Five Photography Tips for Taking Family Portraits
Posted on January 6, 2010
Filed Under Digital Camera Features, Good Digital Cameras |
There are some very good reasons to learn how to take family portraits, and you don’t have to be embarking on a photography career to do so. Having portraits professionally done can be just too expensive for many families. And often it can be difficult to get everyone to the studio at the scheduled time.
Every family deserves to have at least one nice portrait together and as a family grows and ages, it’s nice to have additional portraits done too. If you want to learn how to take portraits, learn by taking a portrait of your family or someone you know who would love to have a family portrait! If you are taking a portrait of your family, you have to be in it too! So be sure to use a camera with a remote shutter button release and a timer.
If you new to photography, learning how to take good family portraits will come in handy when taking group pictures at family gatherings like Thanksgiving.
Without further ado, here are some tips to help you get started taking memorable family portraits, whether formal or informal.
1) Avoid the “Police Line Up” Portrait – Instead of having them all line up shoulder to shoulder, try something more natural looking and that also makes it easier to get a big family into the picture.
Staggering is one such technique. For example, you may want to stagger family members on the front steps of a porch or around a group of boulders so some family members are standing and others sitting. If in a park, you could sit everyone on the lawn clustered together or have them sit on a bench. Show family togetherness by spacing relatively close together.
2) Show Relationships – You can do this with placement in the family portrait poses. For example, Grandma and Grandpa might stand next by each other, a toddler in their parent’s arms, or siblings with their arms slung around each other.
3) Consider Including the Family Pets – if they will hold still long enough. Even if the pet is sitting still, you probably should raise the Shutter Speed Priority to 1/125 because even the smallest movement can cause a blur. It is much easier to take a portrait of an individual with a pet or a pet separately, but if the family has a mellow dog or cat, try some family portrait poses with and without.
4) Get Creative with Props – depending on the type of portrait you want. Does the family play community baseball? Each family member could hold a mitt, ball or bat. This is a trend with individual portraiture that can be fun for families too.
5) Get Everyone Smiling – Instead of just saying “cheese,” put the family at ease (no rhyme intended) by talking to them: compliment, tell a story joke around, and soon they won’t be so nervous about the photographing and their smiles will become more relaxed and real. When you’ve got everyone posed and smiling, ask the family to hold them until you give them the signal that you got the shot.
Finally, have fun taking lots of pictures so the family can choose their favorite. You’re sure to get some great shots where the family will be excited to frame them for all to see.
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