A romantic and natural approach to family photography

My photography style is natural with a touch of documentary and lots of romance.

Tender and sweet moments that matter

You know that incredible feeling when your child cuddles you? That rush of serotonin warmth coupled with a gentle I love you whisper...? Well, that’s the FEELING I want to capture in your family photos so you could hold on to it forever.

I think of my photography as capturing little time machines with moments that matter. Moments full of family romance.

I like finding tenderness and sweetness in daily tasks. Almost as if my camera lends a perspective from the future. A future where these moments are everything.

 
 

A relaxed experience

There will be no need to look at the camera, my sessions are all about genuine emotions and beautiful images that you can’t wait to hang on your walls.

You being present and showing your love for each other are my magic ingredients for beautiful family photos.

If you are looking for a relaxed lifestyle session with a touch of documentary and your favourite photos include real moments of chaos, love and joy, then I cannot wait to meet and capture your family.

I will let you play, engage, cuddle, hug, kiss and my camera will be the witness capturing this timeless magic: a parent wiping a runny nose, a gentle touch and smile for your tired baby, digging for worms with your toddler, a tight hug that almost hurts, young kids that never stop following mum, a sweet gaze to your partner saying ''what an amazing madness''.

This is where love lies and I aim to capture all these loving moments of connection.

Otalia Onta Natural Family Photographer in London

About Otalia

When I don’t have a camera in hand, I’m probably watching TV comedy shows, eating cookies (or anything sweet really), playing with my pet babies, hiking or buying tickets for any artsy film out in cinemas.

However, these days, you can replace all the TV shows with toddler cuddling sessions. My parenting motto is - if you embrace it, it's not Chaos, it's Love in its most wonderful form possible.

OK, NOW THE REAL REAL ME:

Where does the need to create come from?

For me, it probably comes from the need to (re)write a part of my history.

There aren't many photos from my early childhood, I was an only child for the longest time and my memories are anchored in ''Ooooh yeah, this is how I felt!'' rather than ''That is what it happened''. So I need to capture how LOVE feels and looks like to hold on to those feelings. To create a tangible proof. Even if it's not me in those pictures.

The photos I take are really as important to me as they are for the families I meet. And probably very important for your children as these images are like an emotional anchor.

For some reason, evolution wrote itself in a way that young children's memories fade more easily. Not even experts know for sure why this happens. The only way to recapture these memories is through childhood photos. These are not so much a reflection of everyday life and more of an emotional security blanket. For our little ones, but for us parents as well. You'd be amazed how many wonderful moments are lost in the minutiae of daily parenting tasks. Photography anchors memories and experiences, and I want to carry that anchor everywhere.

No matter where life takes your kids and how many decades pass by, they can always come back and see how much love there was. That cuddle is now here FOREVER.

- Header photo of me by Joanna Brown

KIND WORDS

North London Family Photographer

"Otalia is the best family photographer you will find in London. My family was hoping to capture memories of our time in London, wrapping up two years of living here and heading back to our home country. We never dreamed we’d have such beautiful photos to take with us! Otalia has an eye for capturing gorgeous moments. We were instantly comfortable around her, making our shoot an incredible fun experience – making memories while making memories! Thank you, Otalia, for giving us such an amazing gift we will cherish always."

— Shannon, Hampstead -

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"Otalia feels like part of the family, after meeting her over a year ago for our couple’s shoot we recall our memories with her so fondly and immensely enjoy following her art on social media. The love she has for love shines so clearly through her photos, as she captures the subtlest of interactions, and the most tender of moments shared between you and your loved ones. Having the pleasure of working with Otalia again for our maternity shoot we were able to witness her exquisite craftsmanship once again. She worked with us to curate a unique and urban photo shoot in the midst of one of our favourite busy public markets. Despite groves of people Otalia somehow managed to make time stand still and delivered us the most fun and romantic photos as well as some video footage from our stroll through the market. She manoeuvres so effortlessly around her clients that you don’t even notice her at times and gives you that space for your natural habits and interactions to be easily captured and the times you need a little more assistance on positioning Otalia has the best suggestions to keep the photo shoot flowing. We are so grateful for her diligent services, for her genuine interest in delivering the most quality and special of products to her clients and for her friendly professionalism. We love her so much and look forward to seeing her in years to come."

— Meagan and Juan, California -

 

"Our session with Otalia was FANTASTIC and our pictures are BREATHTAKING! We couldn’t have asked for a better person to work with. She was extremely easy to get along with… actually, it felt like we had known her forever. We loved the way she was willing to get down and dirty to get the perfect shot. She was so good with our daughter and tried to incorporate all of her ideas for pics as well. We would HIGHLY RECOMMEND Otalia to anyone and hope we will get to use her again someday. We can’t thank you enough for your amazing work Otalia."

— Courtnee, Canada -

"Thank you so much to Otalia, it was just the perfect experience that we had hoped for. From the very first contact Otalia was hugely helpful taking me through the photography session options available, which made it easy to pick the right one as a gift for my wife. Then when my wife was trying to arrange the event, Otalia could not have been more helpful, both in terms of the best time and date, and even giving advice on what to wear and what accessories to bring. The session itself was a delight, with Otalia helping to bring the best out of the photos by engaging warmly with our 2 boys and suggesting different areas and themes for the pictures. The results themselves were the best set of photos we have ever had as a family, an absolute treasure set that we will hold very dearly, and will look back on regularly with broad smiles. Thank you so much again Otalia, for our unforgettable experience!"

— Hana and Greg, Greenwich -

 

"Working with Otalia was a wonderful experience. She is a very talented photographer, who is warm, friendly, extremely patient and is excellent with children. The instant you meet her, it feels as though you have known her for many years. She made my family feel comfortable from the first photo of our session to the very last shot. Her flexibility in scheduling was very professional and she made it easy for us to have a complete session despite the rain. It was an absolute pleasure working with Otalia and we are looking forward to many more sessions with her during our time in London. Thank you, Otalia, for capturing such beautiful moments that we will cherish for many years to come."

— Carrie, Marylebone -

 

"Thank you, Otalia, for the beautiful photos and for your patience with us and our little baby! It is everything I was looking for and more. You made it a very lovely experience and I look forward to many more photo sessions with you."

— Samya, Hyde Park -

Book or inquire:

ontaotalia@gmail.com
+ 44 (0) 7546604759

London, United Kingdom

 

More testimonials.

West London Family Photographer in Holland Park
 

"We had a wonderful time with Otalia on this family photography shoot! She not only took beautiful photographs of our family but she also made the experience fun filled and an adventure! Thank you!"

— Becky, Holland Park -

"Otalia has a wonderful eye for very natural family photography and has a beautiful way with young children, engaging them in fun little games to capture sweet moments together as a family. Can’t wait to have her capture these special moments every year as our children grow up!"

— Trishna, Pimlico -

"Otalia is the best photographer we have ever worked with, she is so talented and we always love the moments that she is able to capture. She is great with kids and the photographs were fabulous. We wouldn’t use anyone else!"

— Kelly, Fulham -

"It’s safe to say we have found our family photographer! It is our 3rd family photoshoot with Otalia but she never stops to amaze with the quality and the speed (we were able to see entire gallery within 72 hours). Otalia encouraged us to bring the props, discussed the location in details and suggested the best places for a variety of composition to make the collection versatile. The ducks, a birthday balloon, a launching rocket and a tractor – what could be a better selection of ‘props’ for a toddler birthday photoshoot! Issie loved every minute of the experience and showed a noticeable bond with Otalia. We have received a great number of compliments on our photos and would happily recommend Otalia to anyone as a highly professional and incredibly talented family photographer."

— Ania, Putney -

Romantic and natural newborn photography in London

"One of the best family photo experiences we’ve ever had. Otalia has endless patients and works extremely well with children. I would recommend her services to anyone. 110% satisfied!!! Again, thank you for all of your time and patience during our photo shoot. This is something that Tiffany and I will cherish for the rest of our lives. We truly are grateful and we couldn’t have asked for anything better."

— Tiffany and Scott, Kensington -

London newborn photographer

"As soon as we met Otalia, she made us feel very comfortable with her warm, open, bubbly and genuinely friendly personality. She has an abundance of fantastic energy which powered all of us 5 adults. What’s crystal clear from the onset is Otalia’s love of capturing beautiful photos with a great eye both for the subject, framing, lighting and location. At every turn Otalia saw the opportunity for a beautiful moment; her passion is enlightening! We had a wonderful afternoon and we now have beautiful images to cherish. Looking forward to working with her again!"

— Sophia, Islington -

“My fiancé went through a lot of work to surprise with with engagement photos and a video in London (Photo & Video Package). He could not have picked a better company to work with especially with us being in the US! They did a great job at keeping my engagement from me along with surprising my fiancé with a gift for his birthday. Otalia and Pavel are the most amazing and kind people to work with. Their work is outstanding and unique! They went above and beyond what was expected to make this trip memorable for us. If only we could have them do our wedding!”

— Monica and Denis, USA -

“I feel so lucky to have found Otalia to photograph our family. Though we started first thing in the morning and throngs of tourists surrounded us, she somehow made it look like we were the only family in London that day – we were completely amazed when we saw our photos! She has a keen eye for composition and exhibited the utmost patience while we at times had to reign in our toddler and work with an overtired baby. Being a professional photographer myself, I’m picky when it comes to finding someone to capture such a precious time in my family’s life. Moments are fleeting, and Otalia has left me with memories I will cherish forever!”

— Laurie, USA -

“So many people loved the photos! It’s the best thing I’ve ever done for any of my trips to Europe. I absolutely loved all the pictures!! Otalia is friendly and nice to work with. She is responsive and a very nice person. I would highly recommend her to anyone who is traveling to London with Family! It’s would be a must do on the list!!! Thank you so much Otalia!”

— Susanna, USA -

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"Otalia is AMAZING!! My husband and I recently spent a short time in London and decided to book a couple photo shoot with Sweet London Family Photography. We wanted some photos that would bring back special memories of our time in London. Right from the start Otalia was so professional and just delightful to work with. She answered all my emails promptly and planned a great photo shoot for us, capturing London’s famous landmarks. The photo shoot was fun and Otalia immediately made us feel comfortable. Not long and we were just enjoying our time in London, forgetting that we were being photographed. The photos that she took are just perfect. Otalia is an incredibly talented photographer and she knows where to get the best photos in London. We have perfect photos of London’s landmarks that we will cherish forever. I can’t stop admiring all our photos and reliving this special time we had in London. I cannot recommend a photo shoot with Otalia more highly. You will cherish your photos forever."

— Madeleine, Australia -

"Otalia was kind, warm and open-minded towards us. Her gentle professionalism and knowledge of the area we were in (Greenwich) made me and my camera-shy wife feel completely at ease. After the first few photos were taken, it felt like Kate and I were hanging out with a friend, rather than on a photoshoot with someone we had just met.

We are in love with our photographs. The golden hour light she so skilfully played with gives our photos the look of magic and romance we were hoping for.

You are an artist, Otalia. Thank you for capturing the real ‘us’ in our beautiful city."

— Kate and Caroline, Greenwich -

 

"My husband and I booked Otalia for a love story photo shoot. We booked an early morning sun rise shoot, which Otalia nicely suggested and accommodated moving back one day in order to get better weather which turned out to be perfect! We had a blast on the photo shoot, she made it easy to feel relaxed and in the moment. Otalia sent us several sneak peaks of the photos as she was editing them and compiled around 130 photos for us within about three weeks of the photo shoot, which is very quick turn around! My husband and I have taken photo shoots like this with several photographers in Paris, Venice, etc. and feel that Otalia was definitely our favorite for both how we felt on the photo shoot and the resulting photos! We will definitely book her again next time we visit London."

— Sarah and Erhan, USA -

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‘‘Otalia is a very talented photographer. She was able to capture the naturally beautiful moments of our family. She was also very thoughtful and creative, an amazing person! We had such a fun shoot. The photos are just phenomenal, so stunning and still very natural. We were so lucky to have Otalia for our photo shoot this year. Really hope that we can meet again soon’’.

— Rose, Greenwich -

 

‘‘Otalia somehow managed to capture a hectic and sprawling family reunion in the park in all of its glory and beauty. She handled the event with enthusiasm and grace and captured gorgeous photos of the authentic interactions between cousins, grandparents, and families reunited from across the Atlantic. We feel so grateful to have found her and recommend her for gorgeous keepsake photos that masterfully capture a precious moment in time’’.

— Margaret, USA —

 
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"Otalia was extremely helpful before, during and after the photoshoot: - Before the photoshoot she was very responsive to our questions, emails, etc. and gave us very useful tips especially with two girls. She also wanted to understand us and what was the purpose of the photoshoot to capture us effectively. - During the photoshoot she was very patient and very easy going. She really does love what she does and puts all the effort to make the experience a pleasant one. - After the shoot she was also vey responsive to our questions and kept us updated on the progress concluding with the final gallery for us to review. When we saw the final product: WOW the photos were really great, they were carefully chosen and excellent quality. We loved them and so did friends and family. We definitely recommend Otalia for great family pictures."

— Michelle, Chiswick -

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"Otalia is such an amazing photographer! My husband and I travelled to London for our second anniversary and decided to have pictures made. Otalia was kind and helpful from the start, via email, and provided so much feedback and made us feel comfortable. When we arrived in London our booked day got rained out, but Otalia was so accommodating and made sure we had photos taken before flying home.
The actual experience of having our photos shot was one of the best I've ever had. Otalia was more than thorough and made sure we got every photo we wanted. I would recommend her to anyone!"

- Morgan, USA -

 

‘‘Otalia is an extremely talented photographer. We were lucky to have two photos sessions with her, an outdoor one in the park and one in our house. She was great with my then 1 year old and really connected with her and also made us feel very comfortable. We have some really amazing photos and when people visit our house they always compliment the photos we have printed and put on our wall. I would highly recommend Otalia, she has so much energy and her passion for photography really shows in the photos she takes. We will definitely be booking her again’’.

— Karishma, Wanstead Park -

 

‘‘Our hearts are filled with gratitude for the gift that Otalia has given to us. From our very first interactions online, Otalia communicated her professionalism matched by her welcoming and warm personality. Her talent, experience, and kindness came through when we met her in the early morning for our photoshoot and she somehow managed to immediately put us all at ease. My husband and I were a bit worried about how our little one would react since he’s usually very shy and can get impatient, especially after days of travelling. Otalia quickly bonded with Leo by suggesting games that we could play to bring out the natural intimacy and affection of our family. Although we can sometimes be stiff around the camera, her suggestions and ideas made the photoshoot itself flow easily, allowing the love between the three of us to come through in the photos. More importantly, the pictures that she produced had captured the most tender of family interactions. Otalia knows how to engage with children and to make you feel as though you are working with a longtime family friend. We are truly blessed to have benefited from her artistry, and each photo is a testament to the love and care that she puts into her work. What Otalia does with a camera is simply magical. These are the most beautiful photos we have of our family, and we will treasure them always. When we return to London, we cannot wait to meet with Otalia again!’’

— Kirsten, USA —

"Booking Otalia was one of the BEST decisions we made regarding our London trip! I could sing her praises all day – she made my husband and I feel SO comfortable in front of the camera, and we are typically very shy people, lol. She has an incredible artistic eye; the photographs are beautifully composed and magazine-worthy, in my humble opinion. I would recommend booking a photo session with the London sights to everyone – it is a brilliant way to commemorate a special holiday. Thank you, Otalia! We would not hesitate to do this again, if given the chance!"

— Shauna, USA -

 

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