Family photography session at the Arboretum - Canberra Family Photographer

I met the Gebremariam family at the Himalayan Cedars Outlook at Canberra’s Arboretum on an overcast Easter Monday.  While I was praying for the sun to peak through the clouds and provide the glorious golden hour light for this session it was just not going to be.  

Mulu Gebremariam booked the session with AJ Nitz Images as their eldest sun was back in Canberra for Easter after moving to Melbourne.  I selected the Himalayan Cedars as there are just so many options available to showcase Canberra and the family.  

With the Himalayan cedars is not specifically grown for photographing in, there are many locations all in the one place that can create entirely different lighting and feel in your gallery. The rich velvety tones are where we usually start, its nice and easy to access right at the Canberra’s door.  

Seeing the different family personalities all come together in one place is just awesome.  It is wonderful seeing the family dynamics at play.  

Then the adventure begins as we head for a gentle wander through the cedars.  We go deep into the forest to captures the family in different and varying light.  

As I mentioned at the start, capturing all the family units is a highlight at every family photoshoot.  Everyone gets a turn to be in front of the camera while the rest of the family joke on the sidelines.  

We all know how challenging it is to take photos of older families.  However, on this occasion, the whole family were just rock stars during the photo shoot.  Lidia had a gorgeous little giggle and the sweetest smile ever while Caleb and Josh were both confident and charismatic. 

Part of my job as a professional family photographer is to draw out the real personality and capture the real smiles.  While sometimes thats easy, some times I have to work a little harder for it but the results are just so heart warming and so engaging, its one of my favourite parts of the job! 

I could not help but to end the photo shoot with the family overlooking the beautiful arboretum located on Canberra’s door step.  

So with this many amazing images in their gallery (and even more that I cant fit all into one blog post!) what did they create?

Returning almost 12 months to the day - Canberra Family Photographer

It was almost 12 months to the day that I captured Vishnu and Rangini’s maternity photo shoot at the Arboretum, Canberra.  Last week I got to capture Raksha’s family photo shoot to celebrate her first birthday.  Nothing is more joyous for a family photographer than when you capture their ever growing family.  

We kicked off Raksha’s first birthday photo shoot at Nara Peace Park in Lennox Gardens, Canberra.  It was a glorious day that was both warm and sunny (and with intermittent cloud cover).

Raksha was both alert and could not wait for the photo shoot to begin.  We started off with some family photos as it is such a cute way to mark a birthday milestone - I just love these family shots and they will be a great memory of the day.  While we were in the park there were lots of snuggles with mum and dad, which is the cue for some formal family portraits. 

Mum and Dad always have single snuggles as well, and the little ones love this part, the singing and lifting-up games such as “if you are happy and know it clap your hands”.    We were especially lucky to share the park with other families that were having photographs taken because summer is a gorgeous time of year in Canberra. 

I was absolutely amazed when Mum and Dad told me that Raksha was already walking.  This was another opportunity to capture important milestones such as standing or walking, which are another big part of first birthday photoshoots.  Raksha’s walking, albeit a little unsteady.  However, she loves to stand on her own while holding onto something for support. So of course, that's exactly what we documented for her.  

While Mum and Dad had a huge range of props, which I love to use in photo shoots, it was the this little boy’s trike that Raksha took an immediate liking too - every little person’s favourite toy.   I love the curiosity in young babies and toddlers, seeing their excitement and interest in the simple things that really warms the heart. Raksha was very impressed with herself as she was able to climb on and off it by herself.  

With little ones like Raksha I like to keep the photoshoot short and sweet as it is very stimulating for them. It was when she was reading the books and interacting with Mum and Dad that I realised that she was starting to get tired.  While I could have photographed the family for another hour, we had some gorgeous photos (and more) captured in 40-60 minutes.   

To create stunning family portraits and artworks for your home like this, please contact Alistair here.

Why spring is a fantastic time to renew your family photos

Spring is a beautiful time to renew your family photos.  We have just shaken off the long grey winter and the temperatures are starting to pick up.  Do not get me wrong, I am happy to take family photographs in any season, and in any conditions, it is just spring is my favourite time of the year.  

While there is a large number of people that will argue that autumn is the best season due to the beautiful reds, oranges and yellows as a backdrop, I still believe those cool, spring colours offers a better season to record your memories and to update your family portraits. 

I will outline the four reasons why spring is better than autumn, summer and winter. 

Spring blossoms are everywhere

After a long winter, the sight of blossoms all around Canberra is enough to excite anyone. The blossoms are scattered throughout Canberra.  Those blossoms serve as a beautiful backdrop for family photos, not to mention a fun activity of picking a couple of flowers for mum.

Spring time is perfect for timing for an adventure

By Spring the kids have been cooped up in the house for what seems to be an eternity as winter seems to start in May and ends around the end of September.  Kids are just bursting at the bits to get outside and run around. 

With the warmer and drier days of spring, your family will be more than ready for a fun adventure.

I have found numerous locations across Canberra that not only photograph beautifully in the springtime, but offer plenty of opportunities for your family to have fun together while having their family photos taken.

Sensational light at this time of the year

Although the days are getting longer in spring, sunset is still early enough that you do not have to keep the kids up super late to take advantage of an evening family photo session.  Golden hour is also sensational at this time of the year as the sun is still not super high in the sky, which makes very attractive images that are nicely backlight. 

Comfortable weather

The best thing about spring must be the weather as the days are starting to warm up.  Most days are comfortable and in the early 20s.  By now the scarves, thick jackets and beanie can be put always.  You also do not have to worry about makeup melting while you wait for your portraits to be taken. 

Looking to update your family photographs? Why not contact Alistair at AJ Nitz Images.

Why spring is my favourite season for taking family photographs – Canberra Family photographer

Canberra is a beautiful city that has very distinctive seasons.  The rolling hills and beautiful landscape around Canberra create such perfect backdrops for family portraits.  Each season holds its own beauty.  While Autumn has its beautiful oranges and reds as the leaves turn brown, summer is warm and sunny and winter brings out some stunning wardrobes to keep us warm.  

But it is spring which is my favourite season for taking family portraits.  This is where the deadness, darkness of Winter comes alive again and blooms all around us.  Trees are bursting with colour and bees are busy soaking up all the pollen from flowers and blossoms. 

Here are my three reasons why spring is my favourite season

Gorgeous locations across the city

The weather in Canberra can be particularly harsh.  Winter is long and cold with everything looking dead and brown.  Summer, while a little greener, can be very hot and dry making the grass look brown and quickly dries out the flowers. 

However, in Spring the days are getting longer and are still cool with the hot air not yet arriving leaving the landscape a luscious green with flowers and shrubs blooming in vibrant colours.  With the rain that we have received this winter the wildflowers will be in an abundance this spring. 

The Yarralumla wattle and cherry blossoms are bursting in colour right across the city.  There're all sorts of flowers and colours to play with especially with Floriade now found in the suburbs.  It's a photographer’s dream.

For me, the Arboretum is THE destination to capture these magnificent trees that are on display.

Weather is improving

Winter is long in Canberra.  We are still getting minus temperature in early spring.  However, the days are longer and the daytime temperature is starting to rise to the early 20s. This is the best thing about spring!

Kids can throw off the winter coats and jackets that keep them warm from the chilly winds and run freely around the park.  Say HELLO to dresses, sandals, and short sleeves! Say goodbye to multiple layers.

You also do not need to worry about the hot markup smearing across your face from warm summer days.

The spring has the best weather of the year with pleasant temperate days keeping the whole family comfortable while I work my magic.

People are happier and ready for photos

There is a general uplift in the outlook of people with the weather improving and the day’s getting longer.  People are generally happier and excited to get outdoors.

Nothing beats the Spring feeling!

I am also excited to be photographing people. 

Spring is also a busy season for photographers as everyone is getting ready for Holiday Cards, which are just perfect for grandma and grandad that live in a different town or city. 

What to watch out for?

The biggest disadvantage of shooting at spring is the weather can be very unpredictable.  While the morning may be beautiful and sunny, by the afternoon there may be a change coming through that turns the weather very cold and cloudy with the possibility of rain. 

Looking for family portraits in Canberra? Why not call Alistair at AJ NItz Images for a free consultation

Sunrise or sunset for your family photography session? – Canberra Family Photographer

Light is everything in photography and golden hour is the top of the pops of light. 

I love golden hour because of its rich peachy/ orange/ochre colours that take over your images.  I will try to schedule all my photoshoots so they take advantage of golden hour.  Especially as you want to give your clients a better experience with better lighting than you may be mid-day which is full of harsh shadows.

Golden hour occurs twice over the course of the day – sunrise and sunset.  Most of my photoshoots take place in the afternoon to take advantage of sunset.  However, I have been getting some interest in holding photo shoots early in the morning to take advantage of the early morning light.

Given the growing interest in early morning photographs, I thought I would outline the pros and cons of sunrise v sunset to help families decide the best time for themselves before they arrange their family photography session. 

Shooting at sunrise

Sunrise is an amazing time.  Nothing is better than grabbing a cup of warm coffee and getting on the road well before most of the city.  This is only bettered by watching the perfect sunrise during a photo session. 

Golden hour at sunrise occurs around 20 minutes before sunrise and lasts around 40 minutes after sunrise. 

It is ideal for

·        families whose children rise early in morning and will do anything to escape sleeping in;

·        morning people;

·        when your children cannot stay up beyond sunrise;

·        when the weather is expected to change in the afternoon and be unfriendly to a family photography session;

·        if your preferred location is expected to be busy and full of people that would be a distraction for your photos;

·        if your schedule does not allow for a sunset session;

·        Your sessions is done first thing in the morning so you get to enjoy the rest of your day without stressing about an evening photoshoot;

·        sunrise enhances the location whereas sunset does not. 

Shooting at sunset

While I am a morning person, nothing beats a beautiful sunset.  The light during the sunset, as well as the light after the sunset is just DREAMY.  Unlike sunrise, you can shoot into blue hour where the light is still gorgeous.  You could have up to an hour of a half of shooting time after sunset compared to sunrise. 

Golden hour generally falls around 40 minutes before sunset and lasts around 20 minutes after the sun drops.

It is ideal for:

·        people that are not morning people and enjoy a sleep in;

·        your kids get cranky when woken up early;

·        when your preferred location is not open before sunrise to allow you to set up – which is the case at the Arboretum;

·        when your children are slightly older and their bedtime is not before sunset;

·        you have scheduled for your hair and makeup to be professionally done and they are not available before sunrise

·        when the skies are at their most dramatic at sunset.

Sunrise and sunset are equally gorgeous for taking family photographs in Canberra.  It is difficult to tell the difference when it is all said and done. 

Seeking family photos at sunset or sunrise? Contact Alistair to discuss your photography needs.

Not one, not two but three families – Family Photographer Canberra

I recently had the opportunity to photograph three different family units.  The common relationship for the three families is they were all sisters.  I was quite nervous as I had never completed a family photoshoot with three different families before.  But I was up to the challenge!

Well in this case, it could not have gone better….

It was a crisp winter’s afternoon and we all met at the Arboretum at the Himalayan Cedars.  It was the perfect afternoon for the kids that had a lot of energy to burn.  Even though there were three families I knew it was going to be a fun afternoon because all the kids had an amazing personality. 

The golden winter’s glowing through the trees and the amazing colour palette.

It had to be quite an orderly process and an almost cookie cutter approach to the session to make sure that I got all the shots in.  The kids were all cousins and had a great relationship. 

Single portraits of the kids are always part of a family photoshoot and just look at how gorgeous these kids came up!  They looked absolutely amazing. 

A great thing about the arboretum is that I have all these different places that on hand to include in the session.

This must be one of my favourite photos from the day - how much joy is radiating out of all the kids at the wide brown land sculpture.  It was enough to give me a warm fuzzy moment. 

And here's the thing, each of the families was just so naturally relaxed in front of the camera.  The kids were playing little games together when they were not having photographs taken.  This was definitely not that totally structured portrait style at all, it was all-natural, organic family moments. 

If you would love to create family images for your home like the Lalor family, get in touch with Alistair here.

FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER CANBERRA | MATERNITY PHOTOGRAPHER CANBERRA

How to avoid disaster in your photo sessions – Canberra family photographer

Your next family photography session may be your next major investment given that you could spend anything up to $3,000 on wall art and prints.  But it can end in disaster if you do not select the right family photographer. 

Photography is not like the medicine, pharmaceutical services or even the taxi industry.  There are no regulatory controls that require photographers to have a certain level of experience or education before offering to take your hard-earned cash.  In fact, the industry is totally unregulated whereby anyone with a camera can set up shop and start a photography business. 

Outside some images on their website, how do you know that the photographer that you have engaged to capture your key milestones in your life is going to do a good job?  Where do you start your research?  Website or google?  If you type in Canberra family photographer into google, it will spit out pages of information.  But how do you know if the first one you select is the right fit for you? 

In this blog post, I explore some of the hints to help you select a professional photographer that may be right for you. 

Technically trained

Cameras are getting cheaper and more technically advanced, which makes it easier for any person to offer photography services.  However, photography is more than just pressing the shutter button.  When you are engaging a professional photographer, you are hiring them because of their creativity and their composition. 

There are two ways to help your decision-making.  Have they studied photography at college or university or are they a member of the Australian Institute of Professional Photographers (AIPP).  I have achieved my Diploma of Photo Imaging and Photography from the Canberra Institute of Technology between 2019-2020, which has technically trained me across different genres and camera technics.  I am also a general member of the AIPP and I am training towards becoming a fully accredited member of the AIPP.  The AIPP has a code of conduct that it expects all its members to follow. 

Google reviews or others

In economics they call it asymmetrical information.  This is where one party to an economic transaction possesses greater material knowledge than the other party.  It is commonly used to describe the purchase of a lemon. 

Unfortunately, a photographer has greater knowledge of their skills and photography background that the general public that may be booking them.  One way to avoid a lemon is to see what other people have been saying about their business. 

Therefore, it is important to see whether they have any website reviews, Facebook reviews or even Google reviews to help shape your thinking.  You should spend some time going through these reviews to see if they are the perfect fit.  If they have no reviews or have their comments turned off this may act as a big red flag. 

But sometimes you just cannot beat word of mouth to help inform your decision-making.  Therefore, ask your family or friends if they can make a referral.  Or reach out to Facebook group for the style of photography that you are after for recommendations.  You may be surprised when you shake the tree what type of referrals that you may receive. 

Websites

There are two crucial aspects that you should check before appointing a professional photographer – the quality of their work and their services.  Their website offers the first port of call for determining both these crucial aspects.  All professional photographers will have a website for you to navigate. Do not just rely on social media pages like Facebook and Instagram.  You need to find the website helpful with a selection of images in their portfolio.  Portfolios can help you make the right decisions about the photographer that you want to select. 

Pricing should be clearly outlined on their website and should not be confusing.  A key hint is to know in advance of the photo session what is their full price list so as not to be a surprise during the big reveal or when you are ordering packages and prints. 

The website should be answering the simple questions that you would like to ask.  Specifically, it should answer – Who is the photographer?

                                                        What do they offer?

                                                        Where are they located?

                                                        When I am expected to book a service?

                                                        How much is likely to cost?

Get to know your photographer

Do not go into booking a photographer without first getting to know them.  This is your chance to check their photography background – whether they are technically trained or have accreditation and membership with the AIPP.  If your photographer does not answer the phone, is slow in messaging back to you then this may be a red flag.  Another thing to check is their language in their email responses, is it professional or is it very causal?  If it is overly causal it may indicate that they the business is more of a hobby-based business rather than a proper professional studio. 

A good way to know your photographer is over a coffee during a pre-consultation chat.  If the photographer does not offer you a pre-consultation chat then this may also be a red flag.

If you are happy with the meeting, their portfolio and the photographer can successfully shoot your event, then hire them out any doubt. 

Photographic style

Photography takes many different forms and styles.  First you should decide the style which best suits your personality.  While your chosen photographer may have a slightly different style to you, be weary of a photographer that has an inconsistent style as you may not get a consistent set of images back from your photography session. 

If you notice a large variation in their images on their portfolio, it may be an indication that they are using stock images as an inspiration of the type of images that they may be able to capture or they may have taken the images at a workshop run by another photographer which sets up the poses and the lighting. 

What you want to know when you appoint a professional photographer is that they can recreate the type of images that are contained on their website.  This is all that you can ask from a professional photographer.

I hope that I have identified some simple ways to avoid a disaster photo session. I hope that your next photo session goes smoothly and you just adore your images. If you looking for a photographer, please reach out so I can discuss your photography needs.

Cruz and Noah - Canberra Family photographer

I do love photographing brothers and their families. On Friday, I was joined by Michala and her two children Cruz and Noah.

Cruz and Noah arrived at their photo session at the Himalayan Cedars at the Arboretum full of beans and raring to go. I knew it was going to be a fantastic photo session the moment that they piled out of the car. All that I need to do was get my camera out and start snapping and capture special moments between the boys and with Mum.

I love to incorporate both formal photos and candid shots as part of my photo sessions. It is one way to guarantee a range of beautiful images that capture the wonderful personalities of the children.

It was such a gorgeous afternoon at the Arboretum with a gorgeous family. We ran around expelling at the energy, chasing dinosaurs and playing hide and seek amongst the cedars. It did not take long for each of the kids to run back to Mum for a huge hugs.

The Arboretum offers lots of photography options for families, whether it is the lake in the background, you are amongst the trees or at the Wide Brown Land sculpture.

After spending some time around the large cedars we walked up to the Wide Brown Land Sculpture which was starting to look fantastic in fading light. It was an absolute fantastic and fun photo shoot with the kids. They were very adaptable.

If you would like to book a session with AJ Nitz Images, please click here or call me on 0403 959 459. For more information on AJ Nitz Images please visit my family photography link in the menu.

The Nel Family - Canberra Family Photographer

I love autumn time in Canberra. The wonderful colours that you experience with the leaves changing colour and the beautiful afternoon light. When you combine that with an awesome family you know that you are going to have an EPIC photo session.

I loved so much about this family, there was Ninke, a six year old with so much energy and get up and go. She was equally matched by her sweet little sister Ariane, who was only three years old almost turning four. Both went along with any of my crazy suggestions and ideas to make it a memorable photo session.

For an autumn day at the Arboretum, it certainly felt more like an early winter’s day as the wind was so fresh and cool. But we did not let that get in the way of an awesome photo shoot. The Arboretum was full of people making use of the sunny yet cool weather, There was even a bride and groom getting their photos taken at the same time. We kept away from them and headed for the location that overlooks the lake and Woden. With the cloudy blue sky, it simply looked stunning.

The girls looked absolutely stunning with their red sparkly dressed that shimmed and shined in the sunlight. We had lots of fun as we struggled with the sun passing behind the clouds. But the kids wanted Mum and Dad to join in with the fun and games that we were playing.

After a little while we moved into the forest of cedars from some more photographs. We were wishing hard for the sun to come out capture the girls and the family in the beautiful golden sunlight. We had a beautiful wander through the sunlits trees before heading up to the Wide Brown Land Sculpture.

When we got up to the sculpture, it gave us a chance to reflect on the EPIC photo session that we had. We captured some stunning photos from the sessions. We did not let the cool wind that was blowing the girls had everywhere to interfere with our fun.

Vishnu and Ranjini's maternity photo session at the Arboretum - Canberra maternity family photography

It was a cloudy and cool Saturday afternoon when I joined Ranjini and Vishnu at the Himalayan Cedars (Arboretum) for their maternity photography session. Ranjini looked radiant at 34 weeks pregnant.

Join me to have a sneak peek of the images for the family session.

Tips and tricks for photographing football

There is nothing more thrilling than capturing action sports shots of your children.  They are moments that can be hung on the wall for many years.  I have been capturing sports photography for the last four and half years and been around kids’ football for more than 10 years.  These are my tips and tricks to ensure that you get beautiful action shots. 

Tips and tricks with sports photography

Use a high shutter speed

The first tip is you need a camera that allows you to adjust the shutter speed.  If not, the chances of taking really great sports action images are extremely limited.  Given the speed that the players are moving, you want to set your shutter speed to between 1/1000 sec and 1/1250 sec to guarantee that you freeze the action.  It also means taking your camera off automatic!!

Know the game

The best advice to ensure that you capture beautiful images is to know your sport.  The better you know the game, the better your pictures will be.  If you know a lot about the sport you are taking photos of, it helps to anticipate where the ball will be or the action maybe is going. This knowledge helps you get the best shots possible.

Use a high burst rate

Set your camera’s burst rate to its highest level to ensure that you get the best shot possible. Do not wait until the player is ready to kick the ball or throw the ball in or you might miss the shot.  In this day and age with digital photography we are fortunate to be able to see our results immediately.  So press the shutter down as soon as the subject gets into the frame and continue pressing the shutter button until they have passed the ball or kicked it.  

Get down low

Get down low and shoot up to get a more dramatic shot.  Watch all the professionals and they are sitting on a short stool. The lower perspective gives the photo excellent depth.  Depending on the lens that you are using, consider purchasing a monopod, and use it, even if your lens and camera are not heavy.  It will provide balance and stability. 

Use continuous autofocus

Single focus will not cut it for sports photography.  Continuous autofocus keeps the subject in focus as their distance from the camera changes. Most modern-day DSLRs and mirrorless cameras will have the capacity to shoot continuous autofocus.  Also, try back button focus.   

Start at the warm up

Warm-ups are a great opportunity to grab those shots when kids when they are mucking around and being silly before the serious stuff starts.  It is here when the players are usually smiling and laughing so you get some really good facial expressions.  Forget about catching up with your fellow parents before the game starts.  Rather use this time to take some of the pre-game photos which no doubt will be some of your favourite images.   

Best position to take photos

Where you sit is one of those dilemmas.  In general, you want to be in a position that puts your subject facing you.  I prefer to sit behind the goals and towards the corner post.  This way you catch the players running towards and goals and you are in the right spot if a player scores and runs towards the corner post to celebrate with teammates.  The other school of thought is to position yourself around the ¾ mark or just outside the goal square.  This way you can capture the action around the middle of the ground and follow the action until the goal is scored. Nothing better than capturing those goal celebrations. 

Do not forget the coaches

Do not forget the guy or girl that is responsible for the team.  When taking pictures of the warm-up and the action shots, do not forget the coach.  They volunteer their hard-earned time and effort to teach your kids how to play the sport.  Images of the coach interacting with the kids make a good end of year footage for presentation night. They invest a lot of emotional energy into the game and your kids so it is really nice to capture the relationship between the coach and the kids.  And when something goes wrong, it is great to see them being supportive and encouraging.

Camera and lens

Most cameras will be perfect for shooting kids football providing it shoots in manual.  However, as the kids get older and faster it would be preferable to use a camera that shoots at more than 7 frames per second to ensure that you get the shot.  Something like a Nikon D500, Canon 7D Mark II are ideal cameras as they are less expensive than their full-frame cousins and they shoot at 10 fps. 

In sports photography, it is all about length due to the distance between the field of action and the sideline where parents generally standing. As a result, the minimum focal length that you need for capturing football is a 70mm to 200mm length.  While it is ideal to use a fixed aperture of f2.8 to ensure that you get ample separation between the subject and the background, you can get away with an f4 lens. 

While you can get away with a 70-200mm len as you can crop your images, the optimal lens is something that is greater than 300mm.  This allows you to fill the frame with the action shot without too much cropping. 

While a zoom lens is critical to ensuring beautiful action shots, do not forget to carry a wide-angle lens in your kit for taking those stadium-wide shots to make your viewers feel like they are right there in the stadium.

My current set up is a 70-200mm f2.8 len and a 200mm-500mm f5.6 len is allows me to get in tight. 

Analyse your images

We are all learning and after the event is the perfect time to analyse your images to see if there are any keepers for your portfolio.  It is not unusual that I will take 1000 pictures during a football game. Out of those, about 150 or fewer are provided to the game organisers, and only about 5 get added to my portfolio. The point to remember, dissecting your images in the perfect time to find out what is working and what is not.  Also, try to find a pattern of success and failure to understand what you need to work on.

What is the best time of Day for an outdoor photography session in Canberra

WHAT IS THE BEST TIME OF DAY FOR AN OUTDOOR PHOTOGRAPHY SESSION IN CANBERRA

Canberra is a fabulous place to live.  We are at the foothills of the Brindabellas giving us sensational views (especially in winter!).  There are breathtaking views of the city from Mount Stromlo and the Arboretum. 

There are however times of the day that are better than others in order to guarantee sensational family photographs.  So what is this time of the day?

Golden hour Golden hour – it is the magical time of day

Photography is all about light and the two best times of the day is golden hour. 

Golden hour is the period of daytime shortly after sunrise or before sunset, during which daylight is redder and softer than when the Sun is higher in the sky. 

The best way to think about it is the last hour of the day where there is that silky sunlight which makes you look gorgeous and stunning.  I did not refer to sunrise as I understand no one wants to get up that early in the morning!!

During this period of time there are no sharp shadows falling across you or your family.

My preference is to schedule my outdoor family sessions during golden hour.  During the winter months, golden hour falls quite early in the afternoon.  However, during summer golden hour is not until it is quite late in the day.  If you have a small family, you might want to schedule a little nap and a snack before the family session.    

Morning is second best

It is not possible to always schedule your family photo session during golden hour due to planning conflicts or the little ones cannot stay up until late.  

I understand light and how to master light.  As such, I am able to serve your family and deliver beautiful photos no matter the time of day.

In that case, AJ Nitz Images will schedule your family photo sessions in the morning around 9am and 10am before the sun gets too high in the sky and harsh shadows start to form.  This is also a time when kids are the most energetic and radiant.    

Check out a recent morning family session that I had in Canberra