How do you choose the best location for your family photography in Brighton and in the beautiful surrounding countryside?
There are so many factors that can influence your choice, so this blog post is designed to help you chose with confidence.
How to choose the best location for your family photography session
We are well and truly spoilt for choice for family photography locations in Brighton, so this blog post is designed to help you narrow down your top picks and find the perfect spot.
1. Home decor
First things first, always do a walk around your house. Have a think about where you’d want to put any prints and write down how you would describe your home’s aesthetic and personal style to a friend. Once you have this, you’ll naturally gravitate towards locations that fit your home.
2. Personal style
Think about your family’s preferences for clothing and their personal style. You don’t want your wardrobe to clash with the backdrop of your photographs. If you need some inspiration on what to wear for your family photography session, check out this blog post.
Your outfits and location should compliment each other. If your style is romantic boho, gardens or the beach would be an ideal choice over some graffiti walls or bright houses in Brighton.
3. Accessibility
Depending on the age and health of your family members, you’ll want to take accessibility into account. Seven Sisters is probably out of the question if you’ve got small kids or your partner isn’t in great health. You don’t want your kids to be exhausted when you finally get to the shoot location of your dreams or be terrified the entire time if you’re near a cliff edge.
4. Bribe-ability
Kids can act up for photoshoot or basically anything their parents think is really important. They seem to fuel off of their parents stress – so while I don’t recommend this as a regular tactic – bribes can really do the trick. Think of places like a park or seafront that can help kids let off steam or maybe near a candy or ice cream parlor.
5. Time of day
Depending on the age of your children, it’s a good idea to try and work around their naps. Lots of little ones are more likely to be grumpy in the afternoon, so I generally recommend an early morning shoot for this reason as well as sun position and crowd control. A mid day on a summer Sunday, for example, will have your family squinting like crazy and loads of people dotting the backdrop of your location.
6. Seasons of the year
Time of year can also be a massive factor to consider when planning your photography session. Envision your daughter in a light summer dress? Make sure you book for June or July.
Parks and gardens are constantly evolving throughout the year. Poppies bloom for just a few weeks, and those lovely autumn leaves can go from vivid oranges and reds to brown in the blink of an eye.
7. Weather
Cloudy days are actually perfect for shoot outdoors because they act as a giant light diffuser. So I’m happy to shoot in the rain vs a bright sunny day – though you might not be so keen on the idea. Because we live in England and the weather can go from one extreme to the next, choosing a location or Plan B that has some type of coverage from the rain is always good idea.
8. Fees and penalties
There are some beautiful parks and places in Sussex for your family photography. Some of these parks charge a premium to have your family photography taken on their premises. Before you settle on a location, check to see if they charge for this on their website. Some places only charge for commercial use by big production companies, but others have costly fees (and fines) for any type of photography.
9. Sentimental reasons
Lastly, consider choosing a location that has sentimental value. What about returning to the venue you got married at, your back garden, local park, favourite walk or your children’s favourite place? All of these are great options!
If you need help narrowing down a location for your session, I provide tonnes of advice and suggestions to ensure you get everything and more out of your session.
If you’re new to my photography website and are looking to book a family photography in Brighton and Hove, Haywards Heath, Shoreham, Worthing, Horsham and surrounding areas, check out my family photography portfolio and get in touch!
