Let me guess.
You've thought about booking family photographs.
You'd really love some beautiful photos of everyone together.
You haven't updated the photographs on the wall for approximately 700 years.
There's just one tiny problem...
Your children are feral.
😂
Okay, maybe not feral.
But they're YOUR children.
And you know exactly what's going to happen.
You'll spend money booking a photographer.
You'll carefully choose everyone's clothes.
You'll get everyone ready.
You'll somehow get the entire family into the car.
You'll arrive at the location.
And approximately 14 seconds later, one child will decide they absolutely do not want to participate.
Someone will be hungry.
Someone will need the toilet.
Someone will find a stick.
Someone else will become deeply emotionally attached to a rock.
Dad will start looking at his watch.
And you'll be standing there thinking:
"WHY DID I THINK THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA?"
Here's what I want you to know before you ever book a family session with me.
YOUR CHILDREN DON'T NEED TO BEHAVE FOR ME.
I mean it.
They don't need to sit perfectly still.
They don't need to smile on command.
They don't need to look at my camera every time I ask.
And they absolutely do not need to pretend to be different children for an hour.
In fact, I'd rather they didn't.
Because I'm not actually trying to photograph your children being "good."
I'm trying to photograph who they are.
THE RUNNING IS PART OF THE SESSION
If your child wants to run... We'll probably run.
If they want to explore... We'll explore.
If they're shy and need ten minutes attached to Mum's leg before they'll even look at me... That's okay too.
If your toddler decides that picking up sticks is significantly more interesting than Nicole and her camera...
Fair enough.
Sticks are apparently fascinating when you're three. 😂
The point is that I don't need every child to behave in exactly the same way.
A family session isn't a school photograph.
We're not trying to achieve one perfect frame where everyone is sitting in a straight line with identical smiles.
We're creating a collection of photographs that feels like your family.
And families move.
They laugh.
They annoy each other.
They cuddle.
They play.
They sometimes have little meltdowns.
That's real life.
PLEASE DON'T SPEND THE WHOLE SESSION TELLING THEM TO SMILE
This is one of the biggest things I'd love parents to stop worrying about.
You don't need to stand behind me saying:
"SMILE!"
Or:
"LOOK AT THE LADY!"
Or the classic:
"If you don't behave we're not getting ice cream!"
😂
Leave that bit to me. Sometimes I'll want everyone looking at the camera.
And yes, we'll usually get those photographs.
But some of my favourite images happen when nobody is looking at me at all.
Your daughter laughing at Dad. Your little boy burying his face into Mum. A toddler being thrown into the air.
Tiny fingers holding yours.
Everyone laughing because something ridiculous just happened.
Those photographs tell me far more about your family than five people staring at my lens.
John Smith
videographer
John Smith is a passionate videographer with a keen eye for capturing captivating moments. With over five years of experience in the industry, John has developed a unique storytelling style that beautifully combines creativity and technical expertise.
What if my child is shy?
Then they're shy. That's okay.I'm not going to shove a camera into their face the second you arrive. Some children need time.
We'll talk.
We'll walk.
I'll probably say something silly.
They can stay close to you.
Eventually, most kids work out that I'm not particularly scary.
And once they realise nobody is going to force them to perform...
That's often when they start relaxing.
What if my child has a meltdown?
Then we stop. Simple.
We take a minute.
Have a cuddle.
Get a drink.
Eat a snack.
Reset.
There is no Family Photography Police standing nearby with a stopwatch.
A little meltdown does not mean your session has failed.
And here's something parents often don't realise:
I don't photograph every second.
You might remember the five minutes where your toddler completely lost it.
But your gallery might contain 60 photographs from all the other moments.
The cuddles.
The running.
The laughing.
The little looks.
The beautiful stuff.
And Dad doesn't need to behave either
Let's talk about the other child for a moment. 😂
I'm joking.
Mostly.
A surprising number of family enquiries come with some variation of:
"My husband hates having his photo taken."
That's okay too.He doesn't need to become a model.He doesn't need to know how to pose.He doesn't need to produce a perfect smile on command.
I give people direction.I'll give you something to do.
We'll keep things moving.
And eventually, hopefully, everyone forgets they're supposed to be "having photographs taken."
That's when things get good.
Ipswich families — I'm still here ❤️
I'm currently taking family photography bookings around Ipswich and surrounding areas.
And when NYX makes the move to Warwick in February, I'll still be returning to Ipswich every month for family sessions.
So my Ipswich families aren't going anywhere.
Warwick & Southern Downs families — hello 👋
I'm also now starting to take enquiries from families around Warwick and the Southern Downs for 2027.
So if you've discovered NYX because I'm heading your way and you've been worried that your kids are "too wild" for professional family photographs...
We should probably talk. 😂
Because wild is fine.
Shy is fine.
Loud is fine.
Quiet is fine.
Chaos is fine.
Your family doesn't need to be perfect to be worth photographing.
It just needs to be yours.
❤️
NYX Photography
Family & Wedding Photography
Warwick & Southern Downs from February 2027
Ipswich sessions continuing every month
Ready to make some beautifully imperfect family memories?
