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I absolutely love getting an enquiry through from a family asking for an outdoor shoot.
I love it even more if they have a meaningful location in mind that is special to them because I get to explore a new place too!
That’s exactly how this session came about and I couldn’t be more thrilled with the results of this outdoor family photoshoot in Newburgh, Lancashire.
These photos deserve a big fancy album and gallery wall to show them off!
This gorgeous big family contacted me about grabbing a fleeting opportunity for an extended family photoshoot whilst they were gathering together from three different countries for one day only!
Cue a tense moment of checking my diary and a little happy dance when I had availability! We did plan an indoor backup option just in case given the strict timeframe available but I’m so happy the weather was on our side and we were able to tweak the timings and go ahead with our outdoor session as planned.
The location the family chose was an area of woodland local to the grandparents in Newburgh, West Lancashire.
I grew up just a couple of villages away, with my grandparents living in the next village along so I knew the area well but had no idea this absolute gem of a location was tucked away here!
I am SO happy my clients introduced me to this gorgeous site and I’ll be back for future shoots for sure. The variety of beautiful natural backdrops here is stunning – from woodland glades to wildflower meadows.
We started off with some family portraits – I tend to do a few “smile at the camera” shots first to get warmed up and make sure I have photos of each individual family and the whole group together.
After this it’s a bit of a free-for all and that’s how I love it. I let the kids loose to play and express themselves while I stay in the background and snap away, prompting occasionally to reign in the inevitable chaos that ensues!
My shoots are all about having fun, making and capturing genuine memories with gentle prompts to add a bit of ‘polish’ to your final images.
I absolutely love the freedom and relaxed vibes of an outdoor shoot, especially for young families. The kids can play and run about, showing off their personalities without feeling self-conscious or forcing smiles. It’s the perfect environment to capture those genuine expressions and authentic moments of joy.
We moved around a lot throughout the session to make the most of the amazing variety available in this little woodland wildlife haven and to keep up the momentum and interest for the little ones.
The highlight for me was the four older boys racing up into an old tree where their parents used to play as children, closely followed by their grandad and some of the other grown-ups! It was super exciting to be able to capture this real life "family tree"!
Do you have a special location that has meaning to your family? Where would you choose for your outdoor extended family photoshoot? Let me know in the comments!