Helen Bartlett / Family Portraiture

At Home Family Photos in Highgate

15May

Creative Family Photography

Welcome to my London Family Photography blog, today I’m sharing a sneak peek of a recent at-home portrait picture from a family photography session in Highgate in North London.

This was my second photo shoot with Malek and her wonderful family and I was thrilled to return to their stunning Highgate home to update the family photographs.  It was a beautiful day and I was able to walk up the hill from where I live in Crouch End, arriving full of energy for the day ahead.

We spent a wonderful morning together, starting in the house and then, fairly swiftly heading out for breakfast at a nearby café and then to the park to run around and enjoy ourselves before the crowds arrived.  At this time of year it makes such a difference being out and about early, having the park pretty much to ourselves and, for most of the time an empty playground.

As I began to process the pictures after our Highgate family photo shoot this shot jumped out at me. I was looking out for it, excited by the possibilities as I thought it would be something special at the moment I took it and I wasn’t disappointed.  I love it.

This family portrait photograph was taken at Malek’s beautiful Highgate home before we headed out to the park.  When I arrived at the house, I had noticed the incredible lights hanging down through the winding staircase and wondered if there was a composition that could make use of them.  The stairs are amazing (and I was thrilled to see some of my prints from our last session in pride of place) I was keen to use them in a picture.  As we headed down from the top bedroom, I noticed these wonderful lines, the carpet, the floorboards, the banisters and then the beautiful monochrome tiles on the floor below – I love this feature of many North London houses.

Quickly dashing down to move a buggy and some shoes from the hallway I then headed back up the stairs to work on a picture.  I wanted to make a feature of these lines and also include the lights; I love how the spheres complement the graphic shapes so well and the three glass baubles balanced that half of the picture with their cords adding in additional straight elements.

Suggesting the girls lie in the available space on the right-hand side they are perfectly positioned for where our eye ends up as it follows the spiral of the picture from the top left into the middle of the image with the girls faces as the centre.

It’s worked perfectly and I’m also thrilled with the little details, their lovely happy expressions (expression is everything) and Lea’s foot, resting on the woodwork which really makes me smile, that lovely way that children interact with their environment.

I’m so thrilled with the picture and I hope you like it as much as I do.  If this style of creative family photography appeals to you then do get in touch, I have some availability left this spring and there are also a dates available in the summer and autumn. For more information do have a look at the How it Works page on the website or read some of the lovely reviews.