Family Beach Session – Dunedin

This lovely family braved Dunedin mizzle (misty-drizzle in my language) to get these photos.  Such a relaxed family and you could feel the love amongst them.  Thanks guys for being super awesome. This Family Beach Session – Dunedin was taken at Smails Beach which is one of my favourite spots.

I always strive to get relaxed family photos. I find that giving children something to do, an action or story to act out is really useful in getting natural photos. A lot of times I only meet the children 5 minutes before the shoot. I make a real effort to connect with them and ask them about their school and friends. If I know someone else at their school I will make that connection with them.  That gives me credibility in their eyes.

A great tip in getting buy-in from your children before a photoshoot is to tell them what they’ll be doing.  It’s important that they understand your expectations.  Also, in addition to letting them know what will happen is to offer a reward afterwards.  This can be an icecream on the way home, their choice of movie at home later or any other reward that works for your family.

Feel free to take a look at my other family images in my portfolio gallery here.

I also have some great guides and ideas for what to wear for your family photoshoot.  Head over to my Pinterest to check them out.