Discover eight family photographers across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, offering everything from classic studio portraits to relaxed outdoor photo shoots and natural photography at home. Whether you want beautiful family photographs for your walls, a thoughtful Christmas gift or a collection of memories to treasure, explore local photographers, compare packages and prices, and find the right experience for your family.
21st October 2026
The best family photographs feel like the people in them. For some, that means a carefully composed studio portrait with everyone together. For others, it is children exploring the woods, a cuddle at home or the small moments that unfold when nobody is being asked to smile.
Autumn brings a lovely reason to gather the family and finally arrange that photograph. Across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, these eight photographers offer different ways to do it, from a short studio session to several hours documenting family life.
Choosing the right experience starts with two questions: where will your family feel comfortable, and what would you like to have afterwards? A handful of digital favourites, prints for grandparents and a book telling the story of your day are quite different purchases.
A studio session is a practical choice when you want the family together without organising an outdoor location around the weather. Bournemouth’s DK Capture offers portraits for families, couples, children and pets, with packages that make the difference between digital photographs and finished products easy to see.
The Mini Capture costs £65 and includes five high resolution digital images, with an online gallery for viewing at home. It is offered from Tuesday to Friday. The Classic Capture costs £125, includes ten high resolution digital images and is offered from Tuesday to Saturday.
For families wanting photographs ready to display, the £295 package includes all edited digital images, a 16 by 10 inch standard canvas, two 14 by 11 inch wall prints, five 10 by 8 inch mounted prints and four key rings. The two wall prints are supplied ready for you to frame.
Our recommendation: choose the smaller digital package for a simple family update, or the £295 collection when the aim is to bring home wall art and gifts as well as files.
Tan Cam Photography in Poole offers a useful middle ground between a short portrait appointment and a larger family gathering. Sessions can take place in the studio or on location, and the package structure makes it straightforward to budget for actual prints.
The £170 option includes a 30 minute session and five digital images for up to five people. At £200, the same session length and group size come with ten digital images and ten 6 by 4 inch prints.
The £250 package extends the session to an hour, accommodates up to ten people and includes 20 digital images alongside 20 prints in the same size. Groups larger than ten are photographed outdoors and receive a separate quotation.
Our recommendation: the £200 package is a strong option for a smaller family wanting both digital photographs and a set of prints to enjoy or give away. The £250 collection makes sense when grandparents or other relatives are joining you.
If your children are happiest with somewhere to explore, make the location part of the experience. Nick Rutter’s outdoor family photography includes sessions around St Catherine’s Hill in Christchurch, with an approach that allows space for walking, play and family dogs.
His published £295 package lists a one hour location shoot and more than 150 photographs in an online gallery, backed up for a year. Luxury prints can be ordered through the gallery at an additional cost. Travel outside Dorset is extra.
The appeal here is the combination of a recognisable local setting and a broad collection of photographs. It suits families who would enjoy making a walk together the starting point for their portraits.
Our recommendation: put Nick on your shortlist for an outdoor session around Christchurch, particularly when you want children and dogs included in the experience.
Poole photographer Samantha Prewett offers family sessions outdoors across Dorset, alongside her specialist newborn and baby photography. Her local surroundings include Sandbanks, Hengistbury Head and Wareham Forest, giving families a choice of coastal and woodland settings to discuss when planning a shoot.
This is an appealing option for parents who want to build a collection of family photographs over time, from the early baby months to outings with growing children.
Family packages start at £200, with digital images included in every package. A £50 deposit secures the booking, with the balance payable on the day. Images can be selected at home, and albums and wall art are also available.
Our recommendation: choose Samantha for a natural outdoor family session, especially if you value continuity with a photographer who also works with newborns and babies. Request her booking pack to choose the image collection that suits your plans.
Some of the photographs worth keeping are rooted in ordinary routines. Alexandra Szigeti’s storytelling family photography gives those moments room to unfold, with sessions at home, outdoors or across both settings.
Her £390 collection includes 45 to 60 minutes at home or outdoors and at least 25 high resolution digital photographs. A two hour session costs £590 and typically combines home and outdoor photography, with at least 70 digital photographs and three 5 by 7 inch fine art prints. It also provides scope for including extended family.
For a fuller record, the £990 Day in the Life collection covers four hours in Dorset, includes at least 150 high resolution photographs and comes with a 10 by 10 inch fine art book containing ten spreads. Travel within an hour’s drive of Bournemouth is included in these prices.
Our recommendation: choose the shorter session for an intimate snapshot of family life, or the four hour collection when you want a finished book that tells a richer story of your time together.
Madeleine Jones combines natural family interaction with gentle direction, giving you a choice between an outdoor session across Dorset and her softly styled Poole studio. Her approach suits families wanting warmth and connection, with help to feel comfortable in front of the camera.
The £295 family package includes a one hour session and ten high resolution, professionally edited images of your choice, with a mix of colour and black and white photographs. Access to her curated client wardrobe and styling guidance is included, along with unlimited downloads and printing and sharing rights. Additional images can be purchased from your private online gallery.
Our recommendation: choose Madeleine when you want a relaxed family portrait with thoughtful styling, particularly if you would appreciate help choosing what to wear. Her neutral studio also makes an appealing setting for families with younger babies.
Poole photographer Sophie Bowdler creates relaxed family photographs at home or outdoors, including local parks and beaches. Sessions follow the children’s personalities, with games, movement and gentle prompts helping everyone settle into the experience.
Her dedicated family package costs £345 for a one hour session at home or on location within Dorset. It includes an online gallery of 50 images to view, from which you choose five digital photographs to download. Additional digital images, prints and wall art are available to purchase.
A £100 deposit secures the session and forms part of the £345 price. A welcome guide and styling guide help you prepare.
Our recommendation: choose Sophie for a session built around playing and spending time together, whether that means familiar surroundings at home or an outing to the coast. The five included downloads suit families wanting a small collection of favourites, with the option to buy more.
Ludere Studio, between Bournemouth and Poole, offers a spacious portrait setting with client lounges, professional lighting, a five metre infinity wall and a choice of backdrops. Sessions combine classic family portraits with natural interaction, with gentle guidance throughout. Grandparents and family dogs are welcome too.
The session fee is £195 and includes the studio experience and a private viewing and ordering appointment. Products and digital image collections are purchased separately, with collections starting at £495. Together, the session and an entry collection therefore start at £690.
The product range includes handcrafted wall art, albums, fine art prints and digital collections, making this a particularly relevant choice when the finished display is central to your plans.
Our recommendation: choose Ludere for an elegant studio experience and portraits intended for a prominent place in your home. Budget for both the session and your chosen collection when comparing it with packages that include digital images.
Start with how your family enjoys spending time. A studio gives you a contained setting and a clear focus on the people. An outdoor session brings movement and a sense of place. Photography at home preserves familiar surroundings alongside the faces you love.
Then decide what you want to hold, display or give away. For digital packages, confirm that your chosen images come with permission for personal printing. For wall art, check the finished size and whether framing is included. For an album, look at a sample so you can judge the paper, layout and scale.
If the photographs are intended as December gifts, agree the edited image delivery date and the final ordering date for prints, books or frames before booking. For outdoor sessions, agree the wet weather arrangements too.
A little planning at the beginning makes it easier to choose photographs that find their way onto the wall, into an album or into someone’s hands.
Prices checked on 20 October 2026. Confirm current packages and availability directly with each photographer before booking.
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