Collaborative post
Are you planning a family city break in London and looking for ideas to stop letting that one family member who’s always taking the pictures behind the camera? Because getting everyone in the pictures is possible with a bit of planning and organisation. The following sections address exactly this challenge: how to return home with an album that actually includes every family member, with relaxed and natural shots that didn’t cost anyone their patience.
Time it around your kids
Social media will tell you that the golden hour is the holy grail of pictures and a must for your family album. But with small kids, that soft lovely light becomes irrelevant if chasing it means catching your kid in the middle of a wobble. For most families the better plan is to think about when your children are fed, rested and cheerful, and then plan your photos around that window instead of around the sun.
For many kids, that sweet spot is the mid-morning, after breakfast, or the first hours after the nap. Mornings come with the second advantage of helping you find parks, paths, and places that are generally busy in London that are quieter compared to the middle or end of the day. Late afternoon pictures in London are amazing, too, but only if your toddler isn’t already running on fumes. If you’re travelling in autumn or winter, check when the sun goes down so you can squeeze in a few pictures before it gets too dark.
Pick one or two places and stop there
It may be tempting to try to tick off a photo at every visited landmark, but it can also lead to family meltdowns by the third stop, or photos that look more and more forced with every stop at the very best. Because let’s be honest: visiting London landmarks can drain your battery quickly. That’s why you should think in advance and choose one or two spots per day you truly want to revisit when you get back home. The South Bank is an easy option: a wide riverside walkway lined with cafés, pubs, trees, and benches every few minutes. Covent Garden is another easy win: colourful, lively, and full of things that’ll catch your kid’s attention and double as background for your shots. An important detail to consider is how easy each spot is to reach and get around, because you want accessible spots that won’t wear you out.
Get both parents in the shot
In most families, one person ends up as the photographer for the entire trip; and usually, it’s the same person every time. Because that adult takes on the role of the official photographer, they often remain behind the camera and the family album remains incomplete. A couple of small changes can fix this.
A small and well-chosen kit with accessories designed for group pictures can make everything easier. A compact travel tripod is among the most useful of these, easy to carry and highly useful because it allows you to position your phone at the right height and include everyone in the picture. Look for a foldable model to make it easy to carry around. Some flexible tripods have bendable legs so you can wrap them around different fixed objects, like tree branches or fences, but be careful so it won’t fall.
Now, DIY family photos have their limits. You don’t have too many available angles, taking show-worthy pictures may take some trial and error, and too many attempts will eventually get some family members (most likely the kids) to lose interest. Asking a passer-by can help, too, to get both parents in the picture, but it can be hit and miss. That’s why for special trips like London city breaks, many families find that a short session with a local photographer at one or several of the city’s best spots is a more reliable way of getting a few family photos together. Such pictures aren’t your everyday pictures, but the ones that end up in frames.
When hiring a local photographer is worth it
There are situations when booking a short session with a local professional who takes care of the setup, timing, light, and other important factors makes all the difference. There are local photographers who know the most popular spots by heart and can therefore steer you towards quieter spots and the best times to avoid the crowds. They can find backgrounds and spots you may never find on your own. Having a professional who masters photography also means that you’ll have natural shots of real moments, leaving with candid pictures instead of forced poses. Because you don’t get to visit London every day, a handful of proper photos of all of you together can mean a lot later on.
Snacks and rest breaks – key for a cooperative kid
If there’s one thing that’ll make or break your family photos, it is unquestionably the mood of your child. Hunger and tiredness can kill a photoshoot faster than bad weather does, but a rested and full-bellied little one is more likely to cooperate without a fuss. That’s why good energy levels and good pictures go hand in hand, and why you should plan the photoshoot when your kid is full of vim and vigour. For the same reason, you should always have something for them to nibble on in your bag.
Pack the basics: snacks that won’t leave sticky marks and ones that are easy to eat on the move, as well as a bottle of water, some wipes, and maybe a treat you’ll keep hidden until it’s needed. Kids are angry when they’re hungry because low blood sugar triggers a physical stress response that’s hard even for adults to control, let alone kids.
Plan breaks as well. A café stop, a bench by the water or twenty minutes on a playground before you try for a photo can get you much better results than pushing on and hoping for the best.
Learn to turn the photo into a game for everyone.
Many people dislike posing, following difficult prompts, or taking three extra shots to get that flawless picture. Kids are the perfect example of this. But get the family to do easy little tasks instead of saying “cheese” and you’ll get far more natural smiles. For instance, ask the kid to jump off a low step. Being guided and having something fun to do can make it much easier to relax for the photo.