The quintessential British sign of spring...
February 19, 2015
Family portraits in the bluebell woods
You know spring is coming in England when the woodlands become flooded with a magnificent sea of bluebells dowsed by shards of bright warm sunlight. Living in beautiful West Sussex I am lucky to be spoilt with such a vast choice of beautiful woodland areas in which to photograph my littlest clients! It is one of my favourite times of year and my own little girl would agree. She thinks the bluebell woods are magical, an enchanting land of fairies and pixies and all sorts of creatures great and small! This is a place for adventure and discovery, for exploration and for the imagination to run wild! And it’s because of this childhood wonder that I absolutely love shooting portraits of little ones in such a location.
When capturing images of varying ages in a group, I feel that the woods can work really well as a backdrop as I find that the natural environment helps to bring out the very essence of what it is to be a kid! I have noticed that children tend to be more relaxed and ‘at home’ in front of the camera as opposed to in a sterile studio environment. They can run and play, be themselves and their joy in doing so creates the most wonderful picture moments. Capturing siblings together in an image that compliments each individual child can be challenging so putting them in a situation that allows a little bit of freedom and space can really aid catching each child at their best and allow them to feel comfortable as they all explore their surroundings together.
For close up portraits the bluebell woods can offer a wash of vibrant background colour and often the most beautiful natural lighting. In this shot the soft thrown focus and rays of natural light streaming through, allows the subject to stand off of the delicate background and a real quality of light is reflected back onto the subject's face. I love capturing the childhood innocence of the preschool age group as to me it is precious time that you can never get back.
A natural outdoor environment is also perfect for stealing those unique and incidental moments. Part of the challenge with photographing children can involve helping them to relax around this ‘stranger’ who’s holding a big black camera and following them around! The woods allow me to remain quite discrete amongst the flowers and fallen branches and the children can do their thing without feeling intimidated by my presence!
It is always really important to capture the subject's personality which is my favourite thing about this next image. I have found that you can achieve a really modern and contemporary feel by maximising on the vibrant colours that this natural background offers. The vivid blues, browns and greens can provide a strong and distinctive edge to a portrait, often contrasting with the subject and making them ‘pop out’ and become a bold focus of the image.
Needless to say, there are many brilliant reasons to get out in the stunning English countryside in spring, and as a photo opportunity the bluebell woods can be one of the best situations in which children can enjoy being photographed. Let’s hope the warm weather hurries along so we can all enjoy the wash of blue and the smiles on our children’s faces as they explore this short-lived seasonal wonder!