Climb a Northala mound
The tallest of Northala Fields' four hills is 22 metres high with views to central London. Children love the climb, and a family on the summit makes a striking frame.
Family Photographer in West London
Kaushik Bathia comes to your home or to a park near it, anywhere from Northolt and Greenford to Ealing, Chiswick and Fulham. A session lasts about an hour and follows the children's pace rather than a shot list.
The short answer
Is there a family photographer who comes to you in West London?
Yes. Kaushik Bathia photographs families at home, in the garden or in a local park across West London, from Northolt, about 4 miles from Northwood, out to Kensington and Chelsea at about 11 miles. A session usually runs for about an hour. Walpole Park in Ealing, Gunnersbury Park and the Thames promenade at Dukes Meadows all work well. Session prices come on request by phone or WhatsApp, with travel from Northwood itemised in your written quote.
He was very professional, made us relaxed and got everyone to smile. The photos were beautiful especially the family portrait.
We had a family photo session with grandparents, parents sons and our dog too. Mr Bathia is good humoured, he got the best out of all of us and took some great photos.
Kaushik took a photograph of my grand-daughter. The final product was superb. My little 2 year old girl was kept so calm and at ease with Kaushik’s kindness. We will now always use Kaushik for our photography.
The lie of the land
From the A40 towns to the Thames: West London in five parts
West London is not one place for a family shoot, and the parts behave differently. Closest to Northwood are the A40 towns of the London Borough of Ealing: Northolt at about 4 miles, Greenford at about 6, Perivale and Southall just beyond. Hanwell, West Ealing, Ealing Broadway and Northfields follow at 7 to 8 miles, with Acton just under 9. These are the places with the widest choice of big, open parks.
To the north-east, the Brent side runs through Dollis Hill, Willesden Green and Cricklewood at 8 to 9 miles, then Queen's Park and Kilburn at about 10. To the south-west lie Heathrow, Hounslow and Feltham at 9 to 11 miles. The riverside belt of Chiswick, Hammersmith and Fulham, and Kensington and Chelsea sits between about 10 and 11 miles out. Wherever you are, Kaushik comes to you, and travel from Northwood is quoted up front and set out in writing before you book.
Ealing's green spaces
Walpole Park, Lammas Park and the Brent valley for younger children
Walpole Park in central Ealing is 28 acres of Grade II parkland that opened to the public in 1901 from the grounds of Pitzhanger Manor. Its Regency-planted beds, a fishpond with fountains and a Serpentine Lake give a family shoot several quite different backdrops within a short walk, which matters when a toddler's patience runs to about twenty minutes. Lammas Park, a 25-acre formal park named after medieval lammas grazing land, has a nature area and a playground for a break halfway through.
Along the River Brent, Brent Lodge Park in Hanwell is known locally as the Bunny Park. It is home to Hanwell Zoo, with small mammals, exotic birds and reptiles, plus a maze of 2,000 yews, a café and a play area, so a session can end with a reward. Pitshanger Park runs beside the same river with large open spaces and good paths, easy going for a buggy or a grandparent who prefers level ground.
Hills and views
Northala Fields and Horsenden Hill, closest to Northwood
Northala Fields in Northolt opened in 2008 across 27.5 hectares, built from the rubble of the original Wembley Stadium and the White City shopping centre. Its four conical mounds rise beside the A40, the tallest 22 metres high with views to central London. There are two playgrounds for under-14s, a model boating lake and a visitor centre with a café. Older children enjoy the climb, and a family standing on a summit against a big sky makes a picture nobody else's album has.
Horsenden Hill, between Perivale, Sudbury and Greenford, reaches 85 metres and its summit is part of an Iron Age hillfort site. Below it there are children's playgrounds and the Gruffalo Trail, and the Grand Union Canal's Paddington branch runs along its south and east sides. For a family with a four-year-old who loves the Gruffalo, starting on the trail and finishing at the top of the hill keeps everyone moving and happy.
By the river
Gunnersbury, Chiswick House and the Fulham riverside for older children
Gunnersbury Park on the Ealing and Hounslow border is a 72-hectare heritage park with 22 Grade II listed buildings, formal gardens and lakes used for seasonal pedalo boating, and a small play area near the café. In Chiswick, the gardens at Chiswick House, which the Chiswick House and Gardens Trust describes as the first English landscape garden, are free to enter and open daily from 7am until dusk, so an early summer start is possible before the paths fill up.
Further east, Dukes Meadows has a terraced Thames-side promenade with balustrades, viewpoints and a bandstand, and the recreation ground next to it has a water play area added in 2006. Bishops Park in Fulham, beside Fulham Palace, has a rose garden, a moat garden, an ornamental lake and a river walk on the Thames Path. Ravenscourt Park in Hammersmith has a walled garden and a lake that was once part of a medieval manor moat.
At home and in the year
Living rooms, gardens and the right month in West London
A family session at home suits a family with a baby on a tight nap schedule, a grandparent who would rather not travel, or a gathering around Diwali or Eid when everyone is under one roof. Kaushik looks for the room with the best window light, keeps the pace relaxed and lets the children show him their own corners. A back garden in Hounslow or a Victorian terrace in Queen's Park works as well as a large house, because the light matters more than the space.
For outdoor sessions, late spring to autumn gives the best light and colour. Tentelow Wood and Meadow, between Norwood Green and Southall, is an ancient bluebell wood of oak, hornbeam and elm, which makes spring a lovely time there. Autumn suits the old oaks of Hanger Hill Park, a sloping grassland park with natural springs. In winter, a short walk followed by pictures at home is often the kindest plan for small children. If a new baby is on the way, a newborn session at home can follow. If you would rather leave home altogether, the Northwood studio works in any weather.
Planning
Planning around West London
Bunny Park in Hanwell
Brent Lodge Park has Hanwell Zoo, a maze of 2,000 yews, a café and a play area, so a short session there can end with something the children have been promised.
Chiswick House opening hours
The gardens at Chiswick House are free and open daily from 7am until dusk. An early start in summer means softer light and quieter paths for your family pictures.
Parks near Heathrow
Hillingdon Council says professional photos in its green spaces need its permission, even for personal use. If you choose a Hillingdon park near Heathrow, allow time to apply through the Hillingdon Film Office before your date.
Queen's Park byelaws
Under Queen's Park byelaws, photography for a business, trade or profession needs an agreement with the City of London Corporation, so check this before choosing the park for a paid session.
Pedalos at Gunnersbury
Gunnersbury Park's lakes have seasonal pedalo boating and a small play area near the café, which helps keep older children interested between sets of pictures.
Parks and open spaces for a family shoot in West London
These West London parks and open spaces suit a family session. Check opening times, play areas and any photography rules for your chosen park before the day.
- Islip Manor Park: Islip Manor Park, a surviving piece of the old Islip Manor Estate with entrances off Mandeville Road and Eastcote Lane, has flower beds, old native and non-native trees, a bowling green and a conservation meadow, about five minutes' walk from Northolt station. 1
- Ravenor Park: Ravenor Park, on the grounds of the former Ravenor Farm, is Greenford's largest park and hosts the annual Greenford Carnival every July. 2
- Horsenden Hill facilities: Horsenden Hill has children's playgrounds, the Gruffalo Trail and the old Horsenden Farm buildings, home to Perivale Brewery, Ealing Canoe Club and the Friends of Horsenden Hill. 3
- Southall Park: Southall Park, reached from Uxbridge Road, Green Drive and Boyd Avenue, is mainly formal parkland with a playground, tennis court, mosaic globe, water cascade and a nature conservation area with a pond and woodland walk. 4
- Brent Lodge Park and Hanwell Zoo: Brent Lodge Park, known locally as the 'Bunny Park', is home to Hanwell Zoo, which has shown small mammals, exotic birds and reptiles since 1975, along with a maze of 2,000 yews, a café and a play area. 5
Sources, facts checked October 2026
Town by town
Family photography around West London
Each West London town below is listed with its distance from Northwood, from Northolt at about 4 miles to Kensington and Chelsea at about 11. Follow a link for that town's own family photography page.
- Northolt (4 miles from the studio)
- Greenford (6 miles from the studio)
- Perivale (6 miles from the studio)
- Southall (6 miles from the studio)
- Hanwell (7 miles from the studio)
- West Ealing (7 miles from the studio)
- Park Royal (8 miles from the studio)
- Ealing Broadway (8 miles from the studio)
- Ealing (8 miles from the studio)
- Northfields (8 miles from the studio)
- Dollis Hill (8 miles from the studio)
- Brent (8 miles from the studio)
- Acton (9 miles from the studio)
- Willesden Green (9 miles from the studio)
- Cricklewood (9 miles from the studio)
- Heathrow (9 miles from the studio)
- Hounslow (9 miles from the studio)
- Chiswick (10 miles from the studio)
- Queen's Park (10 miles from the studio)
- Kilburn (10 miles from the studio)
- Hammersmith and Fulham (11 miles from the studio)
- Feltham (11 miles from the studio)
- Kensington and Chelsea (11 miles from the studio)
Good to know
Family photography in West London: questions answered
Yes. Southall is about 6.5 miles from Northwood and Hounslow about 9.5, and Kaushik comes to your home or a park nearby. In Southall, Southall Park has formal parkland, a water cascade and a woodland walk; in Hounslow, Lampton Park holds a Green Flag Award and has flower beds, a pond and a wildflower meadow. Travel from Northwood to either town is set out in your written quote.
Yes, Gunnersbury is a good choice for families with mixed ages. Its 72 hectares of Grade II* listed parkland include open lawns, formal gardens and lakes, and there is a play area near the café. Dogs are welcome under control but are not allowed in the museum or the playgrounds, which is worth knowing if the family dog is coming too.
Walpole Park is the obvious choice in the centre of Ealing, with its fishpond, fountains and Serpentine Lake in 28 acres. For toddlers who want animals, Brent Lodge Park in Hanwell has Hanwell Zoo, a yew maze, a café and a play area. Lammas Park, reached from Northfields Avenue among other entrances, has a playground and a nature area.
Gladstone Park, on a hill just north of Willesden Green, has meadows, a walled garden, rose terraces, a duck pond and views over the city. Mapesbury Dell on Hoveden Road is a small Green Flag park with a pond and lawns, which suits a short session with a baby. Roundwood Park on Harlesden Road is a formal Victorian park listed at Grade II.
Usually about an hour, which is long enough for the children to settle and for a mix of posed groups and natural moments. Larger multi-generation groups take a little longer because the groupings are planned in advance so nobody is missed. Afterwards you choose your favourites from a private online gallery and can order prints, framed pieces or an album.
Session prices are given on request by phone or WhatsApp on 07956 505383, because they depend on the session and what you would like to take home. Travel from Northwood is quoted in writing as part of the same answer, so you know the full picture for Chiswick, Acton or Kilburn before anything is booked.
Yes. Extended family groups are welcome, and the planning starts with a list of the groupings you want. Dukes Meadows has a terraced promenade with balustrades and viewpoints where a large group can stand in rows without anyone hidden, and the bandstand is a natural meeting point for relatives arriving separately.
Family photography in West London
Choose your park or your living room
Tell us where you live and roughly who will be in the pictures, and Kaushik will suggest a place, a time of day and a written quote that includes travel.
More in West London
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Other counties
- Family photography in Hertfordshire
- Family photography in Buckinghamshire
- Family photography in Berkshire
- Family photography in Surrey
- Family photography in Essex
- Family photography in Bedfordshire
- Family photography in Kent
- Family photography in Oxfordshire
- Family photography in North West London
- Family photography in North London
- Family photography in East London
- Family photography in South London
- Family photography in Central London