1. Cycle Through All Possible Combinations
I always start with the biggest grouping first. So, I ask the entire family to sit together for the first few shots. It’s a great way to break the ice and to get everyone accustomed to being directed for the shoot. From there, you can easily add and remove family members from your frame, cycling
through a variety of different combinations.
2. Keep Everyone Involved And Have Them Participate With Each Shot
Enlisting the help of family members during a shoot keeps everyone engaged and invested in what’s going on. Typically, when taking photos of children, parents are on the side trying to get their attention for the shot. To get the kids to look in your direction, suggest having the parents stand close to you and in line with your camera
To make it fun for the kids, you can also enlist their help when taking pictures of their parents. Having them act as a cheering squad, or getting them to make funny faces at mom and dad, sometimes get some really genuine results.
Giving children a break is sometimes necessary. Try to direct them into an area where you could still possibly sneak them into the frame when shooting the parents.
3. Activities And Other Fun Ideas To Try
Giving the family games to play and things to do creates dynamic and natural images. It also injects fun into the session. Here’s some of my favorite activities:
The jump shot is always a fun shot. Regardless of age, everyone can get into it.
Position mom and dad close to each other, set your focus on them and have the kids run around them in circles.
Or just give the kids a variety of games to play. Tap into your inner child, you can get some really fun images when everyone participates.
4. Document Growth And Progress
It’s always fun to show how much the kids have grown especially for clients that come to you annually for their family portraits. To do this, simply have everyone stand next to each other in a line. The parents act as a point of comparison or height chart.
5. Be A Journalist
Getting the family to forget that you’re there can sometimes be challenging. Try to get them to focus on each other, diverting the attention away from you if you can, and shoot the reactions. You can also give them a break and shoot what happens (from a distance) as they relax and interact with each other.
6. Preparing For Contingencies And Meltdowns
Educating clients on how to prepare for a family shoot is key. This includes planning out naps, snacks and any toys they need to keep the little ones happy. Most importantly, letting them know what happens when meltdowns occur, as they sometimes do. I love going into full journalistic mode when the kids meltdown. Not to be mean, but sometimes they end up being everyone’s favorite images. I make sure to let the parents know this ahead of time. Parents are always worried about eliciting cooperation from their children and I’m always quick to remind them that we operate at the pace of their children. Meltdowns are ok and they are natural. This relieves tension from the parents and keeps the session going smoothly even when things go awry.
7. Conclusion
The key to a successful family shoot is to give good direction, keep everyone engaged, maintain the flow of energy, manage everyone’s expectation, be open and prepared to shoot what happens and above all, have fun.
For more tips and information on more natural looking portraits, check out our Natural Light Photography at thanhtrinhstudio.com
THANH TRINH 