The Ferguson Family — Family Portrait Session at City Park
There is something really lovely about photographing a family more than once.
This family portrait session at City Park in Launceston was my third time photographing Dana, Hamish and their children, and it felt like such a beautiful full-circle moment. The first time I photographed them was also at City Park, when Millie was only around four months old. Since then, I photographed them again at the beach around Beauty Point or Green Beach at the end of 2024, just before I went on maternity leave.
So to come back to City Park again, with golden late-afternoon light, yellowing autumn trees and leaves falling around them, felt really special.
Dana and Hamish have three children: Taylor, who is around 10, Millie, who is two and a half, and Jack, who is eight months old.
Dana is Taylor’s stepmum, and one of the things I love about photographing families over time is seeing how everyone grows and settles into each new stage. Kids change so quickly, but parents do too. Family dynamics shift, confidence grows, and sometimes even the person with the awkward “camera smile” starts to relax a little more.
Hamish has always had one of those classic camera smiles, where the second the camera comes out, everything gets a little stiff and awkward. But this time? He was so much more relaxed than he has been in the past, and it made the whole session feel even easier.
We photographed this outdoor family photography session at City Park in late April, starting around 3:30pm. The sun was beginning to come down, and the light had that warm, golden autumn glow that makes everything feel a little bit magic.
The trees were turning yellow, the leaves were falling, and the kids were happily collecting acorns while Jack chilled out on my picnic rug, having a great time.
Because we were working with young children, especially a toddler and an eight-month-old, we moved pretty quickly. By about 4pm Millie was starting to get a bit cranky, which is very normal at that age and time of day. But quick doesn’t mean rushed in a bad way. It just meant we focused on what mattered and kept things moving before everyone ran out of steam.
I photographed each of the children individually, each child with each parent, the whole family together, and the grandparents with all the kids too. It was one of those sessions that felt easy, warm and full without needing to overcomplicate it.
Some of my favourite moments from this session were the little in-between pieces.
The kids collecting acorns. Jack relaxing on the picnic rug. The golden light coming through the trees. The leaves on the ground. Those quick little moments where everyone is just being themselves.
I also loved seeing how much easier it felt for Hamish this time. For anyone who feels awkward in photos, this is such a good reminder that you don’t have to be naturally comfortable in front of the camera. Sometimes it just takes a bit of trust, a bit of familiarity, and someone guiding you through it without making it weird.
Artwork Choice:
At their viewing appointment, Dana chose a beautiful collection of printed family photos to keep and share.
She ordered three matted 10x7” prints, two 7x5” prints for the grandparents, and a collection of four IceTiles. I love that this gives them a mix of keepsakes for their own home, something smaller to gift to grandparents, and a flexible little acrylic collection they can display without needing to commit to wall space.
Printed family photos don’t have to mean one huge piece on the wall. Sometimes it looks like a handful of favourite images, chosen carefully, ready to be lived with and enjoyed.
I’m so grateful I’ve been able to photograph this family through a few different seasons now — from Millie as a baby, to a beach session, and now back at City Park with the addition of baby Jack in this beautiful autumn stage.
If you’ve been thinking about updating your own family photos in Launceston, you’re very welcome to get in touch. We’ll start with a planning appointment so we can talk through your family, your location, what matters most to you, and what you might like to do with the photographs afterwards.
