Photography

Maybe you've been asked to take 'family pictures' for a friend. Or maybe, it is 'that time of year' again and you are dreading going through the ordeal yourself. I'll admit it - getting a good shot of a family can be challenging. But there are some things you can do to make the process less painful and the results more satisfactory.

#1. RELAX!

No matter which side of the lens you are on, tension makes for bad pictures. So, relax. Don't worry - about your clothes, the kids' smiles, the wrinkles on your face, or the glare on Mr. Dad's glasses. Family photo shoots ought to be fun. Make them that way.

#2. Forget Matching.

Seriously. I mean it. Do NOT try to color coordinate a family picture. Instead, encourage everyone to avoid loud patterns and colors (think solids, textures, muted tones...) and wear something that looks nice on them. You could try theming - earth tones, pastels, or primary colors - or just let come what may. Particularly in extended family shoots where you have limited control of what people wear, 4 or 5 clashing shades of fuchsia will not look better than sage green, country blue, sunshine yellow, and rose pink. I know you don't believe me. But give it a chance. Try it once. Skip the color coordination and you may find you are pleasantly surprised with what you see.

#3. Try Creative Poses

Everyone standing in 1 or 2 rows is nothing special. If you have small children, try seating the adult and standing the shorter ones around them. If everyone is the same height, let some sit, some kneel, and some stand to break up the monotony. Outdoors, try using an interesting prop, such as a split rail fence, a picnic table, or a stone wall to give you different levels. Use your imagination and the triangle rule - visualize lines drawn between heads to make triangles.

#4. Time Out for Parents

Parents: We know you feel responsible for your children. But as a rule (and the photographer will inform you of any exceptions) you are not responsible for them while the camera is pointing at them. We know how to make them smile; (so do you, and it is NOT by saying "now smile big, Sally - no, a REAL big smile... Oh, not your silly one, I know you can smile nice...) you are paying us to do it, so relax, look happy yourself, and let us do our job. No, we will not think your children are ill-behaved just because they look the wrong way and have to be told to smile; that is just part of taking pictures. (If you want to know a secret, adults are usually worse than the children)

#5. RELAX

Just a reminder... no one likes a picture of themselves looking stressed out. So relax and enjoy the session. Let your children be themselves and let the photographer tell them what to do. If you don't think about your clothes, it is likely no one else will either. After all, isn't it YOU they want to see?

Have fun with your photo shoot!