The Blacker Family - Family Portraits at the Hoo Hoo Hut

There is something really lovely about having families come back when their story has grown.

I first photographed Lauren and James a couple of years ago, before their youngest little boy, Benjamin, was born. Back then, it was just their two older boys, Seth and Ollie. This time, they came back as a family of five, with Benjamin now almost one and very much ready to be part of the action.

We chose the Hoo Hoo Hut for their family photos, and while it was a beautiful winter morning with bright blue skies, it was also absolutely freezing. It was around -1 degrees when I left home that morning, so it was definitely one of those sessions where everyone needed to keep moving.

Except, apparently, James and Seth, who both turned up in T-shirts and seemed completely unbothered by the cold. I still do not understand it.

Lauren and James have three boys: Seth, Oliver, and Benjamin.

Seth is thirteen, Ollie is eleven, and Benjamin is almost one. It is such a gorgeous mix of ages to photograph, because you get the older boys who can follow direction, have a bit of a laugh, and help with their baby brother, alongside a one-year-old who is very much doing his own thing.

And Benjamin was absolutely doing his own thing.

At this age, babies are not really babies anymore. They are on the move, they have opinions, and they often have very little interest in being held still for family photos. Benjamin was toddling around, exploring everything, and making it very clear that he would much rather be off adventuring than sitting neatly in one spot.

Which is honestly very normal for a one-year-old.

One is such a tricky age to photograph, especially when they are already walking.

With a two-and-a-half or three-year-old, you can usually start using a little bit of negotiation. Maybe a bit of bribery. Maybe the old “one more photo and then you can run to that tree” trick.

With a one-year-old? Not so much.

There is no real bargaining. There is no explaining why we just need one more photo. There is just working with whatever they are willing to give us in that moment.

So that is exactly what we did.

We would get everyone into position, bring Benjamin in at the last second, take as many photos as we could before he started wriggling his way out of someone’s arms, and then let him go for a little walk. A reset, a wander, a bit of freedom, and then we would try again.

It is one of the reasons I never expect family photo sessions to look perfectly calm from the outside. Sometimes it is a bit of a dance. Sometimes we are stopping and starting. Sometimes the toddler is in charge and we are all just pretending we have a plan.

But this is also why I love relaxed family photography so much. We do not need children to behave perfectly for the photos to be beautiful. We just need to work with them as they are.

Seth and Ollie were brilliant through the whole session. Having older siblings makes such a difference when there is a busy little one involved. They were patient, helpful, and so good with Benjamin. They played with him, helped make him laugh, and waited so calmly while we worked around him.

It was really lovely to photograph that sibling dynamic — the older boys being big brothers, and Benjamin right in that stage where he is determined to explore the world on his own two little feet.

For this session, we photographed lots of different combinations.

Each of the boys on their own, each parent with each child, Lauren and James with all three boys, the three boys together, and of course the whole family together.

The images of the three boys together are some of my favourites, because they really show this particular season of their family. The older two are so grown up now compared to when I photographed them last time, and then there is Benjamin right in the middle of that busy, wiggly, almost-one-year-old stage.

I also loved the photos of each parent with each child. Those are the images that can feel simple at the time, but they become so important as the years go on. Each relationship within the family is its own little story, and it is always worth making space for those quieter combinations, not just the big full-family portraits.

And of course, I loved the family images too. Cold morning, blue sky, three boys, lots of movement, and everyone just rolling with it. That is real family photography to me.

Artwork Choice

At their viewing appointment, Lauren and James chose a framed collection of eight images in a black frame.

The collection included two larger square images, two rectangular images, and four smaller square images, all together in one single frame. It is such a beautiful way to tell more of the story from a session without needing to choose just one favourite image for the wall.

They also added a memory box with twelve more images they loved. Because they chose a wall collection, they were able to add the memory box at half price, which is a lovely option for families who want something on the wall but still have extra favourites they do not want to leave behind.

Their memory box included a mix of images: each parent with each child, a couple of the three boys together, and some family portraits as well.

I really love this combination of products. The framed collection gives them something finished and ready to enjoy every day in their home, while the memory box lets them keep more of the smaller stories from the session — the parent-and-child moments, the sibling images, and the extra family photos that all matter in their own way.

It was such a privilege to photograph the Blacker family again, especially now that Benjamin has joined the chaos.

This is one of the things I love most about returning families. The first session tells one part of the story, and then a couple of years later, everything has shifted. The kids are bigger. Someone new might have arrived. The family feels familiar, but different.

And that is exactly why it is worth updating your family photos every now and then.

Not because everyone has changed overnight. Not because you need a perfect reason. But because these little seasons pass quietly, and before you know it, the baby who was toddling around refusing to sit still is suddenly one of the big kids too.

If it has been a couple of years since your last family photos, or your family looks a little different now, I would love to help you update them in a way that feels relaxed, natural, and genuinely like you.