Helen Bartlett / Family Portraiture

Fun-filled multi-generation family photography in Cambridgeshire

16Oct

From when Wendy first got in touch with us, Kate and I knew that I was going to have a lovely time. Wendy sounded so enthusiastic about arranging this family photo shoot and it was also going to be a big extendednfamily affair, a type of shoot I really love.

Wendy and her husband, their two adorable twins Martha and Samuel, her in-laws and their delightful daughter Megan (all the children born within a month of each other, which must be absolutely wonderful for the cousins as they grow up) and the children’s grandparents – everyone would be there and everyone would be in the pictures. Big multi-generation family photo shoots like this are such fun for me as a photographer and provide such lovely memories for the family. I particularly like seeing how the cousins play together and it reminds me of all the lovely shots my Dad took of me, my brothers, and my cousins as we grew up and how important those pictures are to me now as our family remains close and I’m now photographing their children. It’s lovely to document these family relationships and I know that the children will really appreciate it when they are older, too.

So I was excited to be heading to Brampton near Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire for our family photo shoot. For all my ‘destination’ children and family photo shoots that take place outside of London, I travel the night before so I can start nice and early when the children are at their best and brightest. A peaceful train journey, a run along the River Ouse, a tasty dinner and an early night always puts me in a fabulous mood for children and family photography, and that coupled with arriving to find three beautiful children ready to be photographed was a fantastic start.

The children were such fun – three two-year-olds is, as you can imagine, a bit like herding cats to photograph but that makes it such good fun. Two-year-olds have such personality and such strength of will which makes for some hilarious photographs. Watching the three children interact was a joy and it was lovely to see how much happiness they were bringing both to their proud parents, but also to their dotting grandparents.

I captured pictures as the children played together, particularly enjoying by far the best bubble machine I have ever seen outside of a children’s party. I watched them playing on their own, enjoying quiet games with tractors and balloons, and also running down the ‘hill’, a beautifully manicured slope in their grandparents’ spectacular garden and being towed (and pushing each other) around the garden in a wagon.

I captured photographs with everyone together, family group pictures and, by far my favourites, shots as everyone interacted and played – those pictures with Grandad and the wagon, with Nanny walking on the secret path, and on mum and dad’s shoulders. These are the shots that warm my heart and will, I hope, bring back many happy memories for all those involved for many years to come.

I hope you enjoy looking at this selection of children and family photography from Brampton near Huntingdon in Cambridgeshie. I certainly enjoyed taking them.

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