Family Photography - Delapre Abbey

If there's one thing I absolutely adore it's being able to observe and photograph families together, just doing their thing and enjoying the time spent with one another!

I recently photographed the loveliest family at Delapre Abbey. When I was contacted by Meg and Tom, they mentioned it was their first proper family photo session since having Willow, their little girl – I knew it had to be special. We discussed a few locations but settled with the Abbey as Willow had just turned one and still had naps during the day – an early afternoon session suited them perfectly and I knew Delapre would be fab as there would be lots of shaded areas to take shelter from the midday sun and so many peaceful spots to relax in, no matter how busy it was.

The day itself was lovely, the sun was high but the air was comfortable – not too hot like the last few days with the heatwave we've recently had! We met just outside the Abbey, exchanged hellos and wandered round to the gardens. We'd already chatted a bit beforehand but I took the time to get to know them a little more and watched Willow, who was adorable, exploring her new surroundings waiting for her to grow comfortable.

Once inside the gardens the session began, I quickly checked my settings and let them wander towards the flowers to watch the bees and insects settling on them, with Meg and Tom talking to Willow as I began taking photos. Before we'd met for the photo session, Meg had discussed with me the style of clothes that they were going to wear – they'd opted for soft neutrals and whites which worked perfectly. It's always a great idea to think about what type of clothes you think you might like to wear for a photo session and to consider what the other people in your family will be wearing so that colours complement each other.

After Willow had explored the gardens I suggested that we take a look at one of the huge trees at Delapre Abbey – it's famous in it's own right and kids absolutely love climbing on it and exploring. We let Willow sit down at the base of the tree, watching as she gazed up to the top of the tree as the sun dappled through the leaves. Megan picked Willow up for some cuddles, holding her close and then lifting her in the air before Tom decided to see if Willow wanted to test her log walking skills on a fallen log nearby.

We then moved on towards the back of the gardens, settling down with a blanket to rest a little and give Willow a chance to eat a little bit of food and re-charge. Meg and Tom had bought the cutest hat with them and suggested that we try and capture a few photos with it on her. I'd been told that Willow was an independent little lady, and she lived up to it in the cutest way – there was lots of putting the hat on and watching it get thrown off (which she thought was hilarious), but eventually, I got the shots I wanted. Patience is so important with little children and it's good to note that the main thing is that they have fun and enjoy themselves. Afterwards Tom picked a flower and twirled it round in his hand, holding it out to her, much to Willow's delight.

To round the session off, I suggested that we wander down to the lakes to look at the ducks, there's lots of lovely long grass round there too and I knew it would be a nice place to take our final photos. After a quick wave at the swans and ducks, we walked through to the grass, Willow was getting tired by this point, so I suggested Meg have some cuddles with her and lift her in the air a little before bringing her back close to her. Taking turns with Tom, who twirled a smiling Willow around, they eventually sat down for one final photo of them sitting in the grass showing Willow the long grass and the butterflies that kept flying by.

I had such a great time with this family, if you have any questions or think that you'd like to have a family session yourself, please get in touch – i'd love to hear from you!