Family Photographer in Hyères & Porquerolles

Professional photoshoots here start from €279. Packages differ by duration and the number of edited photos — an hour on one beach or in the Hyères old town sits at the lower end, while two hours that link the Plage Notre-Dame, the pine tracks and the village square on Porquerolles come to roughly €450. Ferry tickets and island bike hire are separate.

The Plage Notre-Dame on Porquerolles — white sand, turquoise water and umbrella pines leaning over it; Fort Sainte-Agathe above the harbour, with the village square, its plane trees and its pétanque pitch below; the bare rock and deep water out at the Cap des Mèdes; and on the mainland the arched lanes of the Hyères old town, the modernist Villa Noailles and the flamingo salt pans at Les Pesquiers.

Take the first ferry. Notre-Dame is a twenty-five-minute walk from the port and it is close to empty before ten, then busy until the last boats leave. Late afternoon light is the warmest and the beach empties again. May, June and September give warm water and a manageable island; the first three weeks of August are the hardest, and winter is quiet with a reduced ferry timetable.

Ferries run from La Tour Fondue on the Giens peninsula, about 20 minutes' crossing, with other sailings from Hyères, Le Lavandou and Toulon in season. Access to the island is capped at 6,000 visitors a day and the ferry must be booked ahead — do not turn up on spec in summer. No private cars on the island; you walk or hire a bike. Check current rules, caps and timetables before you plan the day.

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.