Bayside Family photography

Why should I hire a photographer for my family?

Have you ever sat on a lazy sunday afternoon and gone for no real good reason through your photo albums? Or more likely you were doing some spring cleaning or organising some cupboards and stumbled upon old albums or a box of photos? Did you find yourself laughing at the hairstyles, or surprised by how young someone looked? Did you remembered what it felt like to hear the voice of those long gone? Having moved to 3 different countries in my life, most of what is left from my childhood and my former houses and experiences are the images I created. Early this year I found an album I did for my girls when they were 4 and 5 and I was surprised that I was only in one of the photos. Only then I realised that if I keep doing this through the years there will be hardly anything left behind of me for them. Over the years I have always found reasons to stay comfortable behind the camera while I record our holidays, or daily lives … so if you are a bit like me it’s time to get out of our comfort zones and start making memories with them. I have prepared this list of reasons that I hope will help you to put yourself in front of the camera more often.

4 great reasons to hire a professional photographer for your family

1. You will be able to be part of their memory and build your family story.

   This time last year, do you remember what your life was like? With time most memories get distorted and forgotten, so before that happens, recording your everyday is a great way to tell the story of your family to your kids once they grow a bit more.

2. Beyond the snapshot: Capture personalities

   Do you have a favourite book or a song that you sing to each other at night time? You might not think too much of it, but life is made of those little in between moments, and one day those are the little things you will be looking through in your memory, those are the little moments that will take you back to when your kids were little.

3. You will feel at ease and you will be relaxed in front of the camera

   As a professional photographer my job is to take you to a comfortable space where you are allowed to be yourself and relax, because stiff moments make stiff photos. I will direct you with prompts and games so that everyone is relaxed and calm while we create great windows of opportunity so that your family can relax and interact with each other.

4. Our equipment is versatile and can perform when taken to the limits of low light and details.

   We have invested a lot of time and effort getting to know our equipment so that it can perform in tricky situations like a never ending burst of energy from a toddler or the limited amounts of light that we can sometimes find in some homes. I work with two camera bodies (Canon 5DmIII and Fuji XT2). Working with 2 bodies allows me to use two different focal length without taking time out to change lenses, this means that from a same scene I can take wide angle shots but also little details.

Best locations for outdoor family photography in Bayside

Located in the southern suburbs of Melbourne, Bayside combines both leafy streets and parks with a variety of great beaches that are perfect for an outdoor family photography session. Here are some great options for you to consider if you are planning an outdoor session at a park or the beach. The best time of the day for outdoor photography sessions are when the natural light is softer (on an overcast day) or on an angle like at sunrise or closer to sunset. Early in the day and closer to sunset are both called the golden hours, and the sun is on an angle, this means that there are no harsh shadows over your nose or eyes. This type of light gives a nostalgic and dreamy effect to the images, and the warm tones are great for hot summer evenings near the beach.

Depending on the age of your children you might decide to go with a park or the beach. In both cases please remember to bring some snacks and water for them.

Having a few extra activities like flying a kite or playing a quick game of footy or cricket is always fun and it helps everyone to relax and enjoy an afternoon together. Keep in mind that my aim for your outdoor photography session is to show genuine emotions and memories of your family together having fun, so if you are all serious or stiff your photos will show just that.

Best Bayside Beach for your outdoor family photography session

• Halfmoon Beach

• Edward Street Beach

• Sandringham Beach

• Mordialloc Pier

  Best Bayside Park for your outdoor family photography session

• Healey Street Reserve

• Allnutt Park

• Landcox Park

• Mentone Racecourse

• Cheltenham Park Reserve and playground

  Here you will be able to find other lists of the best playgrounds in Bayside.

Are you consider other locations for your family photography session or portrait session?

Then come and have a look at these other great options.