Kerry Unwin

Kerry is an award-winning, published baby, child and family photographer who specialises in newborn photography. See www.kerryunwinphotography.co.uk and @kerryunwinphotography on Facebook and Instagram.

Best time of day

Speak to any seasoned photographer and they’ll tell you that the optimum time of day to photograph portraits on location is around one hour after sunrise or one hour before sunset. This is because the sun is lower in the sky and it produces a beautiful, warm and soft light that is extremely flattering to subjects, particularly skin tones. Once the sun starts to rise the light becomes harsher and you may encounter blown-out highlights and strong shadows. Having offered that advice, I very rarely shoot at those times. As a baby, child, and family photographer the most important element of my outdoor photo sessions are happy, rested children and relaxed, non-rushed parents. This means I am forced to embrace the sunlight, working around naptimes and mealtimes so often shooting between the hours of 10am and 3pm. I have a selection of stunning locations nearby, for all eventualities where there is shade available and beautiful backdrops. When you’re shooting during these times look for shade from trees, buildings and walls and position your subject right at the very edge of the shade. To find the ideal spot, stand in the sunlight and walk backwards until you stop squinting at the sun; this way the subjects should be evenly lit without losing them in the shadows. Be aware of dappled light though, as this causes uneven light spots which you’ll kick yourself for not noticing later!

Watch out for colour casts

Spring is a beautiful season, full of colour, with amazing backdrops to really bring life to your portraits. Look out for colour casts though, especially with all the bright greenery around. Green colour casting happens when light reflects off the grass and trees and gives your subject a much-unwanted green hue to their skin. This is another reason to try to find open shade and place your subject at the edge of it, as the closer you shoot to the trees the more likely you will encounter a green cast. Look for anything neutral to bounce light onto your subjects, such as pathways. If a green cast is unavoidable, don’t panic, it’s an easy fix in Photoshop.

Comfortable clothing

When it comes to clothing, the most important thing is that my clients are all warm and comfortable. That said, I do advise them to wear solid colour clothing, free of prints, patterns and logos so the images don’t date, and patterns don’t distract from the portrait. I always suggest neutral creams/ white/grey/earthy colours as a base as this also helps to avoid colour casting from brightly coloured clothing. I suggest they add pops of colour – I find blue/navy and yellow/mustard tones always work well. If families can co-ordinate and pick out colours from each other’s outfits, then that also helps to make images that are more pleasing to the eye.

Connect with your subject(s)

Connection with your subject is absolutely paramount. As photographers we can be guilty of concentrating too much on ensuring the conditions and the technical set-up is perfect, potentially missing key interactions and moments that capture special memories and images our clients will treasure forever. If photographing young children, keep a stash of ‘tools’ in your camera bag to entertain them. I have various noisy toys and sweets (obviously check with parents before dishing out the Haribo!) The best device I have is a little sound box. I often ask parents to press different buttons on the box behind my head. The all-time favourite noises with children (and a few parents… ha!) are burp and fart sounds!

Do a recce in advance

Always scout your location and have back-up options. Don’t leave it until the day of the shoot to check out the area if you’re working with paying clients. Anything could happen, from park closures and tree-felling to a local event taking place. Planning is always key.

Composition

It goes without saying that you need to keep an eye on straight horizons on location shoots but also make sure that these don’t run so that they chop your subject’s head off! Another tip is to check for inanimate objects/ plants ‘growing’ out of your subject’s head!