Everyone wants their family photography session to go as smoothly as possible—including your family photographers. Because we want your day to go well, we’ve come up with a list of our top four best tips for making your family session successful.
Family Photography Tip 1: Shoot During the Golden Hour
The “golden hour” is the hour after sunrise or the hour just before sunset. These two times of day create warm, perfect light that will illuminate you in the photos we take throughout your portrait session. This warm light, along with the rims of light that outline the subjects of the photo can create stunning images when your portrait session takes place in an open field or wooded area.
Family Photography Tip 2: Be Comfortable and Confident
When picking out your clothes for the session, err on the side of comfort. You want to be confident in your clothing styles, but choose something flattering and timeless that will make you want to keep that family portrait up for years to come. Try to avoid trendy patterns and styles that might be outdated in a year. After all, you don’t want to run to the mantle to hide those family portraits taken when shoulder pads and yellow stripes were in vogue when friends come to visit five years down the road.
Family Photography Tip 3: Listen to Your Photographers
This is especially true for families with small children. Often, photographers have methods of calming children and getting them to participate in the family shoot without a fight. These tried and true methods have been honed by plenty of years of experience. After all, Grandma might think little John’s crying portrait is adorable, but you might not want it framed. Trust your family photographer to get the perfect portrait of your little one for your wallet.
Family Photography Tip 4: Choose Your Location Carefully
When choosing a location for your family session, you may want to go with a place that fits your family style perfectly or has a significant story behind it. That’s a good idea, because it will make you more comfortable on the day of the shoot. With that said, it’s important to be flexible to changes. Many unforeseen circumstances can make a beautiful location less than ideal for pictures. Whether it’s the wind blowing your hair, or the sun shining in the wrong direction, it’s important to trust your photographer. We will work closely on the day of the session to find the best spot for your portraits. After all, our job is to deliver the best possible pictures to you. We might even surprise you and find a location better than the one you had in mind.
Family portraits can sometimes be stressful things as you plan and herd your family—but we want you to be as relaxed and happy as possible. Tips like these can save you time and stress down the line!