Photographing Families: Tips

It can be a challenge for people to think of how to photograph their families in a creative way and get near-professional results. How many of us have photos like this one (below)?

Disclaimer: not my family

I remember my own family photos as a kid. My mom felt they were important and forced us to go to a studio annually. I didn't quite understand why we had to do it. Why did I have to smile so much? And my clothes, in which my mom made us dress up, were so itchy! My siblings and I always squirmed and fidgeted and quarreled and ended up pissing off my mom and the photographer. Eventually they'd say "Ok, whatever, that'll be the picture." And we'd invariably get a picture back from the photographer where one of us was making a funny face, not looking at the camera or having fits.And me looking like a maniac deer in headlights with my eyebrows as high as they could go, grinning madly. I made the same face Every. Single. Year.

With the advent of digital cameras, photographing people has gotten easier to screen before printing. That's awesome. But people still have trouble getting great family photographs. It's usually because the parents still insist on posing their family the way they had experienced it when they were children.

There's nothing wrong with the traditional family portrait, but most of us won't remember much about that day, aside from a sense of discomfort. The truly stellar family photographs are the ones where everyone is their true self and enjoying the experience.

Here's some tips on how to achieve that.

• Bring the camera along on a family activity. You're much more likely to cherish this memory than a stiffly posed one.
• Do consider the other elements of the photography - rules of thirds, distractions in the fore or background, and so on (more on that another time.
• Expect to shoot many many photos and choose only a few - most pro photographers do this anyway. Don't be afraid to ask everyone involved to repeat an event. Make a game out of it. If need be, bribe them.

• Shoot from an unexpected angle. Side, above, below, behind.
• When shooting small children, try getting down to their level, and shoot straight on. This is often an overlooked angle with children.

• Do lightly pose your subjects. Ask them to sit in a certain location, facing a certain direction, and then encourage them to interact with one another. 

• Pay attention to the light and time of day
• The above picture is great because it was taken during the "golden hour" - early morning or very late in afternoon when the light is warm and soft. 
• Overcast days are also an excellent light condition
• Midday photo shoots when it's bright and sunny are the worst because people will squint in strong light, and the shadows are unflattering.

Credits: All photos are from Stock.xchng.