Book a Family Photoshoot
in Étretat

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 Étretat 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 an hour on the pebble beach under the Aval arch as well as a longer session that climbs to the clifftop for the wider coast. Edited photos usually arrive within about a week.

The pebble beach with the Falaise d'Aval, its arch and the 70-metre Aiguille behind it; the staircase path to the clifftop for the reverse view down the coast; the Manneporte, the larger arch most visitors never reach; the Falaise d'Amont opposite with the chapel of Notre-Dame de la Garde; and the rock shelf below the arch at low tide.

Timing here is tidal before it is anything else. Low tide opens the foot of the Aval cliff and the rock shelf under the arch — check the tables, because the sea comes back without negotiating. Golden hour on the clifftop is the reliable light, and in summer the sun sets into the water almost in line with the arch. Wind is constant, so plan hair and dresses for it.