New favourite place for family shoots
A gorgeous weekend in May – well, it turned out to be! We’d picked the time well and the wind had blown the clouds out of the way to reveal some lovely dappled light between the trees – so that’s where we headed first!
My new favourite place to explore with family photo shoots is around Padley Gorge and, while the wind was tearing away over the higher ground, the shelter of the trees was perfect.
There are so many options here to use the natural elements around as props and provide something to lean on or hide behind – takes away some of those nerves at the beginning and somewhere natural to put your hands!
I’d been for a quick wander beforehand, and found a rope swing attached over the river – knowing the family a little, I thought it was worth an ask – and it proved great fun! (To be honest, I was totally impressed – I’d given it a tug or two to make sure it was safe earlier, but the jump wasn’t the easiest to get onto the rope – every one here made it work – so 10/10 guys!
We then decided to ask mum and dad to take a wander away and enjoy the scenery for a while – sometimes doing some individual shots while everyone else is watching feels a little too much, so me and the twins had a few minutes exploring the area and catching some portrait shots. Bring back in the parents, and they should head to a second career in modelling – they look like they’ve done this before!
A lovely little wander through the trees and we braved the tops – as long as we kept the wind in the right direction or found the cover of the rocks – we were all good, although we didn’t stay for too long – it was a tad blowy!
Looking forward to a couple of shoots here over half term – one with an extended family group, little kids and grandparents included – and another teenage family. Hoping we can get up to Higger Tor and around the area above Padley Gorge and Surprise View as it is so stunning up there too.
I’ve space during half term if you’d like to book in a shoot, drop me a message or email at alijsphotos@gmail.com
