Family Portrait Photography with ‘Pappy’, Rory & Seb

Grandparents have got it the best, haven’t they? All the joy of seeing little ones grow up, the freedom to spoil them rotten, but none of the sleepless nights. This shoot was all about ‘Pappy’ and his much-loved grandchildren, Rory and Seb.

I’ve photographed Rory and Seb before, but their grandfather, James, hasn’t been able to make it to previous sessions. Last Christmas, mum Rachel decided to make this right, gifting her dad a certificate for a family portrait session.

On a cloudy April morning, we met up in the spot we’d used for previous shoots (for visual consistency), although the recent rainfall meant it was much muddier than when we were previously there!

I started off with each child with their grandpa. This is Pappy and Seb:

It’s important to capture each child individually, as well as with their sibling. When you have portraits taken of your family, the images are for your child as much as they are for you. And someday in the future, they will want to display their one without their sibling in it, with just them and their grandpa. This is Rory with Pappy:

I love the big grins of both the boys here, and how the lines of the bridge draw your eye in towards them.

Pappy’s relationship with the boys is a warm, loving and very playful one, so I wanted to capture that in a storytelling sequence, showing just how much fun they have together:

You can’t ask kids this age to give you expressions like these. Instead, we played a series of games that meant everyone was laughing and interacting naturally. Not only does this make the portraits more authentic, but the whole experience is enjoyable too:

It’s just as important to capture Rachel with her dad, so I took a few portraits of just the two of them together, as well as all four laughing and having fun:

After the shoot, Rachel said:

“Thank you for this morning. Dad loved it, as did the boys! …Pictures are as brilliant as always.”

If you’re interested in family portrait photography, please get in contact by emailing [email protected] or submitting the form below:

Sarah Plater is a family portrait photography based in Bicester, Oxfordshire.

(c) Sarah Plater Photography