Once you’ve scheduled your family session and have chosen a location, the next step is to decide what everyone in your family will wear. Clothes add an extra layer of personality and expression to your family photos, but it can also feel overwhelming to choose clothes for the whole family so that’s why I’m here with guidance!

September, October and November are perfect months for family photos in Victoria because the weather is cooling down while the sun is still shining bright! It’s also a great time to get your family photos in well before the holiday card hustle.

Here are my three favourite locations for family photos in beautiful Victoria BC.

If you love family photos, but just don’t love convincing your significant other to be enthusiastic about them or worrying about the behaviour of your kids, relax! Look forward to a stress-free family photo session with these 4 tips! 

Over my career as a family photographer, I’ve had many families request to include their pets their photos and my reply each time is the most enthusiastic “Yes! Absolutely!”.

Keep reading to find out why I’m so excited for families to include their pets in their family photoshoot.

Ensuring that every family’s photo session is fun and worry-free is why I created my Getting Ready Guide and why I’m also sharing these five best tips for amazing family photos:

Believe it or not, professional photographers know that having your picture taken can feel like a lot of work. I’ve photographed hundreds of families since Erin Clayton Photography first became a business and I would be fibbing if I told you that family portraits are stress-free. But with the right amount of planning and prep, your session will be a fun, joy-filled session!

Today I want to share my top tips for an enjoyable family photo session – I promise it’s possible!

My favourite time of day for outdoor portraits is 1-2 hours before sunset because of the warm, natural glow of the sun. The light is flattering and because it’s softer it also reduces harsh shadows and the need for squinting (like in bright, mid-day light). My close second favourite time of day is early morning for similar reasons. The sun is still lower in the sky so it’s possible to avoid the harsh overhead sunlight.

It was such a joy to meet up with Megan’s sweet and playful family at Esquimalt Lagoon and create new memories together!