Family photography tips for lockdown

FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS for lockdown…

During this strange time whilst we are all on lockdown, my daily highlight is our hours exercise with the family. Every day we walk over to Chipperfield woods and explore. Chipperfield woods is one of my favourite locations for family shoots but I have to admit there are two areas which I use for these shoots. Having all this extra time we’ve explored everywhere and I have found so many new wonderful locations. I always take my phone with me as it’s so light compared to my big camera and have been taking lots of photos of the girls.

The photos above are taken on my iPhone.

My top tips are;

-       Always make it fun!!! Like on my family shoots which younger children I always turn it into a game, we climb, balance, jump, go on a bear hunt, search for bug & muddy puddles. The children are having so much fun it’s so easy to get great shots.

-       Make sure the flash is off. Use natural light. Photographing people on a really sunny day can be quite tricky as you get a lot of harsh light. Try taking the pictures in the shade. An overcast day is my favourite.

-       Get down low! When photographing children get down low. I like to get my camera or phone as close to the ground looking up at them if for instance they are walking down a path or splashing in a muddy puddle. You also get to see much more of the surroundings around you and the children take over the shot.

-       Try and find some foreground. This is really easy to so if shooting on a phone. Whist they are playing, balancing, exploring, photograph them from behind some flowers, leafs, or plants. The foreground is the part of the image closest to the camera and can be used to draw attention to the subject (in this case your child) located further into the frame. It can also be used to frame the subject. Foreground is great to play with and adds a whole new dimension to the image.

-       I love finding fallen trees to sit children on. This is also great if you have little escape artists as a lot of parents struggle with getting a picture of their children together. Same with lower trees which they can climb or stand in.

-       Having an extra person with you is really handy! As you can concentrate on taking the photo whilst the other person can be in charge of being the tickle monster and getting those giggles!

-       Once you get home you can also do a little edit on your pictures, on my phone I like to add just a tiny bit of the vivid effect (I use an iPhone so this is just the edit options on my photo) I use the shadow option to make it a little lighter and a bit of the brightness. Once you start playing with these tools you soon learn what works for you. The warmth tool is also good to make your image look either warmer or cooler depending on the lighting that day.

I hope these tips help!!! We have all this extra family time and the perfect photography subjects so get snapping!!! I’d love to see some of your shots!

Tag me on Instagram @lovepicturesbyleila so I can see.

A natural passion for photography

My two little muses…Maya and Amelie!

Photography has always played a huge part in my life. My mum is a photographer so from as young as I can remember I spent many an evening sitting on the floor in our bathroom developing photos. Back then the art of photography was obviously very different. I used to be in charge of rocking the chemical trays, waiting in anticipation for the images to appear. I feel in love with it instantly. I used to nag my mum to let me take they last few frames on her cameras and my the age of ten I have my first photograph published on the cover of “Nursery World” magazine! And I got paid!

After university I joined the BBC as a trainee camera operator! I wanted to take things a step further visually and make television programs. The training at the BBC was fantastic and I soon became a camera operator. I was lucky enough to work on so many huge shows and events. A few to list were; Strictly Come Dancing, Dance fever, Top of the pops, Glastonbury, Live 8, Eastenders, March of the day, Wimbledon,  The Olympics, The one show, Big brother, The million pound drop, Pointless, 8 out of 10 cats, Blue Peter. The list is endless!

The television and photography worked so well together and I loved both!

After 10 years at the BBC I went freelance! Exciting times! I would be solely my own boss, I had two exciting careers and I could concentrate even more on my photography! That’s when Love Pictures was established! I moved from South East London to Hertfordshire, got married had my first daughter and my business went crazy!!!! I think my clients love it that I’m current, still working in television mean that my work doesn’t get dated. I’m constantly exposed to new and exciting ideas and that’s what people want!

I now have two gorgeous daughters, we live in Chipperfield, Kings Langley in Hertfordshire.

I love photographing children and families in the beautiful area that we are lucky enough to live in! Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire are stunning backdrops and I really do think I have the best job ever. From maternity photoshoots, newborns, first birthday cake smashes and family shoots, I enjoy them all. Over the last few years I’ve also been doing family mini shoots which have been so popular.

Spring mini shoots in Whippendale woods, Watford. Bluebell mini shoots in Chorleywood, Chesham, Berkhamsted & the Ashridge Estate. Lavender mini shoots at Hitchin Lavender Farm. Wildflower shoots in Amersham, Chipperfield & Abbott’s Langley. Autumn Mini Shoots in Chipperfield, Amersham, Gerrards Cross, Potters Bar & St Albans.

So welcome to Love Pictures by Leila. I’m a local mummy who’s passionate about what I do.

Pop over to my Instagram @lovepicturesbyleila to check out my work and if you’d like to book a shoot with me get in touch xx

A stroll with my girls in Chipperfield Woods…