family and newborn photography
PREPARING YOUR HOME
cotswolds & cheltenham photographer claire westaway
the best backdrop…
This guide is here to help you prepare for your home for your photo session. don’t worry - i’m not suggesting you hinch every room but i’ve included a few tips to make your home the best possible backdrop for your family photos.
let’s go…
home is where the heart is
When you look at these photos, I want them to take you right back to this time in your life. That being said, I would encourage you to present your home in the best way possible so just think about tidying away any clutter or things which you wouldn't want in the background of your photos. Please don't stress though - if you're comfortable for me to do so, I'll happily help you move anything around to make the best set-up.
I'm a light-seeker so finding the best light is at the heart of what I do and when I arrive, I'll have a look around and find the spaces which will work best. This is often the master bedroom, sitting room or kitchen but I'll always go where the light is best.
Kitchen
If the light is good, I do love to use a kitchen as the setting for photographs - it's often the heart of the family home after all. So, it's worth taking a few minutes to have a quick tidy up there, un-plug and put away phone chargers and keep the counter tops clear if possible!
finding the light
As I said above, I am always led to the places in your home where the light is best. So before our session, it’s worth having a look around your home and thinking about where there is a lot of natural light . If you have a room which is particularly dark or has small windows I probably won’t use it so you don’t need to focus on tidying up there! So, as well as the kitchen, it maybe that I use a bedroom, family room, hallway or even the garden if the weather is on side.
bedding: Neutral Colours
Some of my favourite photos are of the family all cuddled together on the master bed. So it's really important that the bedding draws the eye to your beautiful family, rather than a brightly coloured bedspread! Try to keep things light, white or some variation of it, which also acts as a great natural light reflector to make you look your absolute best! If you don't have anything simple or neutral, we can just strip the duvet or throw white sheets on the bed.
flowers
I very much encourage fresh flowers or house plants on shoot day. They add a beautiful softness and depth to your photos and I will often then carry them from room to room to use to frame you in some of your photos and add some continuity to your gallery.
unique
Your home is unique to you. So while I encourage you to have a bit of a tidy up and remove any clutter which might be distracting, I don’t want you to lose the things which are a part of your story. So for example, I love to get a photo of the children in their bedrooms with their favourite toys around them. And if there’s a particular place in your home which is very special to you, do let me know and I’ll try and make sure we incorporate it into the session.
music
Why not have some of your favourite music playing in the house, even before I arrive and throughout your session. It relaxes everyone, it sets a fun mood, and it even provides opportunities for your kids to dance, which always makes for beautiful images!
