Another gorgeous summer morning, another family photoshoot in lovely Holland Park, Kensington. Holland Park is a dear location to me in London as I've lived a stone's throw away for many years (bar 5 years overseas!); I adore the walled garden most of all filled with its flowers and ornamental vegetables. Laura and her family asked me to take some portraits for them to celebrate 9 month old baby Eloise's christening and they brought their nanny along too. It's always lovely to include everyone important in the kids' lives in the photos. We started early, around 8am, to make the most of the soft, magical light, with the added bonus that we basically had the park to ourselves, save for a peacock strutting here and there.
This precious portrait of Eloise's older sister, Aveline, was taken right by the chess set close to the Orangery; if you look really closely you can see the white chess pieces reflected in her eyes! It's also a great example of a perfect summer outfit, with enough detail in the floral print and ribbon on the dress to add interest, in lovely soft pretty colours that complement Aveline's skin tone.
As you may know from my portfolios, I love to take candid photographs of children playing and engaged with the world around them, rather than simply smiling for the camera. It's these natural, unposed portraits that speak to me the most. Of course, they have to have beautiful, luminous light in them too!
To chat about your own family portrait shoot in Kensington, or further afield, you can reach me right here.
