Family portraits generally have great value for the members of a family. In fact many families use them as heirlooms to be passed down across generations, so as to help future generations learn about their past. It is quite obvious that family portrait photography needs to be conducted with great care and precision. It not only requires the photographers to be creative but also needs them to possess sufficient knowledge about the various aspects of clicking really good pictures.
Given below are the 10 family portrait photography tips to help photographers click truly memorable pictures.
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Choose The Right Time
A family portrait would never be complete if it does not include each and every member of the family. So, photographers should inform the entire family about the scheduled date and time of the photo shoot well in advance so that everybody keeps themselves free and reaches in time.
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Hold A Practice Session
Mock sessions not only help in getting a fair idea of the type of pictures that need to be clicked but also in calculating an estimate of the total time taken for the family portrait photography. Moreover, photographers can set the seating plan for all the members of the family so that there are no last minute confusions, especially in case of big families.
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Interact With Clients
Client interaction is important to understand the types of pictures they expect in the family portrait. Some clients might feel satisfied with pictures of separate generations of the family along with a combined family photograph. However, others might want mixed pictures including separate shots of individuals and couples.
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Ensure Colour-cordination
All good photographers understand the importance of maintaining proper colour coordination. Hence they should educate every member of their client’s family about wearing the right types of clothes that would enhance their personalities without overshadowing their neighbors.
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Choose the Right Background
The right background plays an important role in clicking great pictures and more so in family portrait photography. However, choosing the right background for a picture with many people can be quite tricky. The best way out is to choose a background with moderate colors to enhance the looks of every member equally.
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Keep The Family Members Engaged
In case of big families, clicking family portrait pictures can often prove to be an extremely time consuming task, which might make the members feel bored and disinterested. To ensure that the photo shoot is successful, photographers should think about ways and methods to keep the members engaged and entertained during the session.
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Include Family Heirlooms
Every family has some things that have been passed over generations. Including these in family portraits can add to the value of these pictures. In fact the photographers should encourage the clients to bring out everything they feel is a family heritage, during the shooting of family portrait photography.
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Carry Backup Material
Clicking pictures for family portraits might often require photographers to use extra films, which photographers should make it a point to carry with them. In addition, they should also an extra camera and the tool kit. It is also advisable to double check the working of every piece of equipment to avoid embarrassing cancellation of shoots.
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Be Stress Free
It is important for the photographers to feel relaxed and stress free while clicking family portrait pictures. Even a slight shiver of the finger while clicking the picture might ruin a good photograph and raise questions about the credibility of the photographers.
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Voice Doubts
It is important that photographers let the clients know if they have any doubts, even if it’s about something as irrelevant as the hair color of a family member. Overlooking these subtle details often destroys the beauty of an otherwise good picture.
Hope you all enjoyed my tips For family portrait photography!
Image Credit [Via]
