Posts Tagged ‘family portrait poses’
There are lots of great reasons why you should loearn how to take family portraits and you don’t even have to embark on a photography career to do so. Having portraits taken professionally can sometimes be too expensive for many families. And sometimes, it can be impossible to get everyone to the studio at the appointed 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 own family, make sure to be in it too! So be sure to use a camera with a timer or remote shutter button release.
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 closeness by spacing members close together.
2) Show Relationships – You can do this by the way in which you have people pose in the portrait. For example, Grandma and Grandpa might stand next to each, a toddler could be in Mother’s arms, two siblings might have arms slung over each others shoulders, etc.
3) Consider Including the Family Pets – assuming they 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 always easier to take an individual portrait of a someone with their pet (or even a pet separately), but if the family has a mellow dog or cat, try to take some poses with and without the family pet.
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 popular for individual portraiture that works well for family portraits 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 the smiles and pose, ask the family to hold them until you give the signal that your camera’s got the shot.
Finally, make it fun and take lots of shots, so the family can choose the best. You’re sure to get some great shots where the family will be excited to frame them for all to see.