Book a Family Photoshoot
in Cannes

This happens all the time, and our family photographers are prepared for it. The secret is that the best family photos don't come from asking kids to pose — they come from play. Your photographer will turn the session into a game: racing along the beach at Biarritz, feeding ducks in Annecy, hunting for gargoyles on Paris' old churches, storming the towers of Carcassonne. Tantrums and shy phases get waited out with a break and a pain au chocolat, and sessions are scheduled around naps and meals. Even a session that feels chaotic in the moment produces wonderful genuine images — often better than the ones where everyone behaved.

There's no wrong age — each stage photographs differently and beautifully. Babies bring quiet, tender close-ups; toddlers bring motion and hilarious candid moments; school-age kids love the adventure of exploring châteaux and beaches on camera; teens relax once they realise nobody is forcing stiff poses. Multi-generation shoots with grandparents are among the most treasured bookings we see, especially on family reunion trips to Provence or the Loire. The one practical tip: with children under five, book morning sessions when energy and light are both at their best. Your Photo France photographer adapts the pace and games to the ages in your group.

Aim for a coordinated palette rather than identical outfits: two or three soft colors that everyone wears in their own way. Creams, soft blues, sage and sand tones look wonderful against Paris' pale stone, Provence's ochre walls and the Atlantic's grey-green sea. Skip big logos, characters and neon shades. Dress kids in clothes they can move and play in — the session will involve running, climbing steps and sitting on beaches or lawns. Bring a change of clothes for little ones (French fountains and beaches are irresistible) and comfortable shoes for cobbled lanes. Your photographer will send simple styling tips for your specific location and season when you book.

Professional photoshoots in Cannes start from €310, and most one- to two-hour packages fall between about €310 and €450 depending on length and the number of edited photos. That covers anything from a short early session on the Croisette to a longer route that climbs through Le Suquet for golden hour over the old port. Edited photos usually arrive within about a week.

The Croisette with its palms and belle-époque hotel facades, the beach in front of the Carlton, the red-carpet steps of the Palais des Festivals when no event is on, the lanes of Le Suquet climbing above the Vieux Port, the terrace by the Musée des Explorations du Monde facing west over the bay and the Esterel hills, and the Marché Forville for colour in the morning.

Shoot the Croisette early, before the promenade fills and while the light on the bay is still soft, then keep Le Suquet for golden hour — its terrace is the town's one genuine sunset spot and stays quiet. Summer middays are harsh and crowded; May, June and September give the same light with far fewer people, and winter afternoons on the seafront are surprisingly mild and clear.