Fun Family Photo Shoot with the Singers

It was a bright and sunny Saturday morning when I arrived for the shoot at the Singer family home. I always emphasize the weather because (a) as a photographer I need natural light; it brings out the best in people and pictures; and (b) simply because you never know what you’re going to get in London.

The Singers had just moved in so the flat was still a work in progress. Weeks before the shoot, Tamir and Yael had suggested that we do the shoot at a nearby park. But upon my arrival at their home, I scanned through possible shoot locations within their home itself and I knew there were plenty of areas that would make for nice settings. The lighting in their flat was good, it was spacious and had both indoor and outdoor spaces, which meant that we had a range of options within the flat itself. We did the shoot mostly in their spacious backyard which was good for their little tot, one-year old Abigail. Kids can be interesting subjects to shoot and sometimes familiarity breeds comfort for them. This I thought indeed would be the case with Abigail too as she wouldn’t need to familiarize herself with new surroundings.

When shooting with kids, I also have to consider other factors such as mood, playfulness and responsiveness – are there times of the day that are better for them than others? Are they more playful and responsive at a particular hour of the morning? Do they respond well to external stimuli and strangers at some times? It was the same with this little bundle of energy! Tamir and Yael informed me that mid-mornings are the best for Abigail.

As I arrived at the Singer home, I noticed that Abigail was sniffing; she seemed to be a bit under the weather… she had a bit of a cold, I was told. With the sun out, and seeing my camera in hand, Abigail warmed up to me and we hit it off. She was bubbly and smiley for the full two hours! I was able to capture plenty of solo shots of her, in between pictures with mommy and daddy. It also helped that her toys were in close proximity, which enhanced Abigail's already good mood… She was more playful and it was easy to capture her candid moments with all the toys around. It was that or she was simply a natural in front of the camera.

Abigail

It was a productive day at the Singer household. A little apprehensive when I first got there, I left quite happy with the output. The family and the little one had made for very supportive and willing subjects, which definitely helped the case. The selection you see below is only a handful of the many amazing shots I captured that day. My first (of what will be hopefully many more such shoots) was a fun experience and one that taught me a lot. If mommy and daddy let me, I’d love to have the chance to capture Abigail’s growth as she turns into a fine young lady under the watchful eye of her parents. :)

Singer Family