My seasonal family photography Dublin mini sessions are all done in my local area of Blackrock & Seapoint. These mini sessions are seasonal & depending on the season may be held in Blackrock parks & gardens as well as the beach at Seapoint.
Spring time mini's are great in Blackrock gardens.
Spring is such a special time of year. After the short, dark days of winter, suddenly the landscape comes alive again! Buds in the garden. New leaves on trees. Then, a few more weeks into Spring and the start of cherry blossom family sessions.
Family photography gets very popular around this time, particularly as families are starting to look for communion sessions. Also baby & newborn sessions can happen outdoors in warmer weather too.
Sometimes the cherry blossom this time of year is short lived. It is great to make use of a backdrop of blossom for child & family portraits. Including older children & teenagers. Spring has sprung session
The classic child portrait is focused on the child's face & expressions and also hand gestures. Often in order to have the face in sharp focus the background can recede into softer focus.
Classic child & family portraits can be achieved in a 30 minute mini family session with time to spare for more candid family interactions. These are natural moments that are less posed, and more spontaneous or "in the moment".
For instance, below is a moment captured where this little boy's french bull dog decided to munch on overhanging cherry blossom. In a 30 minute family photo shoot I like to get the more traditional pictures done first and then move around the person making sure to get as many angles and compositions as possible. As well as photographing faces for child portraits, I like to photograph other sides of the body, including the back of a person.
It is important to make the most of any unscripted, unplanned moments. Where classic child portraits merge with documentary family photography.
Spring minis in my local area of Blackrock, is a perfect session for babies and toddlers who can perhaps only concentrate on being photographed for a short amount of time. In the local Blackrock garden I use often, there is a pretty daisy lawn in Spring. This is where this baby girl took her fist steps, with dad close at hand!
below is my most recent Spring mini in my favorite Blackrock garden. In early June, the cherry blossom was long gone. However, the daisies were out. There was also re-wilding in the garden and it looked like we were in the middle of a meadow in the country side.
On a bright spring day, it is important to find the shelter under trees to prevent light being too intense across faces! Spring Mini Family Photo Shoot Dublin
Spring is also the time for many communion outdoor photo shoots. Many communion sessions are done between church & home. A stop somewhere in nature to create a lovely backdrop for communion family portraits. I love to capture communion children playing in nature in their communion attire. Like this little girl hanging from a leafy green tree in her Communion dress.
Sometimes the middle of the day can produce hard light, intense highlights & shadows. The days are longer in Spring & the sun brighter. For photo shoots in the middle of the day, it is important to embrace hard light. Outdoor Communion Photo Shoot Dublin. In Donadea Forest Park, Kildare, near Dublin. This was a full length hour family photo shoot.
Using a backdrop of blossom has always played a part in my family photography. See In the beginning of my adventures with family photography, photographing my own children as they grow up in the UAE. When I began shooting my own family in Abu Dhabi, I loved to frame my own children around the bougainvillea blossom of my own garden. The natural colors of nature bring joy & passion into child & family pictures.
These early influences are definitely carried over into my seasonal family photography Dublin. Spring, summer, autumn, winter - there will always be splashed of seasonal color to bring family portraits to life!
It can be lovely to dress for the season. Spring allowing for colors that match the blossom, whereas in autumn earthy tones are fantastic with autumn leaves...
Family Photography, what to wear. I have some tips of what to wear to any seasonal family photography session. However, as you can see in the pictures above, white cotton can be a great choice in warmer weather for families and young children & babies. White and other neutral colors give a fresh feel and don't detract or steal attention from the people being photographed - if in doubt, it's a winner every time for natural outdoor photography, allowing the seasonal color to create the drama all around!
Spring is of course one of 4 seasons for family photography. Autumn family photo shoots are another firm favorite as families can make the most of autumn color in the run up to Christmas & Christmas family photo shoots Dublin. However, there is no best season to get pictures taken, each has a unique mood & atmosphere. I go over each season here, pros & cons:
For frequently asked questions on any full length or mini family photography Dublin session please go HERE . There is also information on my three popular family photography Dublin packages which include the mini sessions in my local area. You can find all this info under Pricing. Cara Hodge Photographer: Family Photographer Dublin. Award winning, internationally published child & family photographer. Expertise in child portraits and cinematic black & white. Also rich, natural color tones.
Have a wonderful week, and if you'd like to chat more or book your family mini session, please go to Contact
Cara xx