Family photographer in Málaga

With children, a session lasts as long as their patience, and Málaga buys more of it than most cities because the beach is right there. A family that would be cold and restless on a promenade in northern Europe can be on the sand here in January at three in the afternoon, at about 18 degrees, with buckets, shoes off and the sun low enough not to make anyone squint. That changes what the photographs look like: children playing, not posing, and parents with them rather than beside them. For grandparents, the plan keeps to flat ground with a bench nearby. For the youngest, the Paseo del Parque, a long garden walk between the port and the old town, has shade under big trees even in May. Living here or visiting, the session fits around naps rather than the other way round.

When to book in Málaga

The best slot follows the youngest child’s day. Mid-morning after breakfast or late afternoon after the nap are the two that work, and in Málaga both are usable for most of the year. From November to March, a session at four in the afternoon catches low sun on the sand and finishes before the temperature drops; in December the sun sets around six. In July and August, either very early, before the beach fills at ten, or the last hour before sunset, after half past eight. School holidays bring the most visitors to the beaches; the Feria week in August and Holy Week also crowd the centre. A school-term weekday morning in spring is the quietest of all.