Photographing Families

Taking pictures of a family and doing it well is challenging. There are many things you have to think about to please both you and the people you are shooting. First, you should have soft and diffused lighting. An overcast sky works great and so does shade. Second, you should avoid on-camera flash if possible. If it is hopelessly dark and you don’t have any other lighting equipment, then on-camera flash will have to do. However, this kind of lighting is the least attractive type of artificial light we use. It is flat and dimensionless. Only if you use on-camera flash as a subtle fill light to open up shadows will it look good.

Third, you should place the family in front of a background that won’t compete for attention. Distracting elements and bright highlights should be carefully avoided. If the group of people is positioned in the shade, make sure the background is shaded as well. The last thing you want is a sunny background behind people in the shade.

The biggest challenge is to get good expressions on all the people in the family at the same time. This means that you have to take lots of pictures, hoping that one of them shows each person with a good expression. Also, make sure that no one is hidden behind another family member in a detracting way.