Family photographer in Madrid

Children set the timetable of a family session, and in Madrid the sun sets the rest. What a family photographer here has in their favour is that the two seasons point to two different places, both flat enough for a buggy. In winter it is the Retiro in the early afternoon, after lunch and before the light goes at about six: the sun stays low all day, so nobody squints, and the rowing boats on the Estanque Grande give a restless six-year-old something to do for three-quarters of an hour while we photograph the rest of you on the bank. In July and August it is Madrid Río at the start of the day, a long riverside park with playgrounds and shade, empty before the runners arrive. The months between are generous. October, November, March and April let you choose the hour by the children’s routine rather than by the sky.

When to book in Madrid

With small children, the best month is the one where good light falls inside their day rather than at its edges. From November to February that happens by itself: the sun stays low from late morning until five, so a session sits comfortably between lunch and bath time. March and October widen the window and the afternoons are mild. In May and June the light a family photographer wants moves to after eight in the evening, late for a three-year-old, so we usually suggest nine or ten in the morning under the trees instead. July and August are a sunrise-only proposition, and with young children that is often realistic, since they are up at that hour anyway. If the day turns wet, the session moves to another slot at no cost.