Hi everyone! Welcome to my first photoshoot behind-the-scenes blog post. This post will be about working with families. I am a portrait photographer with a focus on families and couples.
Family photography is fun, and it’s even better when you can take photos outside, letting the family interact with each other in natural and the environments around them. Whether you’re working with a family with small children or grown-up ones, here are three tips to help you capture those special moments.
Tip #1: Work with the family's style, not against it
The most important thing to remember about working with families is that each family is different. Some are laid-back and relaxed while others are more involved. It is my job to make my clients feel comfortable, so I listen to them and let them lead. Here are some images from two family shoots I’ve done.
The Kurths
I have worked with the Kurths multiple times. Their style is very relaxed because they have young children. I try to keep the poses natural and believable.
The Bottolfsons
The Bottolfsons photoshoot was more structured. They choose their posing and location.
Tip #2: Treat kids with respect, let them take the lead
The next factor to working with families is knowing how to work with children. Some children love getting their photos taken while other children are camera shy. When working with children, you have to have patience. Let the children guide you so you can get the best shot.
Action vs. posing
When working with children, it's best to give them an action to perform rather than asking them to pose. In this image, Landon is holding a rock in his hand. I told him to hold it out to me so I could look at it. Then I snapped this image at the perfect time.
Action vs. posing
In this image, I asked Mia to blow on a dandelion flower. It was another example of action vs. posing. Children don't do well sitting still for long periods of time, so don't make them! Snap a photo while the subject is in motion.
Tip #3: Have family members interact with one other during the shoot
My last tip for working with families is to have family members interact with one another during the shoot. The best part of family photos is the dynamic between members. I love showing the bonds between all members of the family, so I’ll take several photos of the same types of shots with different pairings. For example, I took these two photos at the same place at Craggy Gardens, but I swapped out the parent for each one. The photos look totally different and have a different dynamic depending on the parent in the photo!
Mom and son version
Dad and son version
As you can see, I took similar images with different combinations. For the mom and son, I had them look at me while walking hand-in-hand. For dad and son, I took a photo of them walking away from me while walking hand-in hand.
I hope these three easy tips will help you on your next photo shoot capture family moments that will last a life time. Stay tuned for my blog post next week, where I’ll be giving tips for working with couples. For now, check out my family and couples photography!
