Tips For Fabulous Family Portraits

I had the honor of photographing this gorgeous family once again this year. The first time I did their family portraits they came out great and this time around things were no different. Their fabulous photos inspired me to write this post to give you some tips for your own family portraits

1 - Outfit coordination. This is EXTREMELY important. You want a cohesive look in your photos. Attire can make or break your photographs. You can have great photographs but if everyone is dressed completely different it takes something away from the photo. The clothing doesn't need to be dressy as you can see they decided to do denim and white and the mom wore a white and blue dress to match. This is simple and looks fantastic.

2 - Have your own vision. It never hurts to have a few of your own ideas for the photos. Check out Pinterest or any website with a lot of family portrait ideas and pick out two or three you really love that would work for your family. The photographer will have their own ideas (it is their job) but respectfully suggest trying your own interpretation of what you have seen. This helps the photo session feel like it is a little more catered towards you. I am not saying to take over the whole session with your ideas because the photographer does know what they are doing but I always like to ask clients at some point during the session if they had any of their own ideas.

3 - Be Flexible. Sometimes people show me very specific photos they want to try and replicate but sometimes we cannot get it to work out. Whether it be an uncooperative toddler or a completely different location, you have to go with the flow. Sometimes people get so caught up in a specific vision that they let it ruin the rest of the shoot and it shows on their face. As I stated in #2, it's great to have ideas but you also have to be flexible and understand sometimes a different route needs to be taken.

4 - Listen to the photographer. This may seem obvious but it is very important to trust the photographer. I may ask clients to do something that seems silly or feels awkward but I promise it is all for a good photo. No need to feel self conscious just rock whatever is asked of you. And I promise those "awkward feeling" photos are often among my client's favorite photos. Also, make sure you respect and listen to the photographer when he or she is speaking to your family. It's very frustrating for a photographer when they are trying to explain a pose and people are talking and not paying attention. This is particularly important when there is a large group.

5 - Just have fun. A family portrait session is meant to be fun and a memory to last a lifetime. Relax and be silly. Enjoy your family. Have no worries. Your carefree joy will translate into your photographs. No matter what happens just smile and laugh.

I hope these tips help you out and help you to get the family photos you've always hoped for. xoxo