Sometimes called Location Portraits, but it all amounts to taking pictures outside! A quick guide to our lifestyle portrait shoots and why they are a brilliant alternative to the studio.

The world is my studio…. let’s step outside! 

If you are after something a little different, something which helps you to relax and feel a little bit more like yourselves, you are going to love my outdoor photo shoots. 

With older children, studio portraits can look a little stilted.  The kids often get bored and restless and there is a limit to how much we can do in a smaller space. You might be battling to keep them in order, and all they want to do is run and jump and play. If your family is an energetic one, then you might find yourself desperately wanting the photo shoot to end, this isn’t what I want – I want you to enjoy the experience, so that you can love your pictures! 

So let’s change all that and just go outside!

You can make daisy chains, fly kites, throw up autumn leaves or splash through puddles – whatever makes you feel happy and carefree. There’s no time to feel self conscious – you can simply enjoy your family time together while I click away. Even the most camera shy will love the experience, whats more if you enjoy them being taken then you will always love looking at them! This has to be the way to go for dog photography as well, bring them along with the family and make sure everyone is included. 

Lifestyle and Location shoots work well for almost every kind of shoot and have something to offer at every time of year, even the bleak mid-winter can look very effective in your family photos. You could also use a lifestyle shoot for a couple session, a pet shoot or a maternity shoot, all of these can be done outside as an alternative to a studio portrait if you would prefer.

My gorgeous lil’ studio is surrounded by stunning countryside, and my love of exploring the outdoors has lead me to find some truly stunning natural events in the area.  Bluebells in April and May, gorgeous yellow flowers throughout spring, fields of Poppies and Flax in the summer and the stunning palette offered each year by autumn.  Most times of the year offer something unique and wonderful to make your family portrait really personal and really special. 

A brief breakdown of some of the years natural highlights

• Daffodils and blossom offer some earlier opportunities with shoots in February and March taking advantage of the bright yellow. The blossom can carry on until the beginning of May!
• Bluebells are usually out around the third week in April and stay for around three weeks
• Poppies arrive at the end of the May and can continue through June and into July – this is also the peak time for wildflower type shoots to take advantage of all the colour nature offers
• Lavender Shoots are done throughout June and July at a great location at Hitchin Lavender
• Autumn is always a popular choice with our families and couples alike. The colours can be really stunning and throwing leaves is a definite bonus! It does depend on how windy the year is, but generally Autumnal shoots are best throughout October and early-mid November
  
  Still not sure? Check out the video about Lifestyle Portraits on my about me page

I have created pre-bookable shoots for some of the most popular seasonal shoots, if you have a specific location or type of shoot in mind – you can just book a voucher
for a shoot and then get in touch to discuss your ideas!
–Esmé