Oxfordshire Family Photos for the Wright Family

Lovely clients, cute & cheeky children and a gorgeous lock-side location near Oxford: I had sooo much fun during this relaxed family shoot.

When I was discussing possible shoot locations with Chris and Jo Wright, Jo mentioned that she grew up in a house next to a lock on an Oxfordshire canal. As she described it and showed me pictures they’d taken there, I knew it would be perfect for their family photographs.

Jo’s brother still lives there, and the Wright family often visit with Amy (6) and Hannah (3) in tow. This meant two things: the location would have a lot of personal relevance, and the kids would feel very relaxed there.

We met on the evening of the shoot, and started out with a few family portraits to get everyone warmed up and relaxed, before using the beautiful blossom on a nearby tree as a background for this photograph of both girls together:

If you think those look like cheeky smiles, that’s because they are! Amy and Hannah are full of fun, laughter and energy, and giggled away throughout the shoot.

Next up we played a game with dad, which both the girls loved. Check out these grins!:

I love how the edges of the path draw your eye in towards Chris and the girls.

Next up was cuddles with mum:

I love how everyone is linked together in one huge cuddle, the great eye contact and the genuine smiles.

Next, we crossed over the lock and headed to a wooden hut, which offered superb background texture for portraits of each of the girls. First up was Hannah:

I love the colours and textures in this shot, from the wooden panels in the background to the sequins on Hannah’s top. Then it was big sister Amy’s turn:

Again, the textures look fab, and the consistent look and feel of these two portraits means they will look great when displayed together.

One of the best things about this location was the variety it offered. Just a few steps away from the canal was a small wood, where we stopped for a family portrait:

I think the family look fab here, and I love the tree trunks on either side in the background.

With the light levels dropping, we had time for just a few more images. We headed back to the lock, as I was keen to include some water in the background to capture all the variety this location offered:

Cropped portraits like these show the love and relationships between family members while still keeping the focus on the child. I love Hannah’s laugh here as she’s cuddled by her mum.

Next it was Amy’s turn. A slightly different angle gave a similar look and feel to Hannah’s portrait, but with slightly different details in the background.

To finish off we took a few more family portraits as we headed back to the cars, then it was time to edit, show the images and start the difficult task of picking which ones to go where!

I will never get tired of seeing my portraits on families’ walls. It’s such an honour to create images that will be displayed in this way and I absolutely love this montage selection that Chris and Jo chose for their hallway:

Chris and Jo picked a cherrywood frame to match their hallway floor and furniture, with double mounts to really set the images off beautifully. I love that this montage is the first thing you see as you come into the house and take your coat off – it’s an instant welcome that lets you know what a warm, happy and loving family live here.

Chris and Jo also picked a single family portrait to replace an old studio one that was hung by the TV:

The silver frame works really well in their light and airy living room, and the large print size ensures that the portrait isn’t swamped by the TV next to it.

Chris is a keen photographer himself, so I also dropped off a complimentary copy of my first book, Foundation Portrait Photography. Chris has been pretty busy completing his Master’s course recently, but once he finishes that and gets his leisure time back I look forward to seeing more of his photographs!

Afterwards, Jo said:

“A fantastic experience from start to finish – I would highly recommend Sarah for family portraits! From the very first email contact to final delivery it was a pleasure working with such a helpful, professional and friendly person. We had an outdoor shoot in cold, cloudy, damp conditions, but Sarah made it such fun that it didn’t matter. And because she had taken the time to prepare thoroughly, including researching and visiting the rather unusual location (River Thames lockside!), it all went extremely smoothly. She’s excellent with little ones; our 3- and 6-year olds were so relaxed and absorbed playing her various games! We love the end results and will treasure them for years to come. It was great to have Sarah’s help and advice all the way through the process, and lovely that she delivered the final artwork to our house so she could see our reactions and the photos in situ – she obviously takes a lot of pride in her work. Thanks so much Sarah!”

Would you like to find out more about family portrait photography? Please get in contact:

Sarah Plater is a portrait photographer based in Bicester, Oxfordshire.

(c) Sarah Plater Photography