Just before Christmas, I did a family vacation photoshoot in London. The family of three had come from Singapore to make their first visit to the capital and wanted to book a London vacation photographer to capture some beautiful memories of their travels.

Planning a London family vacation photoshoot

Booking a vacation photoshoot is perfect because it means that you could enjoy the city break with your family while getting the best images from your holiday with a professional family photographer who is most familiar with London. It’s documentary family photography that is unposed and goes at your own pace. I capture the moments as they naturally flow. You can travel light during a day trip in the city without having to pack your camera gear and tripod in your backpack, so you can have more room for souvenirs or drinks, snacks and spare clothes if you are travelling with younger children. You can also leave behind your selfie stick too. Whoever gets nice images out of using those while trying to be in the photo too?

While you don’t necessarily have to take in all the London iconic landmarks to make your holiday photos stand out. The beauty of London as a popular family travel destination is that everywhere is an easy hop away on the underground tube, buses or taxi cabs. And when you step outside, you’re surrounded by historic architecture juxtaposed by modern glass buildings and structures dotted within the beautiful city landscape. This can be best viewed while walking along the River Thames or you could jump on one of the city boat cruises, or watch from the viewing platform of the Tate Modern; a great alternative if you don’t want to go on the London Eye.

Unscripted vacation photography in London

The family from Singapore wanted an unposed and unscripted family photoshoot to document a day spent in the capital. They chose to book a full day-in-the-life family photoshoot for the full day of their penultimate stay in London. I met them early in the morning at the hotel where they stayed near the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey. 

The walk across Westminster Bridge that morning was glorious and one of my favourite photos of the family was taken at the very beginning of the day when their son was taking a leap in the air with his parents smiling at him. It was a completely candid shot as I stay close by to the family, sometimes walking next to them or a little further ahead, so I can capture glimpses like these unscripted moments unfolding. The long shadows cast down from the sunlight down the River Thames made the son’s action stand out against the backdrop of the Old County Hall (now site of the Sealife London Aquarium) behind them.  

The mother had booked a street art tour around Brick Lane, so we had to get to Spitalfields Market for the start of the two-hour guided walking tour. The East End of London has a fascinating history and multi-cultural community that is well-known for its street art, markets and quirky vintage shops, which makes the place a popular destination for visitors. 

To really learn the intricate history of the area around Brick Lane and Shoreditch, it’s good to have a local art expert take and walk you through the story of how this part of London became the vibrant art scene that it is today. And I highly recommend this company, Alternative London, whose guide was amazing in leading us on the walk that also meant that I could focus on capturing the family enjoying the tour as they took in the graffiti artwork around them.

The family was hungry after the walk so after briefly stopping for lunch and wandering back through Spitalfields Market again, we then made our journey to Tower Bridge, catching sight of some London landmarks along the Thames. Mother and son also loved hunting out the bubble gum street art by the artist Ben Wilson that they found on the Millennium Bridge too.

By the time we reached Tate Modern, it was starting to get dark, which was perfect as the capital began to lit up under the lights and it felt very peaceful looking out across the cityscape from the viewing platform of the gallery. 

After coming back down to the ground, it was dark so we made our way in a black cab to Trafalgar Square. I took some intimate family photos while we sat inside the cab while waiting for the taxi to navigate across the busy streets of London. It’s important to me that I make photos that not only show what a moment looks like but also how it feels. Observing the quieter moments in such a small space, with the son at one point snuggling up to his mother to go to sleep, I wanted to capture this natural intricacy of emotion for the family before it was gone. 

The family watched a charity Christmas choir at Trafalgar Square before heading to see the Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park. They were interested to experience the atmosphere of the Winter Wonderland theme park because they told me they don’t have them in their country in Singapore.

We must have walked a hundred miles that day before finishing the vacation family photoshoot upon leaving Hyde Park. The family was happy with their relaxed photoshoot and thanked me for spending time with them around London. 

If you are planning a holiday or city break in London and would like to book a vacation family photographer, I‘d be happy to talk and provide a bespoke quote for a photo shoot. I can also travel elsewhere in the UK or even beyond! Send me an enquiry at hello@dianahaguesphotography.co.uk