How To Prepare For A Family Photoshoot: The Photographer’s Guide

There’s a high chance that as a photographer, you have stumbled upon the opportunity of doing family photoshoots—either as a favor to friends being the in-house photographer or when a vacation photography project turned into an impromptu family portrait photography session. Whatever the story behind your foray into family photoshoots, it is an excellent way to broaden your portfolio and grow your clientele.

However, if you’ve just started and are new to family photography, you might be nervous about how to go about it. Worry not, for we have got you covered. We have created a list of pointers that you need to keep in mind while preparing for a family photo shoot that will help you get some great shots and exceed client expectations.

Choose a striking setting and make the best of it

The location of the shoot plays a key role in defining the mood of the shoot. If made proper use of, it can add so much to the photos. Decide with your clients whether they want an indoor or outdoor shoot and don’t shy away from giving them options and your suggestions. A studio shoot, while more formal, can make for a timeless family portrait. A photoshoot at their home will be personal and have a more nostalgic flavor. A family outdoor photoshoot at a beach or park can be a reminder of all the fun times they’ve had on family outings and vacations.

Once you have finalized a location, it is time to put your photography skills to work to capture the best of it. If you can, visit the site half an hour before the designated time and get comfortable with the spot. Discover some suitable frames and angles that would add to the composition and depth of the pictures. Given that your clients might be doing a shoot for the first time, your knowledge of the place and clarity of vision will build their confidence and trust in your skills.

Viral and her family was clicked by Ainsley, our photographer in Sydney.

Choose a time that gives you good natural lighting

While editing can help you fix some lighting issues, it cannot wave a magic wand to fix a major lighting blunder without compromising the naturalness of the picture. So, you need to make sure that you get it right. You need to consider two aspects for this - the time of the shoot and the direction of the light.

Dhara and her family were captured by Jack, our photographer in Sydney.

• Choose a time of the day when the sun isn’t very harsh and directly overhead. Mornings and early evenings are a good time for clicking portraits. If you have to shoot during the day, use some shade to ensure that you don’t get a lit-up background. The brightness of the background draws away attention from the subjects.
• Avoid shooting on overcast days because even if the light is softer, the direction isn’t apt. Overcast days make for direct overhead lighting and dark eyes.
• The quick rule of thumb for a family portrait with good lighting is ensuring that you get light in your subjects’ eyes and by extension, their faces. Again, the direction of light for this is important. You don’t want to use the built-in flash because direct light from the camera flattens the subjects. Instead, you want the light to come slightly from the side. You can consider a little tilt of about 30-45 degrees from your camera.

Get the right settings on the right equipment

While the studio provides a more controlled environment with all the equipment at your disposal, outdoor shoots tend to be more dynamic. Since mobility becomes an important factor here, you need to choose your equipment wisely and strike the right balance between quality and ease of handling. While you can use a tripod, a lot of shots will be hand-held candid shots which will make off-camera strobes a no go. A better option might be an on-camera strobe with a good diffuser to get perfect lighting in the pictures.

Another thing to keep in mind is the camera settings. Inconsistent exposures create more work in post-production as you need to even out all the photos. They can even cause color shifts and increase noise. A good way to ensure consistency in exposure is to use the Manual mode which allows you to set the exposure as you change poses and location. You can also go for the bokeh effect when clicking portraits because of the way it puts a sharp focus on the subject. You can play with the aperture values and go with the blur that suits your style the best. Usually, an aperture around 2.8 gives you the desired fuzz.

Viral and her family during a family photoshoot in Sydney.

Have a rough list of poses to guide you through

While you need to be flexible and give space to your subjects—especially kids—for they might surprise you, you can’t go to a shoot thinking that everything will just automatically flow. Your clients will likely feel camera shy and conscious of their poses. At that point, you need to come in, give them confidence and guide them with what looks good. And to do this, you will need to have a list of poses in your mind to go to. Sitting huddled together or leaning on the grass are quite popular poses for family pictures. Another technique to help create a more interesting shot is avoiding a straight line. A uniform row or column of heads screams boring. Instead, you can scatter them or arrange them in a diagonal line. Pictures like these depict a sense of movement and liveliness which makes a good way to portray a family.

Saakshi and her family clicked by Arun, our photographer in Chennai.

And now you’re ready to charm your clients and have an amazing family photoshoot! To get more such tips, advice, and business opportunities, join our community of Holidaygrapher photographers. We wish you luck with your upcoming shoot!