Summer family session location ideas — cool ideas for hot days.

Written By christen peters

Summer is a great time to schedule a family photoshoot. The kids are out of school, the sun is out (for the most part) and there are a plethora of locations to choose from!

Obviously, the beach is a great choice. BUT sometimes the kids can get a bit over it when they’re in the heat for too long. So are you curious to hear some other location options for your family photoshoot? Read on!

Family session location ideas for a hot summer’s day in Auckland —

  1. At the pool —

    If you have access to a pool, have a pool party with your family and take some candid shots in and around the water. You could also use pool floats and toys to add some color and playfulness to your photos.

Young boy wrapped in a striped pool towel smiles at the camera during a backyard family session.
Young boy lounges in a pool wearing yellow goggles during a backyard summer photoshoot.

2. An ice cream shop

The photoshoot bribe can become the main event! Often, parents will tell kids something along the lines of, “If you’re good during the photoshoot, we can get ice cream after.” How about instead of waiting until after the shoot, we incorporate this special treat into the shoot?! It’s a great way to get kids in a good mood and on board with taking pictures. We typically save this activity for the end because it usually gets so beautifully messy and sticky!

Mother holds toddler son and leans agains the doorway of an ice cream shop during a family photoshoot.
Toddler eats a messy ice cream cone during a family photoshoot at an ice cream parlour.
Young girl eats ice cream cone during a family photoshoot in summer.
Mother and kids laugh and eat ice cream cones together during a family photoshoot.

3. Your favorite cafe

A bit of a treat for you sleep-deprived parents. Grab a coffee and a treat from your favorite local cafe and then take a walk around the local neighborhood! Kids can bring their scooters, bikes, etc and your family can have a little explore together while I photograph it all.

Three young kids sit on a blue picnic bench during a family photoshoot in Auckland, New Zealand.
Young girl holds a cookie up to her face during a photoshoot at a cafe in Manly, Auckland New Zealand.
Young boy holds an Instax camera up to his face during a family session.

4. A bookstore

For this motherhood session, we chose a location that celebrated their love of reading. We wandered around for a bit, grabbed some of their favorite books, and a few coffees.

Mother and son laugh together in front of a bookshelf at a family photoshoot in Auckland.
Mom and her two sons smile at each other in a bookstore during a family session in Auckland.
Mother stacks books on top of her son's head during a photo session at a book store.

5. Backyard fun — baseball, paddling pool, water guns

If you have a backyard or a spacious outdoor area, set up some games like badminton or frisbee — we’ll get some super fun and authentic photos of you guys doing your favorite things. You could also set up a BBQ and grill out together. S’mores in the summertime are always a good idea too ;)

Young boy tosses a baseball up into the sky during a family photoshoot in their backyard.
Young boy holds a yellow baseball bat towards the camera during a family session in their backyard.
Mother, father, their young son and their family dog play around a shallow blue paddling pool in their backyard during a family photoshoot.

6. The grocery store


YEP! You have full permisson to turn your daily errands and to-do lists into a photoshoot opportunity. The local grocery stores are always beautifully air-conditioned, making them surprisingly perfect and fun spots for family photos.

Young boy sits in a shopping cart during a family session at the grocery store.
Mother and her three kids play together in a grocery store during a photoshoot.
Toddler boy sits in a shopping cart filled with flowers during a family photoshoot.

I absolutely LOVE when families think outside the box and embrace everything that makes their family unique. If you want someone to document your crew this summer, get in touch!

christen peters
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