Best Places for a Family Photoshoot in Dubai

Looking for the best place for a family photoshoot in Dubai? Here are some of my favourite types of locations, from the beach and desert to your own home.

One of the first questions I get when families enquire about a photoshoot is: where should we do it? And I don't think there is one perfect answer.

The best location for a family photoshoot in Dubai depends on your family, the age of your children, the time of year, and most importantly, what you actually enjoy doing together.

Some families feel completely at home at the beach. Others would much rather stay in their pyjamas and make breakfast together. Some children need space to run, climb and explore, while others are happiest sitting next to their parents with a book. For me, the location is part of the story.

I don't want to choose somewhere simply because it looks beautiful in photographs. I want to know whether it gives your family something to do, somewhere to move, or a familiar rhythm that allows you to forget about the camera a little.

So if you're looking for ideas for a family photoshoot in Dubai, these are some of the types of locations I would consider.

How to choose the right location for your family photoshoot.

Before choosing somewhere because it looks good on Instagram, I would ask yourself a few questions.

What does your family actually enjoy doing? Do your children love water? Do they spend their weekends outdoors? Are you happiest at home? Do you have a favourite place you go together regularly?

Also think about your children's ages. A location that works beautifully for a couple with a baby might not be the best choice for a family with a three-year-old who needs to move constantly, and that is fine.

For younger children especially, I often prefer locations where there is some freedom to move rather than somewhere where everyone has to stand in a particular spot. The goal isn't to make your children behave like models. It's to give them room to be themselves.

The beach.

Dubai has plenty of beautiful beaches, and the beach can be a lovely option for a family photoshoot. But what I like about a beach session isn't simply the backdrop, it's what happens when children have water, sand and somewhere to explore.

You can walk along the shoreline, play in the sand, paddle in the water, collect shells or simply sit together for a while. There is naturally less pressure to look at the camera because there is something happening around you.

For families with children who don't particularly enjoy being photographed, this can make a big difference. The beach can also work particularly well for maternity photography, especially if you prefer something relaxed and natural rather than a very posed pregnancy photoshoot.

One thing to consider: Dubai's weather makes the time of day particularly important. Depending on the season, an early morning or later afternoon session may be much more comfortable than the middle of the day.

The desert.

The desert gives you something very different. There is space, texture and a sense of being away from the city, even though you are still in Dubai.

For a family photoshoot, I love the possibility of letting children run around, climb the dunes and explore. It can also be beautiful for families who prefer a quieter, more minimal setting.

Rather than filling the frame with lots of things, you have sand, sky and your family.

The desert can work particularly well if you like photographs that feel a little more editorial while still being natural. And if your children are anything like mine, the fact that they are allowed to run around is usually a very good thing.

Your own home.

This is probably the location I would encourage families to consider more often. There is something very special about photographing a family in the place where their everyday life actually happens: breakfast at the kitchen table, a toddler climbing onto your bed, reading the same book for the hundredth time.

There are so many possibilities: making pancakes, playing in the living room, bath time. The tiny routines that don't necessarily feel important while you're living them are often the things you miss later.

An at home family photoshoot doesn't need a perfectly styled home either. In fact, I would much rather photograph a home that looks like your family lives there.

If you're worried about toys, laundry or the fact that your house doesn't look like a magazine, please don't. I'm much more interested in the life happening inside it.

Parks and green spaces.

Green spaces can be another lovely option, particularly for families with younger children. A park gives children somewhere to move while still allowing for moments of connection between parents and children.

You might have a picnic, walk together, play a game or simply let the children explore while you follow along. The important thing is not necessarily finding the most impressive park in Dubai.

A familiar place that your children already enjoy can sometimes work much better. If your family has a favourite park that you visit every weekend, that is already part of your family story, and that makes it meaningful.

The city.

You don't always need a traditionally "beautiful" location for beautiful family photographs. Dubai's streets, buildings, cafés and neighbourhoods can all become part of the setting.

A city session could be as simple as walking together, stopping for a drink, getting ice cream, taking the children somewhere they enjoy or wandering around your favorite neighbourhood. This type of session can be particularly nice for older children who might find a more traditional photoshoot a little awkward. Instead of asking everyone to pose, we can simply go somewhere and spend time together.

The photographs become about the relationship between you and the environment around you.

Which location is right for your family?

If you're not sure where to have your family photoshoot, I would start with your family rather than the location: think about what a normal weekend looks like. Maybe your children are happiest barefoot at the beach, maybe you spend Sunday mornings making breakfast at home. Maybe your family loves getting outside and exploring, or you have a place in Dubai that you've been visiting since your first child was born. Those things can all make wonderful starting points.

And you don't necessarily need an elaborate activity either. Sometimes the best photographs happen when everyone stops trying to make something happen.

What I look for when choosing a location.

As a documentary family photographer, I tend to look for locations that give families room to interact naturally. I think about the light, but also about what children can do there.

Is there somewhere to walk? Somewhere to sit? Somewhere to explore? Is it likely to feel too crowded? Can we move around if a child isn't interested in what we're doing?

I also want the location to feel like you. There is no point choosing somewhere because it is beautiful if your family feels uncomfortable there. A family photoshoot doesn't have to look like a photoshoot. It can look like your family, and that is what I'm most interested in photographing.

So, where should you have your family photoshoot in Dubai?

There isn't one answer. The beach, desert, parks, city and your own home can all work beautifully, but the best location is the one that gives your family space to be yourselves.

If you're considering a family photoshoot in Dubai and you're not sure which setting would suit you, we can talk about what your family enjoys and find something that feels natural rather than forced.Because ultimately, I don't want to give you photographs of a beautiful location with your family just standing in it,I want the location to become part of your story.