Taking Great Family Photos

Photo by Gemini Visuals

Once a year I drag the family out for family portraits. My son inevitably picks that day to complain or whine about everything including the shirt he has worn a million times before. He is grumpy, hungry and has to go potty as soon as he hears the first click of the camera. As I began to plan our next family portrait, I began to think about how to make this day better (fun even?) and asked Adrienne Thiessen from Gemini Visuals to share her expertise on the subject. I found Adrienne on Facebook and was completely in awe of her photos and how she managed to capture real family moments with her camera. When her article came in I heard the "AH HA!" bell in my head that made me realize all the things that have been going wrong for us.  I realized that I was choosing the wrong photographer, the wrong time frames and expecting way too much of my family on photo day. Read on as Adrienne gives us the goods on getting not just the best photos of your family but how to get the ones you love to look at and remember with each passing year. Thank you Adrienne! (PS-I will be calling soon to book our appointment! Can you make our family portrait look good with my son holding a three foot long Lightening McQueen car?

Photo by Gemini Visuals

Once upon a time, booking a portrait session with your local photographer was an easy and basic experience.  Nowadays, there are as many photographers as there are starbucks, there seems to be one on almost every block!  Choosing the right photographer is key in maximizing your family’s photo experience.  So, with so many photographers to choose from how do you know who’s best?  

There are so many options it's mandatory to do your research. Choose a photographer who states their experience and education on their website. In this day and age everyone who owns a digital camera becomes a photographer, so check testimonials and  their experience.  Having a professional looking website, facebook, blog, etc isn’t enough, make sure the galleries show a large variety of work and proof of their experience both indoors and out.  Don’t fall for easy photoshop tricks, or composite images, anyone can do that, and most good photographers don’t rely on these things to make their work look striking.  Friends are always great resources, some may have a photographer they love, some may have horror stories. 

Clearly defining what style of portrait you’re looking for is important, inside, outdoors, candid or formal?   If you really want an outdoor shoot, is your photographer willing to reschedule at no extra fee if the weather doesn’t cooperate?  Make it clear to your photographer what you’re looking for as well.  Send them samples if you’ve seen photos you like.  Communicating what you’re looking for and hoping to get out of a shoot is the best way to actually achieve it!

Your photoshoot should be a fun experience and finding someone who’s patient is always important.  When dealing with children or newborns it’s hard to set time limits, so if someone’s pricing is based more on time that may not be the best option.  Sometimes it takes time to bring a child out of their shell with a stranger. Having a photographer who’s calm and willing to spend some time with a child who’s shy will help ensure you get good photos.  A good photographer should never get flustered no matter how big the family, not matter how many kids, or how many pets you choose to throw at them.

Once you’ve chosen the right photographer for your family, how do you ensure the shoot goes smoothly? Give yourself plenty of time to get ready, get outfits chosen a head of time, ironed, and packed.  The less stress the day of a shoot the better as your kids feel the tension and won’t be in their best moods.  If you have young kids, book your photo’s for their best time of day.  Make sure you have plenty of time in between naps for optimum happy time!

If your child is sick, don’t hesitate to try and reschedule.  A sick child is a grumpy child, and most photographers will appreciate not having to photoshop out a runny nose.  You want your child to be in their best spirits for photos, so being healthy is as important as choosing a time that works around naps.

Bring snacks and drinks for your kids, sometimes the distraction is handy, and keeping them happy and fed if the shoot runs long is very important!  Always bring extra’s, extra clothes, diapers, bottles, you name it! If your doing a newborn shoot mom and dad should bring extra clothes along for themselves.  Working with a diaperless baby can sometimes be a little messy, and shocking to  brand new parents!

Often parents make the mistake of expecting too much from their child on photo day.   You can’t dress a 2 year old up in several outfits and expect them to perform.  Sometimes its best to let them be, and get what comes out of them naturally versus trying to force exactly what you want.  Changing young children too much frustrates them, and can make a good session turn bad very fast.  If you want to do multiple outfits, make sure the changes are easy, avoid too many layers.  You’re not sending your child out in the snow, so there’s no need for a million extra clothes. Make sure clothing is easy to get in and out of, not too tight, not too many buttons, and no turtlenecks.  Not only are they hard to get in and out of,  they’re also not flattering in photos for any age.  Coordinating colours, and minimizing patterns is always key to a great looking family portrait!

A great way to have a very meaningful memory captured is to include your child’s favourite toy or blanket!  Looking back years later after a much loved item is beyond recognition, always brings smiles to parents faces.  All those years of a blanket being dragged around can be captured in a photograph!  Picking a favourite family location is always a good idea too.  Having  a photo session at a beloved park, or the place you take your kids in the summer is always a great way to capture some good memories!

A family portrait session should be a fun and memorable experience, something you want to go back and do year after year.

A great photographer can be a part of your life, capturing everything from newborn photos of your first child to their graduation or wedding day.  I consider myself lucky to be apart of so many of my client’s lives, to watch their families grow and grow up.

Following this simple advice will help you choose the best fit for your family, and to maximize your photo experience for the best outcome!

Adrienne Thiessen

Owner/photographer – Gemini Visuals

www.geminivisuals.com

Photo by Gemini Visuals