How to Take Great Family Portraits

Learning how to take family portraits can be very beneficial, even if you don’t plan to have a career in photography. If you are new to photography, learning how to take family portraits gives you the opportunity to learn and practice other photography skills. Practice with a group picture at a Christmas gathering or a team photo after the big game.

Family portraits can be expensive to have done professionally, making that special portrait out of reach for some families. A family should have at least one nice family portrait hanging on the wall, and it is nice to have additional portraits done as a family grows and ages.

As a photography hobbyist you may have friends who would love to have you take their family portraits. You may already take family photographs of your own family, but are you in them? Be sure to use a camera with a timer or remote shutter button release so you are included in the family portraits.

To get you started taking wonderful family portraits, formal or informal, your own family or others, we offer a few tips for how to take family portraits:

Avoid the "Police Line Up" Portrait – Family portrait poses make a more interesting display if comfortable and natural. The shoulder to shoulder line up is only good for police work, not for portraying a happy, loving family.

Staggering is a great technique to use. You might stagger family members on steps of a porch or on and around park benches or boulders near a pond. Have some family members stand and others sit for a more natural look, or all family members could cluster together on the lawn. For a feeling of family togetherness space family members relatively close together. This will also make it easier to frame and help you avoid having to get a custom made frame.

Show Relationships – Placement in the family portrait poses is a great way to do this. For example, Mom and Dad might have their arms around one another, an infant might be in Mother's arms, Grandma and Grandpa may be sitting side by side, etc.

Include the Family Pets – they are part of the family. Even if the pet is sitting still, you may want to raise the Shutter Speed Priority to at least 1/125 as the flick of a tail or other tiny movement can cause blur. While it is much easier to take a portrait of an individual with a pet or a pet separately, you can experiment with the family pet in your family portrait poses.

Use Interesting Props – This is a great way to express your creativity and artistic talents. If you are looking for a more casual family portrait, include props from the family’s life in your family portrait poses. Does the family enjoy golf? Each family member could hold a different golf club or golf balls and tees. Make the family portrait experience fun for the family and unique to them.

Get People Smiling – everyone say cheese - and the smiles are so contrived. Instead, just put the family at ease by talking and joking with them. Be natural and at ease yourself and soon they will be also and their smiles will be relaxed and real. Once the smiles and pose are working, ask the family to hold them until you give the signal that your camera got the shot.

Finally, have fun! Take a lot of shots. The family will then have many poses to choose from and are sure to find one they feel shows them at their best. They will have a family portrait that they will be proud to display in their home.