Porch Portrait Family Photography

I’ve created a different approach to family portraits. You’ll be standing on your porch, sitting in your garden, looking over your balcony, out of your windows or maybe hanging out in the alleyway behind your house. Being at your own home will mean you’ll feel relaxed, and that sense of ease will come across in the photos. 

What I would love to do for you is capture a moment in time. How your hair was, your kids’ favourite toys and activities and your family pets. We’ll end up with a beautiful and authentic historic record of where you lived and what you all looked like on that day, in that month, in that year. 

We’ll get you all smiling nicely to camera, of course, but we’ll also capture the kids goofing around and your family’s unique dynamics. That’s when the photography magic happens and we end up with a shot that will hang on your wall for decades, making you smile each time you see it. 

Unlike formal studio sessions, there’s no stress of rushing to get ready or get everyone out the door, just to sit in a soulless white room. There’s no being directed into cookie-cutter poses by someone who has no understanding of your personalities or relationships. Being in your own environment allows me to get to know you much quicker and work out what unique shots will be right for you and your tribe. 

• There’s no image consultation session

• There’s no rushing to the shops the day before

• There’s no spending money on matching outfits that everyone feels awkward in and won’t ever wear again

For our shoot, you’ll all just wear whatever you feel most comfortable in, or are wearing most often at the time. I want to capture what life really looks like for you and your family - fashion crimes and all. 

If, like me, your pet is considered part of your family, this gives us the opportunity to capture him or her too. I’ve photographed kissing guinea pigs, posing dogs and leaping cats. They wouldn’t be comfortable in a studio and you wouldn’t be comfortable to have them there.  

Life is busy and I get how hard it is to get everyone’s diaries to align. For our Porch Portrait shoot, we’ll just need 30 minutes of everyone’s time, in your own home. 

Once I’ve taken the shots, I like to deliver them as quickly as possible. I send you your own online proofing gallery so you can review all the photographs (colour as well as black & white) together at home without being under any pressure. I do have lots of different options for frames and photo sizes, and my prices won’t make you fall off your chair.

There’s no heavy-handed in-person selling and if all you end up with is the A4 print included in your package, that is totally fine by me.

What do you say? If you live in Sydney’s Inner West, it’s super easy to book using the online booking facility below. If you live elsewhere, just drop me an email on stephen@stephenblake.com.au and we’ll organise a time for your shoot.