Parental Guidance - When a Brisbane Family Photography Session Goes "Off Script"

Channel 9 called it a horror shoot. I called it a Tuesday.

Back in 2021, I photographed the Thaiday family for Channel 9's Parental Guidance and somehow ended up in the "Helicopter Parents disaster photoshoot" edit.

Sam, Rachel, Ellsie and Gracie were hot, the kids were over it and there was a sweaty microphone involved.

Also there was a human pyramid.

Also it was gorgeous.

How This Brisbane Family Photography Session All Started (With Very Little Information)

When I was booked by a TV production company to photograph a family for a new parenting show, I had no idea what to expect. It was a brand new format that hadn't been done before and the show didn't even have a title yet.

A producer emailed me, we had a bit of a chat, locked in a date and that was about as much information as I had. No family details. No brief. No idea what I was walking into.

35 Degrees, A Sweaty Microphone and Zero Prep Time

It was a VERY hot Friday in February afternoon, around 35 degrees, the microphone that was supposed to be taped to my body kept sweating off. The shoot was at 1pm which as any photographer will tell you, is a lighting challenge for portraits, and these images were going to be displayed on national TV.

I was starting to worry about what I had gotten myself into...

All I knew was that the family consisted of two young girls, a mum and a dad and that they were a sporting family and maybe we could include some sporty photos in their shoot.

It was so surreal having a job where I couldn't communicate with the family ahead of the shoot, we usually talk about clothing, preparation and expectations and build excitement about photo day.

So It Turns Out I Was Photographing a Brisbane Legend

Around half an hour before the shoot, I had a call from a producer saying they were on their way, and they said they could now tell me that the family I would be photographing were the Thaiday family, Sam and Rachel, Ellsie and Gracie.

I'm not a sport fanatic, but living in Brisbane, even I know who Sam Thaiday is. So it was pretty cool to find out I would be capturing the family photos of a local legend.

I found out during the shoot that they were only given about one hour's notice that they were going to a photoshoot.

One hour. Which meant no preparation, no idea what to expect and from what I could see, not a lot of enthusiasm for the idea either.

The girls had their pouts on and were gutted. One of them said "But we just did one!" and from the way she said it, I'm guessing that one didn't go brilliantly either.

My Instructions Were... Unusual

Normally I chat with families before the shoot, build some excitement and work through a shot list that covers all the family compositions, a mix of formal and candid, close ups through to wide shots and everything in between.

This time, the brief was to capture only the family unit all together, and the family were to tell me what they wanted to do. I was not to direct them and I was not to take control of the session, I was only to shoot when they were ready to.

WHAT??

How are normal people supposed to know what to at a photoshoot? I have photographed over 1500 families so I know what works, how to make it easy and comfortable for families to be in front of a camera. Thats literally my job, not yours. Taking that out of the equation was a very deliberate bit of producer mischief and I say that with full respect for the craft.

Eventually the crew waved the family in and we had an awkward on-camera introduction. All I could think to say was a very daggy "I'm Tarsh and today I'll be your family photographer!"

Oh god.

I was internally screaming "What are you saying!? Quick - move on and forget it" but the crew wanted it again from a different angle and I had to repeat my embarrassing little line two more times.

Human Pyramid? Challenge Accepted

The Thaiday's were really so lovely to work with and their girls are so sweet and full of energy! They wanted fun, silly faces, lots of movement, and a human pyramid. Challenge accepted!

Heres where it started to get a bit funny though.

This wasn't just a family photoshoot. It was a TV show about parenting styles, so the whole point was to capture how Sam and Rachel handled the kids in the moment.

Which meant that when the girls ran off to do their own thing, I was not allowed to do what I would normally do, step in, engage the kids and bring them back into the shoot.

I had to stand back and wait for the parents to handle it while producers murmured into their phones. "2.33pm, kids distracted by chickens."

Three Days In and Still Showing Up

The crew had been following the family through back-to-back challenges for three days straight by the time they arrived on that hot Friday afternoon. I can only imagine how exhausted and watched-over they must have felt as parents.

But Sam and Rachel were incredible. Playing with the girls, laughing, pulling silly faces, doing superhero poses and yes, attempting the human pyramid. It was less of a pyramid and more of a pile of hugs that dissolved into tickles and giggles, but it was gorgeous and it captured exactly who they are as a family.

After a fairly short session in that heat we were all wrapped up. The family were bundled back to their car while the crew packed down and it all happened so fast that I didn't even get to say goodbye.

Nine Months Later, Watching It Back on TV

Flash forward 9 months after that session and I was sat in my lounge with my family gathered around to watch the TV edit of that day. Mum on tv - excitement overload!

I knew I had nailed the shoot, it was hectic but it was fun and the photos were so full of energy and happienss. Surely they would LOVE them!

As it turned out, they did not. The edit portrayed it as a "horror" session that the family were completely underwhelmed by and TBH I was a bit shook sitting there on my lounge.

Because from where I was standing, that was a pretty regular family photoshoot kids doing their own thing, parents rolling with it and gorgeous moments of connection all the way through.

I still love their session. It was hot, hectic and happy and thats kind of what family life is at its core.

And if you're up for it, I am here to capture that for you too.

Get in touch for more info here.

Family Photographer Brisbane | Newborn Photographer Brisbane

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About the Author

Natarsha March is an award-winning Brisbane newborn, baby and family photographer with over 15 years of experience and more than 1,600 families photographed. She is known for her relaxed, stress-free sessions where mums and kids actually enjoy themselves (yes, it is possible). Based in Bunya, Brisbane, Tarsh creates natural, heartfelt images that focus on real connection, not stiff poses. If you are looking for a trusted photographer in Brisbane who makes the whole experience feel easy, Family Photography by Natarsha March is your girl.