Helen Bartlett / Family Portraiture

Category: Behind the Images

London portrait photographer Helen Bartlett explains the background to her award-winning portraits and fine art family photography Whether it’s from a gallery visit, being inspired from great photography in other genres or being mentored, Helen explains her process and techniques.

05May

Stories behind the Images – the highest leap in the world!

Sometimes a photograph needs an accompanying before and after picture to show that it is real, and this is definitely one of those instances. So many people have asked if this photograph was put together in Photoshop but no, Adam really did jump this high over his family, much to his wife and children’s amusement! […]

View Post

01Apr

Stories behind the images – The Walk to Paradise Garden

This month’s image was inspired by a picture by one of my favourite photographers – the late, great W. Eugene Smith and his famous shot of his children, The Walk to Paradise Garden. One of the best things about photography on location is the inability to plan. Until I arrive somewhere on the day, I […]

View Post

10Aug

Stories behind the Images No. 6 – Beach

What makes a picture remarkable? What makes one return to an image again and again? It is an open ended question, for sure… Sometimes it is an expression, or the emotion, or the light or composition. This picture, for me, is about mystery. It is also about the Great British Summer that we know so […]

View Post

23Jul

Stories behind the images No.5 – Oxford

To me, this picture is about the father and son relationship. It is about growing up in Oxford, rainy afternoons at the Ashmoleon museum, about science homework, about the joy of discovery and shared experiences. It isn’t – to me anyway – about having a family photo shoot, and I love it when my pictures […]

View Post

28Jun

Stories behind the Images No.4 – Father and Son

I’m really enjoying choosing pictures for this series as it’s really making me think about what it is in pictures that makes me really love them. Often it is down to a few simple elements – compositions, light and expression/emotion. These elements are the building blocks of a great image. They can be used simply […]

View Post

05Mar

Stories Behind the Images No.2 – Jumping on the Bed

I love movement in pictures and so I am always happy with a short session of jumping on the bed as an activity as part of a portrait session – albeit always supervised by parents and not for too long (there’s a fine line between forbidden joy and giddy exuberance, and bumped heads, bruised knees […]

View Post