Mom and dad may be easy enough to get into position for photos. Even a cantankerous old aunt or foggy old grandma may present few problems. It’s the kids that present the biggest challenges for taking family photos. They will not sit without moving and they will not do what they’re told. As for pets – well those are different kettle of fish altogether! So how do you take family photos that are good quality, beautiful and memorable?
1. Get the heads in line
The most important part of family photography is to get the heads right – the face, the expressions, should be clearly visible and well lit. You can create lovely pictures by getting the kids to climb into their parents’ laps, squish their cheek up against their parents’, get on to their shoulders because this get the heads all in a line.
2. Use the steps
Use the stairs to get some great results: the kids can stand on a higher step than the adults to get the shot into balance and also to create an unusual backdrop.
3. Sit, stand, lie down for some great pictures
Stiff, formal, posed photos do not make the best family pictures. It’s the ones that create the impression of happy family time captured by camera that are the best. So play with the kids, sit with them, lie down with them, roll around in the grass to get some of the best and most memorable pictures.
4. Wait till baby’s asleep
This is a useful trick for taking pictures along with infants and will make the proceedings very smooth indeed. However the picture will not show to advantage how very blue baby’s eyes were at that age and so may not work for everyone.
5. Cuddle up
Kids love to cuddle. Cuddling brings everyone’s heads together for a better pose. And cuddling brings on the smiles naturally. And quite simply cuddling makes for the most endearing family snaps.
6. Big family portraits
For bigger family portraits that include many people, some amount of posing is necessary. The traditional older people on the chairs with young adults standing at the back and kids sitting or kneeling in front can work. You can also have people create a shape like a heart-shape or use a wide angle lens to capture everyone in one long line. Take plenty of pictures so that you finally have at least one with an agreeable expression on each face, all eyes open and no blurry faces.
