Hunter Valley Family Photographer
by Adam Cavanagh
Hunter Valley Family Photographer
As a Hunter Valley family photographer, I know that there is nothing better or more rewarding than taking beautiful photos of a family. Because I know how important these photos will become years in the future. Since we recently started a family of our own, we know how quickly children grow up and change. You don’t notice how quickly they change until you look back on photos. And if you are anything like us, then you probably have hundreds of photos of the kids, but none of the whole family.
You also probably have hundreds of photos of your children taken on your phone. And let’s face it… phones are getting better. So let me tell you as a Hunter Valley family photographer, that they just don’t have the quality and clarity of professional photos taken on high-end professional cameras.
You may also think that it’s all about the kids and you don’t need to be in the photos. But when you get great photo of the whole family, the photo is not necessarily for you… it’s for your kids and their kids. So you can look back years from now and see the whole family together.

I am all about preserving these fleeting moments for generations to come. Whether it’s a joyful smile, a loving hug, or a moment of play, I’m here to help you create images that will become treasured memories for your family to cherish forever.
Hunter Valley Family Photography
Hunter Valley Family Photo Session Information
All family photography sessions are based around fun and play. There is no serious posing and staring at the camera. I play games with the whole family to get great expressions and natural smiles. Especially if you have a young family. I find that when a family is relaxed and having an awesome time, then you will get beautiful photos. If a family is stressed out and frustrated… well you know what sort of photos you will get 😉
Best time of day for a Hunter Valley family photography
As a Hunter Valley family photographer, I can tell you that photography is all about light. The best time for portraits is at sunrise or sunset. The light is much softer, golden and more beautiful. The worst time for photos is in the middle of the day. The light is flat, harsh and unflattering.
As a rule of thumb, when the sun is low in the sky we can get beautiful portraits. When the sun is high in the sky we shouldn’t shoot. This means that during seasons like Winter, we can shoot almost any time of the day. While in Summer, where the Australian sun is high in the sky for most of the day, we can only shoot very early in the morning or quite late in the afternoon/evening.
You also know your children best. So if they are happiest in the morning, then aim for a morning shoot. And likewise, if they are best in the afternoons, then we should try for that.
Where do we shoot?
All shoots are done outdoors on location, generally at a park, forest or private property. If you have somewhere that you love to go as a family, then we can definitely go there. As I am based near the Hunter Valley so we should try to aim to do shoots around the Hunter Valley region. Other areas may incur a travel fee.
The location should be fairly quiet. You don’t want to shoot at a park or beach that is totally packed with people.
Parks are great because the trees offer shade.
Family Portrait Pricing

Collection 1: $550
30 mins photography session.
Shot out on location.
Photography by Adam Cavanagh.
Private online gallery to view, share, print and download photos.
Approx 30 images, fully edited to the style on our website.
Full set of photos in colour and black & white.
Full-resolution image & low-resolution images.
***
- Perfect for photos of you and your kids.
Collection 2: $1,000
Up to 90 mins photography session.
Shot out on location.
Photography by Adam Cavanagh.
Private online gallery to view, share, print and download photos.
Approx 60 – 80 images, fully edited to the style on our website.
Full set of photos in colour and black & white.
Full-resolution image & low-resolution images.
***
- Perfect if you are looking to include other family members in the session. ie Grandparents, Uncles, Aunts etc.

What to wear
As a general rule, you should wear whatever you look and feel great in. Here are some tips:
- Dress as individuals, not exactly the same. ie don’t all wear
white shirt and blue jeans. - Wear like colours, but not the same.
- Avoid bright, bold colour and crazy patterns as they are distracting and your eye will be drawn to it in the photo.
- Avoid shirts with pictures, words or logos and they will also draw the focus of the photo.
- Go for colours that are more neutral. Neutrals don’t just mean greys and browns… there are neutrals in every colour.
Other tips
- Feed the kids before you come, and bring more food to the shoot. You don’t want them to get “Hangry” (hungry/angry).
- Don’t feed them high sugar sweets, like lollies, chocolate etc before you arrive. There is a temptation to ‘bribe’ them so they co-operate during the session. But I find children can get too hyper during the shoot and then crash mid-way and then it’s over. If you want to give them a sweets reward, give it to them at the end of the shoot.
- You can incorporate an activity you like to do together as a family and do it as part of the shoot, or towards the end of the shoot. Horseriding, swimming in the ocean, walking the dog, building sandcastles, food fight, bubbles, jumping in muddy puddles. The crazier and more fun, the better.
If you are looking for Hunter Valley family photography, please have a look through our images at the top of the page and get in contact with us if you would like to book a session in.