Child Photographer In Johannesburg
A portrait session built around your child
Children have opinions.
About what they will wear.
Where they will sit.
Whether something is funny.
And sometimes whether being photographed was a good idea in the first place.
That is useful.
Child portrait sessions take place in my Johannesburg studio and are built around the child who arrives.
There is direction when they need it and space when they don't.
They do not need to be confident.
They do not need to sit still.
And they certainly do not need to smile on command.
I want to photograph your child, not their best behaviour.
When to book
There is no perfect age for a child portrait.
The missing teeth are worth photographing.
So is the unruly hair.
The serious eight-year-old.
The eleven-year-old who suddenly seems much older.
The child who still climbs onto your lap even though they barely fit there anymore.
Every age gives us something different.
If your child is still very young, you may prefer my baby portrait experience. If they are moving into the years between childhood and adulthood, my teenager portrait experience may be a better fit.
View the baby portrait experience →
View the teenager portrait experience →
What happens during the session
Before your session, we discuss who will be photographed and what everyone will wear.
On the day, I begin simply.
I give children enough direction to know what we are doing without asking them to perform continuously for the camera.
Some settle immediately.
Some need time.
Some talk.
Some barely say a word.
Some give me exactly three seconds before deciding they have a better idea.
I work with all of them.
Your session can include:
- your child on their own
- brothers and sisters together
- mother and child
- father and child
- parents with their children
- your family together
We do not need to make every combination.
We make the photographs that matter to your family.
The child remains at the centre.
How I photograph children
I use careful studio lighting, simple backgrounds and very little around them.
There are no themed sets and very few props.
I would rather watch what a child does with their face, their hands and their body than give them something artificial to do.
I guide when guidance helps.
Then I watch.
A sideways glance.
A ridiculous face.
The moment they forget about me.
The laugh produced by a sibling standing just outside the frame.
The sudden seriousness that appears between two bursts of noise.
Those are often the photographs.
Expression matters more than performance.
Brothers and sisters
Siblings are very welcome.
Photographing children together changes the energy immediately.
They know how to make each other laugh.
They also know exactly which button to press.
I photograph through both.
We can make individual portraits of each child as well as photographs of them together, so no one needs to become merely part of a group.
Sometimes the photograph parents love most is beautifully composed.
Sometimes everyone is collapsing with laughter.
Both count.
Who they are together matters too.
Including parents
You are welcome to be photographed with your children.
In fact, I encourage it.
It is easy to book a session because you want photographs of them and quietly decide that you don't need to be in any yourself.
Years later, those photographs can matter differently.
Your children already know what you look like.
What they do not have is an endless supply of photographs showing who you were together at this particular age.
You do not need to be in everything.
Just don't disappear completely.
One day, these photographs belong to them too.
What to wear
Simple clothing works best.
There is no need to buy something especially for the session.
Plain clothing keeps attention on faces and relationships rather than what everyone is wearing.
For children, avoid large logos, graphics, very busy patterns and anything they are uncomfortable in.
For families and siblings, coordinate rather than match.
I often suggest starting with black, although other simple neutral clothing works well.
And check favourite clothes beforehand for fading, pilling, stains and stretched necklines. The camera is annoyingly good at noticing them.
What to wear for your portrait session →
Your child portrait session
The session fee is R3,000.
The session fee covers the photography session, preparation beforehand, my direction throughout and the creation of your portrait gallery.
Your finished portraits are purchased separately through one of three collections.
Child portrait collections
Foundation — 10 portraits
R7,500
Total investment including session fee: R10,500
For those who want a small, strong group of finished portraits.
Signature — 15 portraits
R10,500
Total investment including session fee: R13,500
For those who want more variety across individual portraits and relationships.
Legacy — 25 portraits
R15,500
Total investment including session fee: R18,500
For those who want the broadest record of their child and the people photographed with them.
Additional portraits are R1,500 each.
A black-and-white alternate version of a purchased portrait is R1,000 per portrait.
RAW and unedited files are not supplied.
You choose how much you want to keep.
After your session
After the session, you choose the photographs you would like me to finish.
Your selected portraits are individually retouched and delivered as finished digital files.
Framed portraits, wall pieces and albums are also available if you would like your photographs in print.
View portrait finishes →
Your photographer
I have photographed children and families in my Johannesburg studio since 2005.
When you book a child portrait session with me, I photograph it personally.
I have photographed children who love the camera and children who would happily have been anywhere else.
Neither is a problem.
Experience is knowing when to direct.
When to wait.
When to keep going.
And when a child has given enough.
They do not need perfect manners or a rehearsed smile.
They only need to arrive as themselves.
View child portraits →
Frequently asked questions
They do not need to become outgoing for me. I give them time to settle and work with the personality in front of me.
A serious expression can make an extraordinary portrait. I would rather photograph something genuine than manufacture a smile.
We can change position, move, stand, sit on the floor or take a break. How much direction I use depends on the child.
I can photograph children individually and together during the same session.
If something genuinely belongs to your child — a treasured toy, instrument or object that says something about who they are now — we can consider including it. I don't use props simply to decorate a photograph.
Ready when you are
If you would like to photograph who they are now, get in touch and we can look at timing.
Contact me →
JOHANNESBURG PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER
One Moment. One Portrait. Forever
© 2005–2026 Bridget Corke Photography
Blairgowrie · Johannesburg · South Africa
International Master's in Portrait Photography
One of only two in Africa.