Extended family photos: A Stuart, Florida professional photographer's guide
Tips from a Stuart, Florida photographer: photographing your own extended family portraits
The beauty of a family gathering is the rare opportunity it presents to create an extended family portrait. Planning an extended family gathering and capturing those cherished moments in a family photo session is no easy feat. Even as a professional portrait photographer in Stuart, Florida, I've had instances where I was so consumed with organizing our family gathering, that I almost missed the opportunity to capture a portrait of everyone together.
If planned at the last minute, it most likely will not end up being the perfect portrait that we want to hang on the wall as the official family portrait. But it will be something special that we can cherish. And, as we all know, we truly cannot predict the future and know when and if we will get everyone together again.
Taking your own family photos during your holiday gathering: tips from a Stuart, Florida photographer
Prepare ahead for your photo shoot
If you do think of it ahead of time, tell your family members that you would love to take a few photographs that day. This increases the chance that they will try to look their best and be happier to be in the photo. If you think it won’t make anyone annoyed, you could let them know that you would really appreciate it if everyone could dress in similar tones or colors. If everyone is in light tones, everyone in medium tones or all in dark tones, that will work nicely to make the pictures better. Or everyone in the same color family. For much more clothing guidance, click here to get my e-book with lots of tips to help you look and feel great in your family portraits.
Location and Lighting make a huge difference in quality
Try to do the pictures outside, if you will be together during daylight hours. Scout your location to see what would make a nice background. I always try to choose a shady location with the sun streaming through the foliage from behind the people. Alternatively, you could choose the shade of a building for nice even lighting. Be careful about locations that have bright backgrounds and the people in the shade, as that will not come out well. Do not have faces in the sun, unless it happens to be the very late afternoon lighting that is soft and warm. That is great lighting--photographers call it the "sweet light." The best time of day for your pictures is in the later afternoon when the sun is starting to get lower in the sky.
Indoor photography is an option also
If you can't do the pictures outside, it would be great to find an indoor room with lots of light, especially great if it is beautiful light coming from a window. Even so, be careful because a location that looks bright to our human eye still might not be bright enough for the camera and your images will come out blurry or underexposed. Keep in mind light that is all coming from above will create dark shadows in and under the eyes. (If you are using a Smartphone, you can get away with pretty bad light, and still get images that will be acceptable on your devices, but probably won’t make great prints.)
How to get everyone in the frame
Plan to have someone else take the photo so that all family members are included. If you are at home, ask a neighbor ahead of time. You may have a friend at the event who isn't in the photo, ask her. Or if you are at a restaurant or club, ask ahead for a staff member to do it. Alternatively, learn how to use the timer on your camera and set it up on a tripod. You can then hop into the photo after you push the button.
Posing, a very important part of impactful photos
Arrange people in a pyramid, with shortest on the outside and taller in the middle. Creating layers by having people at different heights brings a dynamic feel to the picture. So have a row of people sitting or kneeling on the ground, a row sitting on a bench or in chairs and a row in the back. It usually works well to put your tallest people in the chairs or on the ground. Portraits look best when you can get all the faces near each other, so if someone is very tall and standing, their face will be too far away from everyone else. I like to have the people in my portraits touching each other, so holding hands, putting an arm around, arms linked, hand on shoulder, those kinds of things. When it is time to take the picture, the photographer should tell everyone to lean slightly toward the middle.
Get help making it fun and be persistent
Appoint a couple of your most easy-going and funny family members to keep the mood light while setting up for the photo. A positive and fun attitude from the organizer sets the tone for everyone else.
You may have family members who aren't all that thrilled with the idea of a photo—don't let that stop you! Persevere toward the goal of a great image of all of you. If that goes well, you can even do individual family groups, just the grandkids, whatever people are willing to do. And I have also found that sometimes the one who grumbled the most is the one who, in the end, expresses the most appreciation for the photos.
Despite some family members potentially not being thrilled about a photo, don't let that deter you. Persistence is key in achieving a great image of all of you.
The photos don’t have to be perfect
Embrace the chaos and capture the moment. An imperfect image is still a cherished image, and will become more and more valuable as time goes by.
Bring in a professional, if there’s still time before your event
If you are still in the midst of planning your event, or if you are thinking of a future occasion when you will all be together, feel free to reach out to me. I am an expert at family portrait photography in and around Stuart, Florida. It’s amazing how much better your family members will “behave” when I’m in charge instead of you. I love photographing families and can help plan, scout locations, and offer ideas that will result in portraits you'll be proud to hang on your wall.
Contact me today to discuss your photography and schedule your session.
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For 20+ years as a family portrait specialist on Florida’s Treasure Coast, I have been known for relaxed portrait sessions at locations around Stuart, Palm City, Hutchinson Island, Hobe Sound, Fort Pierce, Vero Beach and all areas in between. I am not like most photographers these days because I believe your family deserves to be celebrated each day, as part of your home decor. When you work with me, we will collaborate in creating Fine Art Portraits of your family, which will live on your walls or in a custom-designed album or folio box and be remembered as one of the best investments you have ever made. In addition to creating portraits for families, I create headshots and personal branding images for business use. To learn more, go the the Dultmeier Photography homepage.