It's a holiday weekend and maybe you'll be spending it with family, so of course you'll want to document your time together. We can’t always book a professional photo shoot for every event in our lives. If you can, please call me :) but realistically, we are always looking for ways to capture some great moments when our family is together. Of course my family is lucky enough to have a professional at their fingertips, but below are my 5 best tips that anyone can apply to photographing their own family.
1. De-clutter the background. Look at your surroundings, find a clean background to use as a backdrop, and remove any toys or other items that are movable. If there is background clutter that you can’t remove, consider moving your subjects.
2. Use your entire frame. Nothing bothers me more than a photo that’s half subject/half ceiling. Take the time to compose the shot you want, and really look at what is in every corner of your frame.
3. Think about posing. With larger groups, it’s automatic for everyone to link arms and crouch down a bit. Take a minute to come up with something a little more dynamic. Crouching is never a flattering pose, so bring in a few chairs or stools if you need to. Is there a bench around? I am always looking for ways to photograph groups other than lining them up in one straight line. Get creative and use what is available.
4. Don’t say “cheese”. No smile ever looks genuine by saying the word “cheese”. Instead, if you are working with kids, think of clever ways to make them laugh. It will surprise you how a small amount of silliness can spark some honest, adorable smiles and laughter.
5. Upload your photos and send them out. Really. We all know how convenient it is to have photos from our smart phones at our fingertips, that if we use a camera which requires us to upload our photos, it becomes too difficult. If you are using your “nice camera” to take better family photos, don’t let your efforts go to waste by letting the photos live only in the camera! Set aside 20 minutes that same day, to upload and organize, heck you can even be a real hero, and actually send them out to family members through Dropbox.
I hope that helps, please respond below with your comments, questions, and your own successes or nightmares trying to photograph your own family!
As usual, I love to hear from you, you can send me a personal note here