Family memories last a lifetime, and capturing images of your family is a great way to capture those moments forever. A photo session can be an exciting and fun experience for everyone involved. However, it’s not always easy coming up with new photo ideas, especially when you have the same group of people posing in the same place once again. If you want to take your family photo game to the next level this year, here are some top tips to ensure that your pictures are as great as possible.
Plan And Have A Vision For The Shoot
Before you even look at the camera, you need to plan and have a vision for the shoot. This will help you to keep the photo shoot fun and creative, as well as take away any pressure from the situation. Some ways you can do this include choosing a location that is full of interesting photo opportunities, putting together a creative concept for the shoot, such as trying out a silhouette shoot, or using props for the shoot, such as a small child’s fishing rod. You can also plan outfits for the shoot and what props to bring along.
Ditch The Smartphone, And Use A Real Camera
There’s no denying that smartphones are incredibly convenient when it comes to photography. However, they won’t always be able to produce the high-quality images you want. If you want to make sure that you get some great-quality images, use a real camera instead of your smartphone. You can find high-quality cameras that are relatively inexpensive these days, so it’s a great investment if you want to take your photo game to the next level.
Catch Beautiful Moments With Candid Shots
Family portrait shots are great and certainly have their place in every photo shoot, but you should also try to sneak in some beautiful candid shots as well. Candid shots are great because they show the true emotions and reactions of your family. This can make your photos more genuine and raw, which is something that you might want to consider adding to your shoot. If you’re not sure how to get started with taking candid shots, or you’ve tried before, but they haven’t worked as planned, check out this guide on candid photography to help you get started.
Look For The Light
Light is incredibly important when it comes to photography. The right light can make your family photos look stunning and really bring them to life. The wrong light, on the other hand, can make your photos look flat and uninteresting. If you want to make sure that you get the best light for your shoot, you should always look for the light and what direction it is coming from in order to minimise shadows. If you find yourself in an area with harsh light, you can use items such as trees, buildings, and walls to create shade to help you to get better lighting for your shoot.
Get Down To Your Children’s Eye Level
Capturing great photos of your children can be tricky, but one way to get great photos is to get down to your children’s eye level. Getting down to your children’s eye level will allow you to shoot eye-to-eye with your kids, which will make your photos more interesting and personal. This is a great technique to use when you’re photographing your kids playing and laughing naturally.
Plan Exciting Activities
If you want to get some great photos of your family, you don’t always have to stick to the usual photo shoot ideas. For example, if you have a young family, you can come up with some exciting activities for your family to do that will make great photos. Some ideas for family photo shoots include making a fort, baking cookies, or even going fishing. These activities are great because they will involve everyone in your family and will likely produce hilarious photos and memories that you can look back on for years to come.
Outfit Your Family In Similar Clothes Or Colours
Having your family wear similar clothes or colours is another great way to add some fun to your family shoot. You could have each family member wear a certain colour, or you could have everyone wear the same coloured shirt or jacket. You could also try having everyone wear the same hat or scarf. Having your family wearing the same colours will help you to create cohesive family portraits. It will also make it easier to edit your photos later on since they will all be in one colour scheme. Having everyone in similar clothes or colours will also help your family portraits to stand out from other family photos.
Try Different Times Of Day
As well as finding the right lighting, you can also experiment with different times of day for your shoot. If you have younger children, then you might want to have your shoot in the morning when the sun isn’t so bright since this will help to avoid squinting and shadows on their faces. Taking photos during the morning is a great time for young children as they’re not sleepy and will most likely be in a playful mood. If you have older children, then you might want to have your shoot in the late afternoon or early evening since this is when the sun gives off a really beautiful, warm and golden light. You can also try different times of the year depending on the type of lighting you want for your shoot.
Keep Things Fun
The most important thing when it comes to taking family photos is to keep things fun and relaxed. If you get too stressed out about your photos, it can turn into a stressful and negative experience for everyone involved. However, if you keep things relaxed and don’t put too much pressure on yourself, you’re much more likely to get great photos. If you keep these top tips in mind, you should be well on your way to getting the best photos of your family. Family memories will last a lifetime, and capturing images of your family is a great way to capture those memories forever. You can also use these photos to create a beautiful family scrapbook so that you can look back on your memories for years to come.