Family Photography Info
Family Photographer in Chandlers Ford
Thank you for visiting Caroline Jenkins Photography. I am a Hampshire family photographer in Chandlers Ford and I have been photographing families for the last 5 years. Only working outdoors and only using natural light means all my photos are natural and in the moment.
Before setting up Caroline Jenkins Photography, I was a primary school teacher for 13 years. So I have oodles of experience, patience and and tips for getting the best out of the children I work with! They say never work with children and animals – well I work with both and absolutely love it!
As a Mum of two plus having a family dog, I spend a lot of time outside playing and exploring. In fact my favourite type of day out is to head out with friends for a picnic and get some fresh air and sunshine!
This page should provide you with all the information that you need about how I work on a family photoshoots. If you do have any further questions however, please do not hesitate to get in touch!
I look forward to working with you!
Make it Personal
I feel passionately as a family photographer in Chandlers Ford that the time we spend together is about you, as a family, celebrating quality time together. It needs to be personal. Your family photoshoot should be tailored specifically around your family. So choosing the ideal location, your favourite season and an appropriate time are all key.
Choosing the right location is an essential step in making the family photoshoot work for you. For example, are you a family who likes lots of colourful flowers? Or a family who wants to go for a dog walk in a favourite spot? Likewise, if you know that all your kids want to do is climb trees or splash in the water, then we can plan for that! Allowing for family fun will ensure that the best is brought out in everybody!
I have learned over time that when the children are happy (regardless of their age) then the parents are happy and will subsequently relax. As a result this makes for a far happier, relaxed and more genuine shoot! And believe me, the difference to the final images is huge. Although having having one photo of little Jonny pulling a funny face is amusing, you want to capture those genuine and sparkly moments of laughter and joy.
If you’re unsure of a location or don’t know where to start, then please have a look at my location blog which lists my most popular locations to shoot at and which I update regularly.
Likewise, if you are unsure what time of year is best to have your shoot in, then please feel free to read my seasonal blog post which hopefully will help you decide what is best for your family!
Duration of a Family Photoshoot
I allow up to 3 hours for a family photoshoot but the duration normally depends on where we go and how much fun we’re having! We will take it at your pace which is a very relaxing and rewarding way to shoot!
I always bring ‘props’ with me on family shoots which children love, especially the bubbles! It’s great to bring these out during the shoots if the children are not as engaged as you want them to be or if you just want a natural break! Above all though, I just want the children to have a great time so we get to capture those great natural smiles.
Generally though, we keep shooting and playing so long as everyone is enjoying themselves! Some children can start off feeling self-conscious but relax quickly when they realise that they’re allowed to run, climb trees or throw leaves around. As a result they hopefully will forget that they’re having their photo taken at all!
What now?
So, you have decided that a family photoshoot in Hampshire is the way forward, you have considered the location and you have pinpointed several dates. What do you do now?
Firstly you need to contact me. You are, of course, welcome to call and have a chat but I know how difficult it can be to have an interruption-free conversation.
Secondly, I will invoice you for the session fee. I run my shoots so that you only need to pay the session fee in advance. This covers the cost of the shoot and all my editing time. After that has been paid, I will then book you onto the system and you will receive an appointment through email. This email will also contain all information you should need including clothing suggestions.
After the shoot, I will email you a private link to your gallery. During the time that you are looking through your photos, it’s worth considering what products would work well in your house. I am happy to bring any of them along to our shoot if you would like to see the quality, but please mention it in advance as I do not carry them around with me.
After that, you need inform me how you would like to proceed. I will invoice you, order the necessary products and send you the download link to your photos. Hopefully your goodies will arrive within 10 working days and you will then have the most beautiful new products to adorn your home! And, most importantly, you will have those memories to enjoy every single day.
This blog should help explain it clearly!
Step 1: £99 session fee to be paid
Session fee
- Up to 3 hours photoshoot on location
- Full processing and editing of all images – approximately 50 per session
- Gallery viewing to preview your images
- This fee does not include any digital images or products
Step 2: After the shoot choose from one of the following collections
Package A
- All images in both colour and black and white, available to download from your own private and secure gallery
- £100 print credit
Package B
- 10 images available to download from your own private and secure gallery
- £50 print credit
Step 3: Choose your products
We had a wonderful family photo shoot with Caroline in October 2020. Caroline suggested the location of Holly Hill to capture the amazing autumnal colours and she was right! She made us feel at ease as soon as we met her. She had a brilliant way with our (initially shy) 3 year olds and she very quickly gained the dog’s love too! Also she made sure we’d captured all the types of photos we wanted before the boys had a fun session in the muddy puddles and she even got great action photos of this too.
The photos Caroline produced that day were brilliant, we absolutely love them. She’s also not ridiculously priced which means we’ll be going back to her for more very soon!
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FAQ’s
What happens if it's raining?
I will keep an eye on the weather forecasts in the days leading up to our shoot. If it looks like it’ll just been patchy rain, then I suggest we go ahead. However if it looks really horrible then I suggest we rearrange to a different date or time and keep everything crossed that the Great British Weather is on our side!
What should we wear?
I always advise my families that the most important thing in family shoots is that everybody feels comfortable. There is no point getting the children to wear their best clothes if they feel really awkward, because this will be written all over their faces.
If you really want to make the most from your shoot though, I always suggest that a similar theme of colours works brilliantly to tie you all together. I will send you links to my Pinterest boards once you have booked, and hopefully this will help inspire you with colours and styling.
Something that I strongly advise against however, is anybody wearing any clothes with motiffs or patterns on, as all this does is draw attention away from all of the beautiful faces!
What should we do if somebody is poorly?
I am a Mum, so I totally get how children can be fine one day and then come down with something the next day. All I ask is you give me as much notice as possible and then we can rearrange for another day.
Can we change outfits during the shoot?
This is becoming an increasingly popular thing to do as people want to vary the images as much as possible. People view family photo shoots as an investment (both in terms of time and money) so they want to make the most of it. Changing outfits is fine with me, but you will need to bear in mind that we will all be outside in public places.
What time of day is best to have a shoot?
Here’s the thing – if I were to advise you as a parent then I would always say to book one in so there’s no overlap with nap times or meal times, as this is when children can be more ‘fraught’ shall we say! As a photographer wanting to get the most of your images however, I would suggest that we avoid shooting anywhere between 11am and 3pm (especially in the height of summer) due to the strength of the sun and harsh lighting conditions. I appreciate though that this is a very difficult situation for you however to find that happy medium.
Ultimately, the most important thing is that you’re all happy and up for it, and if we have to shoot in harsh sunlight, then we all just need to bear in mind that we will be spending all of our time in the shade!