Dylan YoungI’ve always been the “memory taker” in my family. I’m always the one snapping photos at every family event for memory’s sake. I think I’m pretty decent, but I’m no professional, and some moments just deserve that professional touch.
That is why sometimes, we book a photographer to capture happy moments and milestones for my family and me. These are the photos that go on our walls and mantels for decoration purposes, the photos to use on our holiday postcards.
So far, these are the studios I found offering the best family photography in Toronto. Check them out if you’re interested.
How much does family photography cost in Toronto?
The average cost of a family photography service in Toronto is usually around C$600. This already includes a photo session that lasts an hour and around a certain number of high-resolution photos to choose from.
How We Chose
Anchor Studio
Address: 300 Campbell Ave
Operating Hours:
- Monday to Friday—9 am to 5 pm
- Saturday and Sunday—9 am to 3 pm
Contact Number: +14166712235
In my opinion, Anchor Studio is the place to go if you want family photography. This studio can do a wide variety of services; in addition to the standard family photoshoot, you can also book maternity, newborn, and cake smash photography.
They offer mini sessions as well, which I appreciate. This option is perfect for special occasions like birthdays or holidays like Christmas and Mother’s Day.
One thing I like about this studio is that the photos tend to have a warm colour palette. The photographer is also great at capturing candid, natural moments, and in a way, this makes me forget we had an official photoshoot.
I love how accommodating the photographer Sylvia is. I was worried about outfits, but she told me she had a client closet with many beautiful dresses to choose from. She was also patient throughout the shoot, which made the experience seamless.
The prices here are slightly high, though. The cheapest package starts at C$650, while the most comprehensive one costs around C$1,500. At least, they have mini sessions that are more affordable.
Customer Reviews
Goes above and beyond
“We had an amazing experience working with Silvia on a maternity shoot. She was super accommodating (as I reached out to her later in my pregnancy) and took all the “work” and worries away by providing access to her client closet with so many beautiful dresses to choose from for outfits. She really goes above and beyond to ensure the session is as seamless as possible. We are very happy with the photos that will forever capture precious memories of our life and we’d definitely work with her again to capture more milestones in the future!”
- Angela Chow, Google Review
Professional and accommodating
“Silvia did a fantastic job with our family pictures. She was super professional and the pictures turned out amazing!! She also made us feel so comfortable and was great with working with a little kid as well!”
- Hasti Kamkar, Google Review
Jessilynn Wong Photography
Address: 10 Delisle Ave
Operating Hours:
- Monday to Thursday—10 am to 6 pm
- Friday—10 pm to 12 am
Jessilynn Wong Photography is best known as an engagement and wedding photographer, but they also offer other services, such as brand photography, boudoir, and, of course, family photography.
What clients like most about Jessilynn Wong is her attentiveness. She listens to you as you tell her your vision and asks the right questions to ensure she’s understanding what you want.
She’s also great at making clients feel comfortable. I’ve had many clients tell me that they’re camera-shy, but Jessilynn walked them through the process and assured them every step of the way.
Her approach to photography is capturing the intimate moments, and it’s actually cool to see her in action. She’s discreet during the shoot; clients don’t notice her moving around. As such, the final photos feature candid moments.
I like that her photography style is pretty clean, while her editing style is on the light to medium spectrum. Because of this, the natural skin tones are emphasized in the photos.
Her non-wedding services start at C$700, which is not so bad. That said, you’ll need to book her way ahead of time because she gets fully booked quickly for weddings.
Customer Reviews
Accommodating and encouraging photographer
“I met Jess several years ago and we connected instantly and I have admired her work ever since. For the last two years my grandmother has been on more of a decline and I wanted to do something special for her, my mother and cousin before Mother’s Day. My grandmother was determined to make it to the photoshoot with some help going up two flights of stairs to the studio. Jess was super accommodating, encouraging and patient as she helped guide us through the shoot. It was so amazing to see her in action and her creativity shine through. We loved the photos so much and we can’t wait to book another session with her soon! Thanks Jess for capturing the beautiful family dynamics and the creating such a wonderful memory for all of us to experience. I rave about Jessilynn’s work every opportunity I get and would highly recommend her expertise and service. Thanks again Jess!”
- Kimy T, Google Review
Fantastic to work with
“Jessilynn was fantastic to work with! She was able to take photo’s for my mom’s 75th birthday and was very flexible dealing with last-minute timing changes on our end. Photos are really great and we are really happy with them. I would definitely use Jessilynn again for family photos, wedding, etc. They turned out really well!! highly recommend!”
- Daniel Shogilev, Google Review
Ten•2•Ten Photography
Address: 4693 Kingston Rd
Contact Number: +14168923286
If you’re looking for an affordable family photographer, Ten•2•Ten Photography is a great option. Their family photography services start at C$475, and this already includes an hour of a documentary-style photoshoot and a gallery of all high-resolution photos.
Clients praise the main photographer’s (Erika) style. Her photos tend to tell a beautiful, dynamic story of the day. When laid out in a photo album, it feels like browsing through a storybook!
She also has great interpersonal skills. She’s communicative with her clients, which is impressive considering that she has a busy schedule.
Erika also has an easygoing personality, so it’s easy to feel relaxed and comfortable during the shoot.
Unfortunately, this photographer gets fully booked fast, especially for the weekend dates. Also, take note that the outdoor shoots happen at sunset because that’s Erika’s preference.
This can be an obstacle for some clients who prefer other time slots, but you can try to let the photographer know. Perhaps, she can work with a compromise.
Customer Reviews
Easygoing photographer
“My wife and I used Ten-2-Ten Photography for our wedding and engagement photos. I’m generally a shy guy and do not like taking pictures, but Erika was very easy going and made me feel comfortable. She accommodated all our requests and even gave us a lot of helpful information on planning our wedding. Our photos came out great as Erika did a lot of cool techniques to get some really nice shots. I would definitely use Ten-2-Ten again for family photo shoots and would recommend it to anyone looking for a wedding photographer.”
- Mike Adamo, Google Review
Fun and comfortable sessions
“We’ve had Erika capture our family several times now. She’s amazing with kids AND adults – the sessions are fun and comfortable. Erika is professional and responsive and provides lots of support for questions before AND after the session. The quality of the images is fantastic. We couldn’t be happier!”
- Alishia Chamney, Google Review
Ally’s Photography
Address: 15 Ennerdale Rd
Operating Hours: Monday to Sunday—9 am to 6 pm
Contact Number: +16477876044
Ally’s Photography is best known for their maternity and newborn services, but they also do family photography.
Ally, the photographer, prefers to have the photoshoot in the studio instead of an outdoor location, so keep that in mind. Despite this limitation, though, you can customize the atmosphere of the shoot however you want.
She even has a few selections of luxury gowns that you, your mother, or any other woman in your family can wear!
Moreover, clients love Ally’s personality. They told me that she’s friendly and chill, and she’s great at providing clear directions to clients.
That said, the prices are pretty steep. They range from C$599 to a whopping C$2,399!
All these packages only give you between 8 and 25 digital images, which is unimpressive, especially when other studios provide 40 or more digital images for similar or even cheaper rates.
Additionally, I dislike that there’s a separate photography session fee of C$200. Its main purpose is to secure your date and time, but it also acts as a fee for your pre-shoot consultation. I think this is unnecessary.
Customer Reviews
Accommodating photographer
“My husband and I are so happy we chose Ally as our maternity photographer. She was very accommodating when I went into early labour and could not attend my scheduled maternity shoot. She let us reschedule for a newborn/family photoshoot when we were ready. She also arranged to have someone on site to do my hair and make-up. This made my life so much easier as a tired new mom. I love how our photos turned out and can’t wait to share them with family and friends.”
- Katie Phillips, Google Review
Top-quality pictures
“I loved my experience with Ally. I love the full service you receive with amazing gown options, makeup artist, backdrop and family shot options even for a mainly maternity shoot. She gives great guidance during the shoot as well. If you want to pamper yourself with dramatic top-quality pictures to commemorate special once-in-a-lifetime moments, I highly recommend her services.”
- Melissa Jean-Baptiste Vajda, Google Review
Mango Studios
Address: 9 Davies Ave #203
Operating Hours: Monday to Sunday—11 am to 6 pm
Contact Number: +14163664723
Mango Studios is another photographer best known for weddings, but they do other types of photography as well, such as bar/bat mitzvahs, corporate headshots, and family photography.
One thing I like about Mango Studios is its convenient location. It’s literally right next to downtown Toronto, just east of the Don River. Because of this, it’s easy to get to since there are several bus and tram stops nearby (two are on Queen Street East).
The pricing here isn’t too bad either. The base cost of their family photography is C$649, and this already includes 50 high-resolution photos for selection and both sets of colour and black-and-white images.
I don’t like it that the session only lasts 45 minutes, though. Other photographers do one-hour shoots.
Still, this is a great photography studio. The booking is simple and stress-free, thanks to their clean website with its straightforward client portal.
Clients also praise Catherine, the studio manager. They said that she was kind, attentive, and genuinely cared about their vision for the shoot. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, she’ll walk you through all your options.
Customer Reviews
Calming and fun to work with
“We continue to be blown away by Mango Studio’s, specifically Wilson’s work! Wilson captured our small wedding two years ago at our family cottage, he also did a family shoot for us with our new baby and he just did our large wedding. From the very beginning (3 years ago now) Mango has been a dream to work with as we rescheduled our plans. Not only is Wilson the most talented photographer but he’s also very calming and fun to work with! Wilson is extremely prepared and organized and perfectly directed our wedding shoots. Highly recommend booking Mango!”
- Emily Williams, Google Review
Attentive and accommodating photographers
“We could not be more grateful to Mango Studios for perfectly capturing our wedding day! Our photographer Alex was just a gem and was able to snap hundreds of beautiful pictures from different angles -it’s like she was 2 people! The only regret we have is not booking her for longer! She also made us feel very comfortable and took amazing candids which is exactly what we wanted! Alex was very organized and ensured we got all the friends and family pictures done right. The post-production process has been amazing as well. From the minute you step into their welcoming, chic studio, the Mango team makes you feel at ease and goes above and beyond to make sure you are happy with your photos. They are also very attentive and respond to all your questions and inquiries in a quick, professional and kind manner. We specifically loved dealing with Lysandra! I have no doubt that everyone that works at Mango is amazing! We definitely reccomend Mango Studios, especially for wedding photography, and if we have another event in the future that requires professional photography we would not hesitate to give them a call!”
- Elena Van, Google Review
