The session

Across the Atlantic.
Into the family album.

This lovely family came to London from the USA, and I had the pleasure of photographing them together in some of the city’s most recognisable settings. The weather was far from perfect. London gave us a grey sky, but the photographs have plenty of warmth.

What stays with me about this session is the children. They were wonderful to photograph: their expressions, the way they leaned into their parents, the closeness between brother and sister. The landmarks tell you where these photographs were made. Those little connections tell you who they are about.

I wanted the gallery to hold both: the London they had travelled to see, and the family they were here with.

01 / Tower Bridge

A big city.
A little room to explore.

Tower Bridge brings so much character to a family session. The blue ironwork, the towers and the open river make a beautiful setting for portraits, while the closer details invite a child’s curiosity. I love the contrast between the wide views of everyone together and the small moment of a boy peering through the bridge.

There is room for the parents in this story, too. A walk hand in hand and a kiss beside the Thames belong in the album just as much as the photographs of all four.

02 / Westminster

London in the background.
Everyone you love, right here.

Across the river from Parliament, the city becomes unmistakable. Big Ben rises behind the family; the stone steps and bridge arches give each frame a different shape. A wide portrait leaves room for the place. Moving closer lets a hand on a shoulder or a child tucked beside a parent become the centre of the photograph.

The softer light suited these portraits beautifully. Colour and black and white each bring something different to the gallery: the warmth of their clothes in one, the lines of the architecture and their expressions in the other.

03 / A very London detail

A red phone box.
Four personalities.

Some London details need very little introduction. A red telephone box, a mustard coat and the family gathered around the doorway make a wonderfully colourful part of this session. I like keeping the variations together here: the family portrait, the playful expressions and the quieter black and white frame.

They are photographs of the same place, but each one says something slightly different about the people in it.

04 / The quieter frames

A hand to hold.
A moment just for two.

The London Eye gives us another familiar outline, but these frames draw you closer to the people. A mother and daughter holding hands. The parents together. A small change of expression between a colour portrait and a black and white one.

These are the photographs that make a gallery feel complete to me. Alongside the big family portraits, there should be room for each relationship within the family.

A beautiful day does not always start with blue skies.

This session is a lovely reminder of that. The weather was not what you might picture when planning holiday photographs, yet we made a collection full of colour, affection and London character.

If you are visiting from the USA or further afield, you may have a limited window for a family session. We can talk through the setting, timing and weather arrangements in advance. Your family’s comfort comes first, and the plan should suit the conditions on the day.