Let me tell you something I tell every parent who hesitates before booking a sunset session. Yes, it's a school night. Yes, bedtime will be late. And yes — it is absolutely, completely, one hundred percent worth it.

Last week I spent an evening with a family of four in a beautiful Surrey field, and I am still thinking about it. A mum and dad who haven't been in a photograph together in years. A six-year-old girl who spent most of the session running at full speed through the tall brown grass, hair flying behind her like she was in a film. An eight-year-old boy who ended up lying in the wildflowers, laughing so hard his whole body shook.

One hour. One golden evening. Photographs this family will still be looking at in thirty years.

If you've been on the fence about booking a sunset session — worried about the logistics, the bedtime, the "will my kids actually cooperate?" — this post is for you.

"But it's a school night."

I hear this so often. And I understand it completely — when you've spent years building a bedtime routine, the idea of blowing it for a photo session feels genuinely risky.

So here's the honest truth: yes, an evening session means a slightly later bedtime. We're usually talking 30 to 45 minutes past their normal time. Once. On a single evening. In exchange, you get photographs of your family exactly as you are right now. At this age. This size. This chapter. The eight-year-old who is already losing the little-boy roundness in his face. The six-year-old who still reaches for your hand without thinking about it.

These details disappear faster than you think. And you cannot go back and photograph them when they're gone. One late night is the price of a lifetime of memories. Every parent I've ever worked with has told me afterwards it was worth it. Not one has said they wished they hadn't come.

What happens when you arrive at a sunset session?

For this family, we arrived at the field around 7pm. The light was already turning golden — that warm, low, cinematic quality that I wait for all day. The kind that wraps around people and makes everything look like it was shot through honey. We started loose. No poses, no instructions — I just let the children find their feet in the space while I watched.

We ran through the tall brown grass — the kind that comes up to a child's waist and makes the most extraordinary texture in photographs. We found a beautiful old wooden gate at the edge of the field and the whole family climbed up together, the children dangling their legs, bare feet, dad's arm around mum, everyone forgetting for a moment that I was even there.

Then came the blanket.

I always bring a large, soft blanket to outdoor sessions — it becomes the most natural prop in the world. It’s perfect to sit down, have a some cuddles with your kids, or a pretend picnic. What I adore doing, rocking the kids in the blanket with their feet popping out. An other prompt I like to give is ask the kids to run below the blankets, while the parents hold it on each side.

Will my children actually cooperate?

“We never had a photoshoot before” or “ we are awkward in front of a camera”. This is the second most common thing I hear, and I want to address it directly: there is no such thing as a being an expert in front of the camera when it comes to family session. There are just children who haven't been given the right environment yet.

Studio sessions ask children to stand still, look at the camera and perform. Outdoor sessions ask them to do the opposite — run, explore, play, be completely themselves in a wide open space. For most children, especially older ones, the second option comes naturally within minutes. The 2 kids in this session ran away from me for the first fifteen minutes. The photographs from those fifteen minutes are some of the best of the evening — a blur of movement and joy and wildflowers.

Children don't need to be "good at photos." They need space to be themselves. That's what a sunset session in an open Surrey field gives them — and it's what gives you the photographs that actually look like them.

What should we bring to a sunset session?

Practically speaking, very little. I bring everything we need — including a blanket for that golden grass moment, and all the patience in the world for children who need a few minutes to warm up. What I'd suggest from you: comfortable clothes in soft, warm tones (more on this below), shoes the children can kick off easily, and a snack in your bag for anyone who needs a five-minute reset mid-session ( with a water too). That's it.

What should we wear for outdoor family photos?

For this session, the family wore soft, warm neutrals — cream, warm white, kaki and light brown — that sat beautifully against the golden grass and wildflowers. Nothing matching, nothing too coordinated. Just colours that felt like the same family on the same evening.

My advice is always this: dress like you would for a beautiful summer evening out, not like you're going somewhere formal. Relaxed fits, natural fabrics, colours that feel like you. I send every family a detailed styling guide before our session, and I'm always happy to look at outfit options if you want a second opinion before the day.

How far in advance should I book a sunset session?

Surrey summer evenings are extraordinary — but there are only so many of them between May and September, and I hold a limited number of outdoor sessions each month to make sure every family gets the time and attention they deserve. I'd suggest enquiring as early as possible, ideally while you're still in the planning stage.

If you're hoping for July or August especially, those months fill up fastest. I travel across Surrey and South London for outdoor sessions — including Caterham, Oxted, Warlingham, Croydon, Reigate, Purley and the wider area. If you have a location in mind — a field you love, a spot that means something to your family — I'd love to hear about it.