This time, it was not only about the two of them. They came with their three sons, and we chose Guincho Beach, near Cascais, for a family session by the Atlantic Ocean.
Guincho is a great location for a large family photoshoot. It has open space, wide sand, beautiful dunes, and a dramatic ocean view. There is room to move, breathe, and make the session feel relaxed rather than formal. That matters even more when you are photographing five people with very different personalities.
Photographing a family with teenagers is different from working with small children. Younger children usually need games and movement. Teenagers often need a different kind of approach. They may not be excited by the idea of a photoshoot at first, but when you find a way to connect with them, give them some space, and explain what you are doing, they usually become much more involved.
That was exactly the case here. We started with the important family photographs: everyone together, Oleg and Olena as a couple, each parent with the boys, the three brothers together, and individual portraits of every son. In a large family session, I always make sure that each person has their own moment in the photographs, not only a place in the group shot.
Once we had the classic frames, we could relax even more. Guincho gave the boys space to be themselves. We walked, laughed, moved around the beach, looked at the ocean, and let the session become less structured. I still gave small prompts and watched the light, but I also gave them the freedom to do what felt natural.
That is when the best moments often happen. The expressions become more honest, the energy changes, and the photographs feel like real memories instead of poses.
For me, this photoshoot was especially meaningful. It was lovely to see Oleg and Olena again after so many years, now with their three sons, and to create another chapter of their family story in a completely different place, beside the Atlantic coast near Lisbon.
