Kew Family Photoshoots

For family photoshoots Kew Gardens in West London has to be my favourite location with children.

Pros

It is beautifully kept all year round, there are no dogs and no litter, there are loads of different set ups really close together so we don’t have to walk for ages to get a new backdrop, and there’s really nice coffee at the end of it all!  What more could you ask for.

Cons

It is expensive to enter (currently £27 ish per adult, and kids older than 3 are £5.50) and on hot days in the summer it can be hard to find parking.

Times of year to do a shoot

Kew is great all year round as it is so well tended.  I would say the best times are end of April as there is a wealth of blossom and bluebells for that quintessential English look but it’s essentially great all year round as there are so many different environments to use.

Logistics

A few tips for newcomers to the Kew Gardens, I can legitimately bring another adult into the gardens for free with my membership card but any more than one adult and you will need to pay the entrance fee which is currently around £27.  Kids get in for free.  There are 4 entrances to the gardens, Brentford Gate (where there is a car park but this is quite pricey), Main Gate (by Kew Green), Victoria Gate which is closest to the tube (district Line 5 mins walk) and Lion’s Gate closest to Richmond.  The last 2 are my favoured places to meet.  After 11am you can park on the side roads near these entrances so it’s easy to find somewhere.  There’s an official car park also at the Brentford Gate entrance for about £7 a day.

Best for

Gorgeous mature trees and long vistas.  Lovely long grass and amazing blossom.  Here we can play with tree climbing, hill running, sitting in long grass, playing with conkers, jumping off benches, sitting on stone steps, hiding behind pillars and so much more, it’s a great place to have fun with children right up to teenage years.