiful through the trees, and a little dampness is part of autumn here. If the conditions really are not right, we can have a sensible conversation about the plan. There is no prize for dragging small children through a downpour.
We do not need blazing sunshine for good photographs. Soft cloud can give us beautiful light and bring out the colour in the leaves. If the weather turns properly miserable, I’ll talk it through with you and we can change the plan. I would much rather keep the experience enjoyable than make children cold for a photograph.
The photographs you take home
You will get the family portrait you might put on the wall. You may also find that your favourite is the way your child held your hand, the look on their face when they found a leaf, or everybody laughing at something you have already forgotten. Those little details change so quickly.
If you are thinking about an autumn session, have a look at my family photography page for the collections and what is included. Tell me about your people and the places you love. We can work out a plan that feels like your family, then let the day unfold.
Fancy an autumn wander together?
Tell me who is coming, the ages of the children and roughly where you are based. I’ll help you work out a session that suits your wee gang.
