Outdoor family photography in Richmond, London.

Relaxed, golden-hour family photoshoots in Richmond Park - honest, film-inspired photography by a Richmond family photographer. Mornings and sunset sessions

As a family photographer in Richmond, there's a reason Richmond Park is one of my favourite spots for family photoshoots. Minutes from my studio, it holds everything a family session could want — ancient trees, open meadows, tall grass, water and big evening skies, with deer somewhere in the distance.

A sunset family photoshoot in Richmond Park isn't about posing. We walk, the children lead, and the photographs happen in between — the piggybacks, the running races, the small hand reaching up for yours. My job is to know where the light will be and to hold the plan, so all you have to do is be together.

The kind of places we'll go

I've been photographing families in Richmond park for years, and I keep a handful of spots I return to for their light and their calm — a stretch of ancient woodland that makes black and white portraits feel timeless, meadows where the last hour of sun turns the grass gold, paths lined head-high with bracken that children disappear into and burst out of laughing, and softer, shadier corners that suit babies and warm evenings. Which one is right for you depends on your children's ages and the time of year — that's exactly what our planning call is for, and I'll share where we're meeting when your session is booked.

When to book your session

The magic hour is real: most of my Richmond Park family photoshoots are photographed in the last hour or two before sunset, when the light is warm and the park empties out. Midweek evenings are calmest. And if sunset feels too close to bedtime for little ones, we simply shoot in the morning or late afternoon instead — we’ll still take advantage of the softer light, and rested children make joyful photographs.

Spring brings blossom and fresh green, summer the long golden evenings, autumn the copper bracken — there's no wrong month, only different beauty. As for the deer: we admire them from a distance, always, and the photographs are better for it.

The practical bits

I'll confirm exactly where and when we're meeting the week of your session, along with parking and the simplest way in with a buggy. If the weather turns, we move the date — or step into my garden studio in St Margarets, minutes away.

What's included

Family sessions start at £650, which covers our planning consultation, the session itself, and ten hand-edited images to download and keep — finished in my film-inspired style, in colour and black and white. Once you've seen your full gallery, you can add the complete collection or bring your favourites home as an album or framed prints. Everything else is on my family photography in Richmond page.

Common questions

What time will the session actually be? Usually the golden hour before sunset — in summer that's the evening, in autumn and winter the late afternoon. Mornings work beautifully too, especially for younger children.

What should we wear? Soft, timeless pieces that move — I'll send styling guidance after you book, and my client wardrobe is there if you'd like it.

What if the children won't cooperate? Then we follow them. The running-off, the mid-laugh chaos, the flop into the grass — that's usually where the best photographs are.

Do you photograph other parks? Yes — Bushy Park in Teddington is another favourite, and I photograph families at home across Richmond and West London too.