Socially Distanced Sibling & Family photos with Eliza & Nora

My sister-in-law brought her two little ones down to my studio so we could create something special for the grandparents. Here’s how we got on.

In a world of social distancing, how do you create a single image of people from two separate households? One option is a composite: two photos taken separately and then stitched together in Photoshop. That’s what we did here:

July is my in-law’s wedding anniversary, and we knew a photo of all their descendants would be the best gift we could give them. After so many months of no in-person contact, a photograph is a special way of feeling a little bit closer together.

We also took the opportunity to create some pictures of my five-year-old niece Eliza, and her little sister, Nora, who is almost one. 

Eliza particularly loves dragons but also any animal that goes to the vet. That’s because she plans to become a vet herself one day.

In the meantime, Eliza helps look after the family’s fish and tortoise. She’d also like to get two guinea pigs and she’s picked their names already: Conker and Leafy. All she needs now is for dad to turn his “no more pets” into a big “yes”. She’s working on it…

She also loves dancing, gymnastics and pretending to be pirates at the local playground. She’s one of the few people who can make her little sister smile just by being there, so I enlisted her help to get this big grin from Nora:

Nora likes eating what everyone else is having (as long as it ain’t spicy, that is). She also enjoys pulling herself up her feet by using the furniture around her, and then pulling down anything that was on top of that furniture. She’s keeping mum and dad busy, that’s for sure. When she’s not causing mischief herself, she’s watching everything her big sister gets up to (and picking up ideas for future mischief…).

Nora loves anything musical including whistling, humming and singing and that’s no surprise: both mum and dad teach music. Plus, as Eliza told me, one of the best things about her mum is her singing, and for her dad it’s how he plays guitar.

Indeed, with all the music and laughter, there’s rarely a quiet moment in their family home.

And though sometimes a little peace and quiet is just what you need, right now the grandparents would give anything to have all those sounds around them once again.

If you’re interested in child or family photography with me, please get in contact.

Sarah Plater LMPA is an award-winning, qualified, professional family portrait photographer based in Bicester, Oxfordshire. She is the Master Photographers Association Newborn Photographer of the Year 2019 for the Central Region (covering Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire).