Here are some tips and pointers for family portrait sessions.
I know, I know. I’ve never shown this type of photography here. The truth is that family and group photos are definitely something I do. I’ve always done them, I just don’t usually show them here. Until today.
Let me be blunt here. It’s all about the little ones and time is always the limiting factor with these sessions.
A typical fashion, beauty, fitness, et cetera, session can easily go for 90 minutes to over two hours. These sessions last, like, 20-30 minutes at best.
Compared to the other kinds of sessions I’ve shown here, family/group photos are much more simpler. I eschew the usual special lighting effects for these sessions so I can capture those fleeting moments of smiles, affection, and joy that are gone. Those moments are the whole point.
Experience has taught me that, when working with babies, toddlers and young kids, you get about 10-15 minutes of shooting, tops, before they get tired and want to be somewhere else. A few minutes of that and everyone else will want to be somewhere else. Now add to that fact that it takes several shots to get the strobes balanced and just so and you end up with restless little ones before you even get a couple shots off.
Then they get sensitive to the flashes going off so they don’t look at you anymore or smile because they’ve learned that when they do, flashes will go off.
I mean I could go on but you get the point. Sessions with children mean available light only.
It also means that Mom, Dad, and the others have to be ready and looking at me all the time. Once I get the little ones to look at me and respond, again because of those fleeting moments, I’m taking pictures. If they’re looking elsewhere, that’s on them. ABRFAS = Always Be Ready For A Shot.
A little side note here involving children. Try to bring a family member, like the funny aunt, cool grandparent, or family friend that the kids love, who won’t be in the image, to the session. They will be stationed behind me with the goal of getting the kids attention when the time comes. They look at the person behind me, smile, and I get the shot. Simple as that.
One last thing about children. Try to make sure they are rested and fed before the session. I know, I know, that’s obvious but still it bears mentioning. Do not, under any circumstances, skip nap time for the session. Bring some snacks and water for the session. Heck bring some snacks and water for the photog, too :-).
Another factor in how much time we have is the size of the group. Even if everyone in the images are adults, time is limited. The typical rule is the larger the grouping the less time we have. There’s always going to be one or two that don’t want to be there, that’s a given. But people get bored or tired of the experience at different points. So, I try to keep the concepts simple and the extras limited to make sure everyone looks their best and are “fresh”.
Outfits are another topic point. While I know there will always be those that want to match outfits exactly, and that’s absolutely fine, I tell my clients to try and match the same level of dress. This means everyone in casual clothes or everyone in jeans and button downs, et cetera. If we want higher end images, then everyone should be dressed in nicer outfits.
Soft colors or neutral tones work best. Again, we want attention on the family. If one person is wearing bright, vibrant outfits, people are just going to see that outfit. Now, if everyone wears bright, vibrant outfits…you get the point.
Locations are another thing to consider. If there’s a place that has meaning to the family, then we should shoot there. Places that have connections will make for a more relaxed session. If it’s outdoors then we will keep an eye on the weather. I would even suggested we plan on a backup date/location in case of bad weather.
The biggest tip of all, however, is to expect the unexpected. We can make all the plans in the world but reality has other ideas. Some kids are going to be a little off no matter what you do to prep them. Same with adults, actually. It has always been my experience that, when someone is told to smile (or else), they will, in fact, not smile no matter what you tell them. I say we embrace the potential chaos and just roll with it.
There are several things to discuss before such a session, that we can do over the phone or in person, to ensure the best possible results.
Photography by Mark K 