RAC Club Pall Mall: A Celebration for Baby

RAC Club Pall Mall Photography

As an RAC Pall Mall family photographer, I get to spend afternoons like this one. The guest of honour was a baby girl, only a few months old. Her parents live in London, and they wanted to welcome her properly. So they gathered everyone at their club on Pall Mall for the day.

The building sits behind pale stone columns and tall arched windows. Outside, a black cab idled at the kerb. Inside, the light was soft and the rooms were calm.

A quiet start before the guests

Iced biscuits sat on a linen tablecloth, tiny booties and a little bunting flag. Flowers in cream and dusty purple went up behind them.

I always look for these small details first. Because in a year they are the things families forget, and the photos bring them straight back. Tiny fingers curled into a fist. Fat little legs against a smart summer outfit. None of it lasts for long.

Big brother steals the day

Every family has someone who quietly runs the show. Here it was the big brother, in a pale blue suit and a pink bow tie. He asked to hold his sister, and then he did not want to give her back.

He had a toy guardsman and we set him up on a windowsill. So we made time for that too.

Dad took him out to the balcony for a minute. Below them the garden was thick and green, and the heavy curtains framed the pair beautifully.

The RAC on Pall Mall as a celebration venue

Few London venues give you this much to work with. The staircase alone is worth the walk, sweeping and carpeted, with oil paintings watching over it. Corridors run long and wide, so a family can simply walk and talk while I photograph.

Light is the other reason I like it here. Windows are enormous, so nothing feels flat or lit by flash. Above all, the club is private, which means children can be children without an audience of strangers.

One thing is worth planning for as well. Rooms at the club fill quickly once guests arrive, so I try to do family portraits early. After that, everyone relaxes and I can work quietly in the background.

Champagne, friends and a group photo

Upstairs, a waiter poured pink champagne into tall glasses. Guests arrived in summer colours and passed the baby between them. In fact, she was held by almost everyone in the room before the toast.

Group photos can feel like a chore for guests. This one took about 30 seconds. Easy!

We finished outside on the street. Traffic paused, the four of them walked towards me, and the club rose up behind them. Their big brother led the way, of course.

Booking an RAC Pall Mall family photographer

Are you planning something similar for your own new arrival? Book an RAC Pall Mall family photographer for a couple of hours rather than the whole day. Coverage like that catches the details, the portraits and the toast, without anyone feeling followed.

You can see more of my family photography sessions in London here.

I photograph new babies, christenings and naming days across London. Do get in touch with your date, and tell me a little about your family.