Kaushik BathiaPhotography
Three-generation family in saris and suits, studio group portrait

Christmas Photoshoot for Essex Families

November and December family portraits for Essex homes, from Loughton on the forest edge to Colchester, photographed by your tree, on a winter walk or at the Northwood studio.

★★★★★ Rated 4.8 from 580+ reviews

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The short answer

Can I book a Christmas photoshoot in Essex?

Yes. Kaushik photographs Essex families for Christmas at home beside the tree, outdoors in a county park such as Weald Country Park near Brentwood or Castle Park in Colchester, or at the Northwood studio. Mini session dates are released for the season, so ask by phone or WhatsApp on 07956 505383 for what is open. If the picture is going on a card, ask in October so the date is booked in time for the cards. Travel from Northwood to your Essex home or park is set out in your written quote.

Our usual session area is within about 20 miles of the studio. Further out in Essex, sessions are by arrangement, with travel quoted in writing before you book.

Google reviews

What families say

4.8 from 580+ Google reviews

We had a family shoot at the studio, Kaushik took some wonderful photos. He was excellent with the kids and was very good at making them smile naturally, the end results were brilliant. We purchased a canvas and 2 further large framed photos. All completed on time and to perfection. Very pleased.

Sailen R., Google review, 2017

I booked the family portrait for my family and it was a wonderful experience. Kaushik is such a great photographer, able to coax a smile from any reluctant person. Making the decision of which pictures to chose is particularly difficult as they are all good.

Jay M., Google review, 2025

Had a lovely experience with the family photo shoot. Friendly man made us feel very comfortable and took some amazing shots

Kulsum J., Google review, 2024

Read all the reviews on Google

Three ways to do it

Tree, forest walk or studio: choosing a Christmas setting in Essex

An Essex Christmas photoshoot can happen in one of three places, and the right one depends on where you live and who is coming. A session in your own front room, with the tree lit and the stockings up, needs nobody to travel. An outdoor session in November uses the bare branches and low sun of an Essex country park. A studio mini session at 21 Joel Street, Northwood Hills, is short, warm and unaffected by rain or the early dark.

Distance shapes the choice more in Essex than in the counties right beside the studio. Loughton and Chigwell are about 20 and 21 miles from Northwood Hills, Harlow about 25, Chelmsford about 39 and Colchester about 57. For families in the west of the county the studio is a manageable trip; further east, from Chelmsford to Colchester, having Kaushik come to you can save the long drive with small children. Travel from Northwood is quoted up front and set out in writing before you book, whichever option you choose.

Mini session dates at the studio are released for the season rather than fixed far in advance. Call or WhatsApp 07956 505383 and ask which dates are open; prices for both studio minis and come-to-you sessions are given at the same time.

Parents in traditional Gulf dress with their young daughter, studio portrait

Card deadline

An Essex card plan that starts in the autumn colour

For a family that wants both a card and an outdoor picture, Essex rewards an October date. Weald Country Park and the old oak pollards of Thorndon still carry their leaves then, and the same session gives you a card image before the post gets busy. The full run-through of card timing sits on the national Christmas photoshoot page.

If relatives in Essex are spread from Harlow to Southend-on-Sea and the card has to reach all of them, say the date it must be posted when you first get in touch, and the session can be booked in time for the cards.

A December date at home in Billericay or Grays still suits a framed present or a family album, where no posting date is involved.

Outdoors

Winter light in Weald, Thorndon, Harlow Town Park and Castle Park

South of Brentwood, Weald Country Park spreads over about 500 acres of former estate landscaped in the manner of Capability Brown, and Essex County Council runs it. A short drive away, Thorndon Country Park sits within a 349-acre Site of Special Scientific Interest of ancient parkland and old oak pollards. Both give wide, open ground for a family walking towards the camera in coats and scarves, with no need for props.

In Harlow, the Grade II listed Town Park designed by Dame Sylvia Crowe covers more than 160 acres, and its water garden of three cascading ponds makes a calm background on a still morning. In Colchester, Castle Park spreads over 11 hectares around the Norman keep, though dogs other than service dogs are not allowed in the Upper Park, so bring the family dog to the Lower Park instead, under control.

Epping Forest is the obvious winter woodland for families in Loughton, Chigwell and Epping, but the City of London Corporation requires a licence for commercial photography there, including portrait sessions. Allow time to arrange it, or choose one of the parks above. November daylight is short, so outdoor sessions are planned for late morning or early afternoon.

Family of four in red and black lying on the studio floor

At home

A Christmas session in your Essex living room

A home session is the most relaxed way to do Christmas photographs with toddlers, grandparents or a new baby. Kaushik comes to your house in Epping, Billericay, Southend-on-Sea or wherever you live in the county, looks at the light in each room, and uses the tree, the staircase and the window that gets the afternoon sun. Turning off the main ceiling light and switching on the tree lights changes the whole feel of a room.

Clear a little floor space in front of the tree before Kaushik arrives, and keep a favourite snack ready for the youngest. Plan around naps rather than around a fixed hour, and let us know in advance if grandparents are only coming for part of the time, so their pictures are taken first.

What to wear

Dressing for an Essex park or a lit-up front room

Match the clothes to the place. Against the hornbeam and oak of Thorndon or the open lawns of Weald, a coat in a single solid colour and a scarf in a second one keep each person easy to pick out. Beside Harlow's water garden, where the ponds reflect a pale sky, mid tones read better than white. Indoors by the tree, soft fabrics and one shared accent colour look calmer than matching jumpers.

Christmas jumpers are fine for a few fun frames, so bring them as a change rather than the main outfit. For a park session, warm layers matter more than anything: cold children stop smiling quickly, and a hat that matches the family's colours keeps everyone happy for longer.

Family of five in grey, black and red, studio group portrait

Planning

Planning around Essex

01

Ask in October for cards

An October date in an Essex country park catches the last leaves and is booked in time for the cards, with room to choose a favourite before posting.

02

Ask for this season's dates

Northwood studio mini dates come out each season rather than months ahead. Call or WhatsApp 07956 505383 to hear which are open and what each option costs.

03

Epping Forest needs a licence

The City of London Corporation requires a licence for commercial photography in Epping Forest, including portraits, so plan ahead or pick another park.

04

Mind the Castle Park dog rule

In Colchester's Castle Park, only service dogs may enter the Upper Park; other dogs can join in the Lower Park under control.

05

Short days, early starts

November and December light fades early in Essex, so outdoor sessions sit in the late morning or early afternoon.

Winter settings in Essex

Essex parks and open spaces that suit a winter family portrait, with the rules worth knowing before you choose one.

  • Wat Tyler Country Park: Wat Tyler Country Park lies south of Pitsea on Pitsea Marsh, on land that once held the Pitsea Explosives Factory, and is named after the leader of the 1381 Peasants' Revolt, which began in nearby Fobbing. 1
  • Cater Museum, High Street: The Cater Museum occupies an 18th and 19th-century Grade II listed building on Billericay High Street, which is a conservation area. 2
  • Epping Forest: Epping Forest, which borders Loughton to the west, is an ancient woodland stretching 13 miles from east London into Essex and has been kept as public open space since the Epping Forest Act 1878. 3

Sources, facts checked October 2026

  1. Wat Tyler Country Park - Wikipedia
  2. Billericay - Wikipedia
  3. Epping Forest - City of London

Town by town

Christmas sessions across Essex

Distances from the Northwood studio help you decide between a home session, a park or a studio mini session.

Good to know

Christmas photoshoots in Essex: questions answered

Yes. Chelmsford is about 39 miles from the studio, and Kaushik comes to your home with everything needed for a family portrait beside the tree. Travel from Northwood is set out in your written quote, and the session price is given by phone or WhatsApp.

Mini session dates are released for each season, so they are not listed far in advance. Call or WhatsApp 07956 505383 to ask which studio dates are open. Families in Loughton or Chigwell, about 20 miles away, may find the studio the simplest option.

Possibly, but the City of London Corporation requires a licence for commercial photography in Epping Forest, including portrait sessions. Allow time for that, or choose another setting such as Weald Country Park or Thorndon Country Park near Brentwood, or a session at home.

Harlow Town Park is a Grade II listed park of over 160 acres, and its water garden of cascading ponds and the rhododendron dell at its southern end give a variety of backgrounds in a small area. A late morning slot in November gives the best light.

Ask in October if you can. That way the session is booked in time for the cards, and an outdoor date in Weald or Thorndon still has some autumn colour. Tell us the day the cards have to be posted, especially any going abroad, and the session date is chosen to suit it.

Prices are given on request by phone or WhatsApp on 07956 505383, so you get the current figure for a studio mini session or a come-to-you family session at your Essex home or park. Travel is shown separately in your written quote.

Yes. Tell us who is coming when you book, so the session is planned around everyone. Southend-on-Sea is about 48 miles from Northwood, so a session at your home there saves everyone the drive.

Behind the camera is Kaushik Bathia, established in Northwood since 2001, FBIPP and FMPA, with five European Kodak Gold Awards.

Christmas photographs in Essex

Ask about this season's dates

Tell us where in Essex you live, who is in the picture and whether you need card files. Kaushik will reply with the dates on offer, the price and the travel in writing.

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