Family photography on Headley Heath
As we head full swing into the winter months, increasingly the weather on our scheduled location shoots isn’t exactly ideal. You could attempt to reschedule, or you could just go for it. That’s exactly what this family did on my latest shoot. The mum’s reaction to the weather forecast? “Nah, we’ll just wrap up warm!” That’s what I love to hear!
So on a damp, drizzly October morning, we met at Headley Common in Surrey for some autumnal photography. The colours on the common are stunning at that time of year - there’s bracken just turning orange, yellow leaves on the trees and lush green grass - all making a gorgeous backdrop.
We did get rain. Of course we did. But it didn’t stop us. The three year old was fascinated by the photography and was helping me change the lens and wanted to see the pictures. We had such fun thinking of things we could shout out instead of “cheese!” (I think “bananas” was the winner), finding spots to sit in without prickly brambles, and exploring the common.
While the resulting images are obviously most important thing, it’s equally important to me that people enjoy their sessions. They need to be fun. Not only is it reflected in the finished photographs but it also means they mean something to the family.
And so I was touched to receive this image of a drawing the little girl had made as soon as she got home from our shoot! She had gone home talking about our adventure, the camera, the rain, and the leaves and the trees. She told her Mum that she wanted to draw a picture of it and so Mum, under strict instructions (“Draw JoJo. Draw the camera. And the trees. And the rain.”), helped her draw a picture of our session, complete with blue trees, the longest eyelashes I’ve ever seen and all her family lined up in front of the camera.
And it’s a masterpiece. :-)
About Headley Heath
Headley Heath is a wonderful mix of open heathland, woodland and chalk downland in Surrey with a wide network of walking and cycling routes to explore and stunning views. Great for walking, cycling, horse riding, it's a peaceful, beautiful spot.
The Heath is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for its rich, varied, and sometimes rare, wildlife, made up of a wonderful mosaic of open heath, chalk downland slopes and mixed woodland. https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/headley-heath