Posts Tagged ‘portrait family’
Why take family portraits outdoors? Besides having a beautiful and fun background, photographing outside provides the chance to use natural lighting. If you are a professional photographer or a serious enthusiast then you know that studio lights, reflectors and the external flash all try to copy the beauty of natural light.
If you are a beginner or the designated family photographer with a digital compact and built in flash, then taking your family portraits outdoors is the easiest way to get professional quality portraits, the type you’ll want to display in picture frames.
The Best Natural Lighting for Taking Family Portraits Outdoors
Not all outdoors lighting is ideal. The worst time of day to take family portraits outdoors is mid-day. The best times of day are what many photographers refer to as the “Golden Hours,” the hour before sunset and after dawn when the light is softest and the shadows least harsh. The closer to these times you can gather the family for their portrait, the better.
Another good option is to wait for a cloudy day when there is bright overcast light. This provides enough brightness but with the kind of softness the pros spend money on soft boxes to get. If the timing doesn’t work for any of these time frames, find shade that isn’t too dark.
Outdoor Portrait Settings
The obvious choice and perhaps the perfect choice is the family’s backyard. Or you could take a cue from high school senior photography and take your outdoors family portrait at a place the family enjoys such as a park. If you go away from home, look for times of the day that the location you choose is the least crowded.
You should also consider using a family activity or a hobby as a potential setting. If the family loves horses, a green pasture with horses in the background and the family posed in front could work well. If the family sails think about using the boat’s deck as a setting.
Speaking of boats, a word of caution. If you decide to take outdoor family portraits on a beach, on water or in the snow, select the beach mode on a digital compact or if you use a DSLR or SLR, use a polarizing filter. This will help with the glare. Set the flash to “On” instead of “Automatic” to help reduce shadows on the family. Don’t face the family towards the sun or they’ll be squinting.
As with any photo, be sure to remove or hide clutter. Do you want to use the natural lighting of outdoors but want a plain background? Take a piece of material and tack it to something like a fence. Check for things like lawn sprinklers or anything behind the family that may be distracting like a lamp post.
If you want to diminish the overall background, use the Portrait mode or set your Aperture Priority for a smaller depth of field.
On the other hand, you may want to have outdoor features as part of the picture by posing the family in front of a beautiful tree. Just be sure to take the picture with the focus on the family.
Whether you are taking family portraits outdoors for others or your own family, use these portrait tips and you’ll be sure to take a portrait that will be proudly framed on the family wall.
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.