Tell us about your family! How many of you are there? How do you like to spend your weekends? Do you like to travel?
We are a family of four, my husband Brad and I plus our two children Florence who is 3 and Grayson who recently turned 2. The children are both early risers so our weekends tend to start with coffee and a run around one of the local parks. We like to visit museums, a farm or soft plays. Most afternoons you can find us eating popcorn and watching family movies. We live for our holidays and love to explore new places but mix up the destinations for some variation. The past year we have been super fortunate and travelled to Oman, Antigua, Disneyland Paris and most recently NYC.
What’s your top tip for parents planning a getaway with little ones?
Planning is key especially if you are travelling with young children. Make sure you stock up and take enough nappies rather than rely on local shops which are less likely to stock the brands you trust. We let the kids take a carry on and fill it with colouring books and toys for the plane ride. Don’t worry if the kids slip out of their usual routine when it comes to meals, naps and bedtimes whilst you are away, they’ll slot back to the regular routine once you get back home quick enough.
How did you choose your getaway destination this time round? Is this somewhere with special meaning to you/ somewhere you have always wanted to visit?
My husband and I had both visited New York before but this was the first time going to the USA with the children. We always float various destinations as potential holiday ideas and just thought it would be somewhere cool and a bit different to previous trips.
Why did you decide to arrange a family photoshoot? Was it to mark something special, or just to help you capture those precious family & holiday memories?
We never manage nice family photos and have loads of the children both at home and on holiday. There is always one of us behind the camera. I was thrilled when I found Travelshoot and knew I had to book! I only wish I had discovered it sooner.
Talk us through your Travelshoot experience and how it all went down! What were your favourite parts? How did your children find the shoot? Did you all have fun?
I loved that we could communicate with the photographer before the shoot to discuss what style of photography we liked and I sent over a Pinterest board of some images. Fernando was super friendly and professional and so patient with the kids. We weren’t sure how they would take to a stranger taking our photos but on the whole they were great! Fernando explained how it would work and the route we would be walking around DUMBO, we chatted lots as we were in between photos and it was so relaxed. We made sure before we started to stock up on a few treats including lollipops to use as bribery, you can spot Florence holding hers in a few of the pictures but it meant she was more willing to get involved and not just run off and play!
What would be your advice to a family thinking about booking a shoot?
Just go for it! I would recommend paying more and choosing a 2 hour slot. If the kids take a little time settling into the shoot you might not have the time to get all the photos you want within an hour. Also choose a location that’s unique to the city rather than a generic park, our photos with the Brooklyn bridge & the NY city skyline in the background just scream iconic New York! Also have a think about how to dress the kids, ditch any crazy prints like dinosaurs or cars and subtly try and match everyone into a colour scheme – I know this sounds silly but I love that we are coordinated without being too matchy.
And finally, what’s your favourite shot from your Travelshoot? Why do you love it?
It’s really hard to choose just one because I honestly love them all! If I really had to choose I would go for the one where my daughter Florence is grinning and holding her little lollipop and I have Gray on my hip, it’s his favourite spot!
