Family Portraits

How many times have you wished to have a nice family portrait? Then you think about clothes to wear, making an appointment that everyone can keep, the expense of the products, the pressure to buy. The thought then fades and another year goes by without a picture.

Are formal protraits unnecessary? NO, but, they have their place and they are really nice to have. Yet, often we just don't have the time or money to obtain one.

Here's a suggestion: YOU take the family portrait. No, seriously, yes, you can do it. The only equipment you need is a camera with a self-timer, tri-pod and sufficient room to stage everyone. You don't need an expensive, fancy camera for this. Even if you don't have a tri-pod you can find something solid to place your camera on at a height that can capture the image. But, I strongly recommend using one.

The next important element is location. If you have a large enough room in the house that has maybe a nice fireplace and mantle, that would make a lovely backdrop. If you don't, no worries. Move some furniture around, scoot a chair close to the couch and have the family gather on the couch, behind the couch and in the side chairs.

Another possibility is to take the picture out of doors. Gather everyone in the garden or under a tree, or in front of the house. Try to have everyone facing towards the light source, and check the background for distractions. The family should be the most interesting thing in the picture, not the trash bin or the car parked in the driveway. So, check out location prior to gathering the family.

Practice using the self-timer on the camera. For the best overall experience of taking a family portrait, practice on yourself. Set up in the location you are thinking of using and use yourself as the subject. Check the lighting. You will probably need some flash for the interior shot, possibly for the out of doors as well, if the location is very shady. Consult your camera's manual if you do not know where to locate the self-timer or how to adjust the flash.  

Once you have mastered the self-timer and have been able to determine whether or not you will need flash, you are ready to assemble the family. Planning ahead of time with the family by telling them your plans, will aid in a more polished finished image. Suggesting everyone dress in solid color or muted prints will also give a more pleasing result.

Posing everyone can be a challenge. Most of us have seen the stiffly posed family portraits of history. What we're going for is a relaxed grouping of people who enjoy being together. You can search the web for ideas for groupings, but here are a few basic hints to get you started. Think about symetry when posing and about who wants/needs to be standing by whom. It is really uncomfortable for subjects and inappropriate to break up couples or families just for the sake of posing. Find a way to keep the tall people from blocking the shorter ones. And goodness sake don't line them up side by side as if they were going to be marching down the street! A good start is to let the group align itself first, then do some tweaking to make it perfect. I tell everyone, if they can't fully see the camera, then the camera cannot see them.

The first image here was a planned family portrait. The family knew they were going to particpate in a family photo. So, they dressed accordingly and were well prepared. A little rearranging of the furniture and even though the little guy would NOT look at the camera, no matter how he was cajoled, it still resulted in a very pleasing family photo.

The second image was impromptu. The children and grandchildren were in for a visit, no one was dressed up, But, hey, everyone was together that day, and it just seemed like the right time. The camera was set up about 20 feet away, no distracting objects in the background and the tree provided appropriate protection from the harsh sun. End result--another great family shot. Nice, casual, but something to treasure and pass on to extended family. 

While you are helping everyone determine the best place for them to be situated for the photo, remember to save a place for yourself. I suggest you take two, three or four shots of the group. If you only go with one take, you run the risk of one or two people not smiling, have their eyes closed, or looking somewhere besides at the camera.

Worried about a smile from everyone? When they see you hustle to make it to your location before the shutter releases, they will smile! You will too, because you will know you have just taken a great family portrait!!