As a London documentary family photographer I often get asked how I get such lovely images of the children that I photograph. Kids are notoriously unwilling to play ball when you get the camera out as parents will know too well. As soon as the camera comes out they either hide or pull a silly face!
So the real answer is how I get such good images is that ‘they’re not my kids!’ Other people’s kids always behave better than your own. But I do manage to get an occasional good photo even of my own two children. Obviously I also have 20 years of experience and training behind me and a wealth of technical knowledge which does help. But here are my top tips that anyone can follow:

This was not only a delightful south London family photo session, but also one of the loveliest and thoughtful birthday presents. Rory and his daughter Freya booked me to do a family photography session for wife and mother Siobhan. The Brixton family wanted some natural photographs that were true to them as a family in a place that meant something to them – their local stomping ground Brockwell Park.

Lugging a great big camera around can be tiring and even I, as a London lifestyle and documentary family photographer, don’t have a ‘proper’ camera on me at all times. The best camera you have is always the one you have with you at the time. I’ve taken some great photos and even had them published in my press photographer days with a small basic camera because that’s what was in my bag when the photo moment arose. Most of us always have a phone on us and for most phones these days the camera is pretty good. You probably won’t be getting published in National Geographic or seeing your photos in the National Portrait Gallery (probably – but who knows!) as the resolution isn’t that high, but they will be perfectly adequate to print out snapshots and publish on social media – which lets face it with digital photography is what we mostly end up doing anyway!
So here are a few tips to get the best out of your phone camera.

We had to play a bit of telephone tennis to get this Tooting family photography session set up and we had a reschedule when the builders weren’t finished, but it was all worth it in the end when I finally got to meet Katherine and Paddy and their gorgeous children Iris and Flynn.

It’s always lovely to get a recommendation: it’s even better when someone has seen your photos on a friend’s wall and they ask for your number! Last year I did some lovely photographs as a London children’s photographer of a little girl Coralie in the lavender fields out near Banstead. Her parents Emmeline and Russ had the image made up as a huge tray-framed acrylic from my Elegance range of wall art and have it pride of place in their living room. Their friends Natalie and Steve saw it and wanted something similar with their children Ava and Benjamin.

This was a very special session for me – I’ve known Lucy and Iain for over 20 years since we all met at university. Lucy and Iain have been with me throughout my photographic journey from my days on the university newspaper, through my time cutting my teeth as a press photographer in my first ever job on a local newspaper in Scotland, right through to my decision to focus on documentary family photography in London. And to boot, we’ve ended up living just down the road from each other.

Way back when I decided to turn my photographic attentions to family photography in London I had a very lovely first client, Laura with her husband Ciaran and their one-year-old Finn. They booked me to do some family photos to celebrate Finn’s first birthday and we spent a lovely session in Mayow Park in Sydenham / Forest Hill. I was absolutely delighted when Laura contacted me again to update the photos as their family had grown with the addition of gorgeous Bonnie who was herself now about to turn one.

When your children look back on their family photos, will you be in them? Or have you always been the photographer? Or have you always just avoided the camera because you don’t like having your picture taken?
I’m as guilty as the next person. Especially as a London family photographer – I’m always the one behind the camera. I have some gorgeous pictures of my children and their dad that I will treasure forever. But what about the pictures that feature me: that my kids may treasure one day when I’m not around?

The final in my trio of expectant mums was beautiful Marina with her husband Ben, this time in Balham.
One of the perks of being a south London maternity photographer is getting to meet first time mums-to-be like Marina, all excited and glowing with expectation.

The second of my weekend London maternity photoshoots was also in Wimbledon with Emma, Italian husband Graziano (continuing my international theme) and their five-year-old son Max as well as their excitable little hairy sausage dog Opie!