I know that booking a family photography session can feel like a big decision. Not because of the cost, although I understand that matters, but because of everything it represents. You are choosing to pause the rush of ordinary life, gather the people you love most, and ask someone to hold that moment beautifully. That is not a small thing.
I also know that for many families coming to me for the first time, there is a quiet nervousness underneath the excitement. What will it actually be like? Will the children cooperate? What do we wear? Will we feel awkward in front of the camera? These are questions I hear all the time, and they are entirely natural.
So I wanted to write something honest about what a family photography session at my studio in Banstead actually looks and feels like, from the very first message you send to the moment your finished artwork arrives at your door.
The experience begins long before your session day. Once you have booked with me, I send you everything you need to feel genuinely prepared. Not a generic information sheet, but personal guidance tailored to your family. What colours tend to work beautifully in the studio. How to talk to young children about the day so that it feels like an adventure rather than an obligation. What to bring. What to leave at home.
I have found over the years that the families who feel most relaxed on the day are the ones who felt looked after in the weeks leading up to it. My job starts the moment you reach out to me, not when you walk through the studio door.
If you have questions, which almost everyone does, I am always happy to talk things through. A quick phone call or a message can make all the difference between arriving feeling nervous and arriving feeling ready.
My studio is in the heart of Banstead, and it was designed with one thing in mind: making families feel instantly at ease. It is light, airy, and deliberately calm. There is nothing clinical or intimidating about it. Most parents tell me they walk in expecting to feel self-conscious and instead find themselves exhaling without even realising it.
I always allow plenty of time. Sessions are never rushed or back-to-back, because the pace of a session matters enormously, especially when children are involved. If a little one needs a feed, a cuddle, or simply a few minutes to warm up to their surroundings, that time exists. I build it in on purpose.
Families travel to the studio from all across Surrey and South London. From Epsom, Reigate, Cheam, Cobham, Croydon and beyond. And they tell me, without exception, that the drive was worth it.
I want to be honest about something: I do not direct families into stiff poses and ask everyone to smile at the camera. That is not the kind of photography I make, and it is not the kind of image that will still move you in twenty years.
What I do instead is create the conditions for real moments to happen. I guide you gently, suggest ways to move and connect, and then I step back and let things unfold. The image I am always looking for is the one where everyone has forgotten I am there. The laugh that nobody planned. The way a child wraps both arms around a parent’s neck without being asked. The quiet, tender look between two people who have built a life together.
These moments cannot be manufactured, but they can be welcomed in. And that is what I spend every session doing.
For families with young children, I want to reassure you that I have sat with toddlers who refused to look at the camera, babies who cried for the first twenty minutes, and children who decided the session was the perfect moment to stage a full protest. It almost never goes the way parents fear it will. The studio is calm and warm, and children respond to that. Some of my favourite portraits of all time have come from sessions that started with a child who absolutely did not want to be there.
Around a week after your session, I invite you back to the studio for your personal viewing and ordering appointment. This is a part of the experience that I think often surprises people, in the best possible way.
We sit together and look at your images on a large screen. Not on a phone, not on a proof gallery link sent to your inbox, but together, in person. You see your family as I see them, and I find that something quite emotional often happens in that room. Families see themselves held in a way they rarely get to witness. It is genuinely one of my favourite parts of this work.
From there, we choose how your images will live in your home. Fine art prints. Bespoke framed collections. Handcrafted albums. Every product I offer has been chosen because it is worthy of your story, designed to be returned to rather than forgotten on a hard drive or buried in a phone camera roll.
Many of my families build a collection over time, returning for milestone sessions, new babies, and the quiet changes that happen in children’s faces from one year to the next. That ongoing relationship is something I treasure deeply.
I have had parents message me after their viewing appointment to say they did not expect to cry. That they came in thinking it was simply about getting some nice photos and left feeling something they did not have a word for.
I think what they are feeling is the weight of having their love made visible. Of seeing their family not as they rush through the days, but as they truly are. Connected. Beautiful. Theirs.
That is what professional family photography is, at its very best. Not a service. Not a product. A moment of stillness in a life that moves too fast, held carefully and given back to you in a form that will last.
If you are thinking about booking a session and something here has felt right to you, I would love to hear from you.
How long does a family photography session take?
Family sessions typically last around 60 to 75 minutes, although I always allow enough time so nothing feels rushed and children have space to settle naturally.
What should we wear for our session?
This is something I guide every family through individually as part of the booking process. As a general starting point, soft and neutral tones tend to photograph beautifully in the studio, and co-ordinating rather than matching outfits create a lovely sense of harmony without looking too uniform. You will receive personal guidance from me well before your session date so that you arrive feeling confident.
What happens if my children are not in the mood on the day?
It happens, and it is rarely the disaster that parents expect it to be. The studio is calm, unhurried, and genuinely child-friendly. I work at the pace of your family, not against it. Children warm up when they feel safe and unrushed, and I have enough experience to know how to gently bring them into the session without pressure or force.
Do you offer outdoor family sessions as well as studio sessions?
Yes. Family sessions can take place either in my beautiful natural light studio in Banstead or outdoors at one of my carefully chosen natural light locations. If you’re unsure which setting would suit your family best, I’d be happy to talk you through the options and help you choose the experience that feels right for you.
How far in advance should I book?
I take a limited number of family sessions each month so that every client receives my full care and attention. I would recommend getting in touch as early as possible, particularly if you have a specific date or season in mind. Autumn tends to fill quickly, and popular weekend dates can go further in advance than people expect.
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