Last Updated on 02/06/2025 by Armands Sprogis
West Loathian Family Photographer – Cottons
Hello everyone.
Winter is just around the corner, and I’m wrapping up all my outdoor family photo sessions. It has been a tremendous summer season with lots of work done on beaches, parks and client homes.
This summer, I did a lot of family photography in West Lothian. Around Linlithgow town, Beecraigs Park, is one of my family’s favourite outdoor locations. Today’s blog story comes from Blackness beach. It is a small village on the west Lothian coast with some beautiful spots for photography.
I am based in Edinburgh and do most of my sessions here, but I also travel to various locations across West and East Lothian.
I especially love it when families introduce me to their favourite spots, many of which I end up revisiting later with my own family. It is always a joy to discover places that hold special meaning for the people I photograph.
Watch Cottons family photography story here.
The Cotton family reached out to me and asked if I could do some family portraits for them. After a phone call, I discovered that they have three kids who love going to their local Blackness beach and generally spend time outdoors. The eldest has started her drama studies and wanted a few beautiful headshots too.
As a family photographer, I always try to discover what is important to the family and why they are doing this. I visited the family in West Lothian beforehand, and we had a good talk about their goals. They wanted portraits for their walls.
The family wanted this session to be natural and fun to show the kids characters and the family connection between them.
During a walk around some local spots, I discovered a lovely little creek, a few beautiful hidden corners perfect for family photos, and some areas with long grass that work wonderfully for individual portraits. These natural settings are not only great for photos but also help keep children engaged and relaxed throughout the session.
I wanted this session to be filled with natural reactions. The family wanted to involve running with the kite, finding beasties on the beach, and I proposed the idea of little paper boats to put them in the creek. Kids loved this, and everyone had an excellent time.
At the time, I had a friend staying with me who is a fantastic filmmaker. I invited him to join me on the session to create a short film showing how I work with families. The Cotton family kindly agreed, and they were also happy to answer a few questions after the session, which made the experience even more meaningful.
Cotton family video testimonial
Enjoy this West Lothian family photography gallery.
Parents are often a little shy in front of the camera, and Clare and Simon were no exception. But I always remind families that their children will want photos of you. In the years to come, these will be the portraits they hold most dear. It is not about looking perfect. It is about being there, sharing a moment, and creating memories with the people you love.
More formal sit down family portraits are fun. Making lion roar noises to me.
The family’s final goal was to have their photographs displayed on their walls. They chose a beautiful multi aperture frame, along with individual canvas portraits of each child. It was a lovely selection that allows them to remember these everyday moments in a meaningful way, every time they walk by.
If you are looking for a family photographer in West Lothian, feel free to explore my photography page and get in touch. I’m excited to find out what your family enjoy doing together and document your special bond.
