Why your next Family Photo Session should be A little Adventure

Written by Natalie Michie,

Portrait and Lifestyle Photographer in East Lothian, Scotland

©Natty Images Photography

It's not just a photo

Have you ever asked yourself why some photos speak to you so much more than others?

If you were to analyse which ones you love I'm sure you would come to this conclusion: you love the ones that take you straight back to a particular moment. The ones that make you feel something.

Not the one where you asked your child to look at the camera and say cheese, the one where everyone is beautifully posed (although these certainly also have their place, especially since that is commonly a difficult achievement!) But maybe the one where your child wasn't aware that you were taking the picture. They might have been involved in a small task and you captured the way they stuck their tongue between their teeth in concentration. Or they were throwing their head back laughing out loud, and by looking at the picture you can literally hear their laughter.

Living, breathing memories

I think family photographs should feel like memories, rather than just a snapshot.

Because life changes so quickly.

Children grow. Favourite places change. Family life moves through different seasons, and often you don't realise at the time when something is happening for the last time. Like the last time your little one wants to be picked up and carried, the last time they sneak into your bed at night, the last time they build a den out of your sofa cushions.

And somewhere amongst the everyday chaos, there are all these little moments that become the most precious memories.

Let's go somewhere beautiful.

This is why I don't offer traditional portraiture. I mean I do love a good group photo, and I certainly take those, too, but even that takes on a different meaning when you take it while you're out exploring a forest, or after you've spent a day at the beach. Because then this one photo becomes so much more than just a family photo, it will instantly take you back to that special day, you can smell the damp earth again and feel the wind on your face.

This is why I’d much rather go on a little adventure.

The possibilities are endless, Scotland gives us some rather wonderful backdrops! A lush woodland, a stunning, windswept beach, a wild garden, a quiet field with gorgeous wildflowers. Somewhere you’ve always loved visiting together, somewhere you've always enjoyed being together..

And as soon as we head outside everyone feels excited, elated.

Forgotten is all the worry about awkward posing. Just fun and connection.

We can walk, explore, play, cuddle, run around, climb over things we probably shouldn’t, and generally enjoy being together while I capture the journey.

I’ll always be there to guide you when you need it, and I make sure that you'll get the most out of your session.

It's so easy to forget that the camera is even there when you're having fun, and that's so often when the magic happens.

Picture this: slightly windswept hair. The child who refuses to walk and wants to be carried. The unexpected burst of laughter. The cuddles that happen because someone has fallen over. The muddy shoes. And suddenly you find yourself with the most beautiful collection of memories.

The best thing: You can keep them and treasure them for so many years to come!

A little piece of your life

Whether your children are tiny, teenagers or somewhere in between, a family session can be about so much more than getting everyone together for one nice photograph.

It can be about capturing who you are right now.

The way your little one still reaches for your hand.

The way your children race ahead of you.

The way your partner looks at you when you’re laughing.

The things they do that you know you’ll miss one day.

You might not think much of these things now because they’re simply part of everyday life.

But one day, they won’t be.

And that’s when photographs become something more than photographs.

They become a way of remembering.

So, what should you actually do?

Choose somewhere beautiful. Wear something you feel comfortable and confident in. Bring the people you love. Connect with each other and have fun!

I’ll do the rest.

Because for me, it’s never really about taking a beautiful photograph.

It’s about creating something that feels like you — something that brings you straight back to how this moment felt.

And perhaps, a few years from now, when your children are a little taller and life has moved into another season, you’ll look back at these photographs and remember not just what everyone looked like… but what it felt like to be you, together, then.

Natalie x