A little cheekiness during another Richmond Park family photoshoot in SW London! Richmond Park is just perfect for children’s photography, with streams to explore and mud and sticks to play with. Of course I love it too, for the blossoming heather and long golden grasses, which look beautiful when they are softly backlit by the late afternoon sun.

Children's portraits in Richmond

These children’s portraits feature Leo, aged 3, which can be an energetic age to photograph! My style is very relaxed and my goal is to capture beautifully natural expressions of genuine emotion, whether joy, or thoughtfulness. It’s that which makes children’s portrait shoots so rewarding for me as a family photographer; once they relax and get involved in whatever they are doing, they can be so un-selfconscious and enchanted with everything around them. I generally encourage them to play and explore in areas of magical light where I know I can capture them at their very best! This typically involves lots of running around on my part, but it is always well worth it.

Outdoor family photography

Here’s just a few of my favourite photos from the session, which involved Leo playing with a long reed dipped in the pond - you can see how the sparkling water droplets are lit by the sun and the expression of glee on his face! Apparently Leo’s favourite moment was when “Feather fell in the mud”… let’s just say I do whatever it takes!

Here’s what Leo’s mummy Laura had to say about the photoshoot: “The photos are completely stunning, Heather brings out the absolute best of the setting and the subjects with an amazing use of light and colour. Everyone who has seen the photos has asked for her details!"