I photographed Laurence and Alex’s wedding years ago, which means this session came with the rare advantage of backstory. Since then, they’ve produced three daughters and developed a taste for highly inadvisable access routes to nice views.
The location was near their apartment, which makes it sound convenient and civilised. It was not. “Hike” is overstating it. This was more in the category of fence first, questions later, followed by about fifteen minutes of bushwhacking through enough foliage to make me briefly reconsider my career choices.
Alex led the way carrying the two youngest without comment, like this was the standard configuration. Laurence was being guided by the eldest daughter, who had quietly assumed command of the mission and was issuing soft instructions about footing. I was behind them with too much camera gear, trying to keep up.
The Mildly Unreasonable Route In
Then the foliage opened up and, annoyingly, they were completely right.
A huge rock slab clearing, open sky, and one of those Hong Kong views that makes you forgive a lot, including the part where you had to arrive like a minor criminal. Very good spot. Deeply inconvenient access. Strong overall performance.
What made it work was that this wasn’t a place they had found on the internet five minutes earlier. It was theirs. Somewhere they had actually discovered, actually come back to, and knew well enough to drag three daughters and a photographer into with total confidence. In family-photo terms, that is usually better than any officially approved location with signage and a map.
A Small, Well-Organised Expedition Unit
Once we were up there, the girls ran ahead, climbed on the rocks, grouped up when somebody called them in, and generally behaved like they had done this before. Because they had.
The eldest stayed in her informal command role for most of it — checking on her sisters when the rocks got uneven, deciding when the group needed to move, handling logistics nobody had officially given her. The middle one alternated between exploring and reporting back. The youngest mostly went where Alex went, which kept Alex carrying things.
There were the parent-paired portraits in the middle of all this — Laurence with one of the daughters, Alex with another — the kind of frame that only really works when the kid in question is comfortable enough to forget the camera is there. They forgot.
There was also a quieter portrait of Laurence and Alex together, just the two of them on the rocks, which is the frame I always like most from sessions with this many kids. The kids are the reason for the day. The two of them together is the reason for the kids.
Same Laurence and Alex. Better Cast.
Mostly, I liked the sequel. Same Laurence and Alex, three more daughters, one secret viewpoint, slightly more trespassing.
Years after the wedding, this is the part I like most — seeing the actual family rhythm. Who leads, who hangs back, who starts the climb without discussion, and who somehow keeps everyone moving. In this case: the eldest daughter, with quiet authority. Alex, on logistics. Laurence, holding the centre. The middle daughter, scouting ahead. The youngest, riding shotgun.
Everyone with a job. Nobody making a thing of it.
We came back down the same way we came up, slightly muddier, which felt about right.
If your family has a place that actually means something to you — even if the route in is mildly incriminating — get in touch.
See more family sessions in the Tribe gallery or browse all our work.