A Guide to Posing for Your Family Photos
I love photographing families and always aim to make them look fun and natural! My goal is to capture both posed (everyone looking at smiling at the camera) and natural+connected, candid+playful images of your family. The natural images are the ones I always seem to choose to hang on my own walls at home..just us being ourselves and loving on each other (but with prettier clothing and nice hair and make-up!). The key to taking genuine and authentic family photos is knowing how to pose clients in a way that makes them look their best while having fun. Part of my job as your photographer is to coach your family into poses that both look beautiful and feel natural.
If you’ve never taken professional family photos before or if you simply want to improve on your last session, here are my my favorite suggestions on how to pose that will leave you with beautiful family portraits.
Get Close
The last thing you want is a family portrait that looks stiff and awkward. The secret to creating a beautiful, intimate family photo is to get close. Snuggle up with the people you love if you want the best photos. If there are people of varying heights in the photo, take a few photos on the same level so that you can get your heads close together too.
Have Fun
Your photos always look more authentic when your family is genuinely having fun and laughing. Spend time talking about your favorite vacation or a memory that makes you all laugh out loud. These candid moments always make for the best photos.
Keep it Natural
When you overthink posing, it takes away from the genuineness of your photos, which is why it helps to shoot your family photos in a setting where you’re all comfortable and where you can go about your lives as naturally as possible. For example, if you’re in an outdoor setting, take your little one for a walk. If you’re shooting at home, bake something together or snuggle up for a story.
Use Your Surroundings
Very often, standing upright in the middle of a room or garden will make your photos look and feel stiff. Use your surroundings to make yourselves more comfortable. For example, if there’s a wall in the vicinity, lean up against it. If there’s a couch available, pose on that for a few shots.
Make Use of Props
If you would like to change things up a bit or give a younger child something to do, you can also always incorporate a few basic props into your photos to get a few non-standard shots.
If you still have questions about your upcoming photo shoot with us and how to make the most of it, please contact us and we will be happy to assist you with additional tips.
