There's certainly an art to portrait photography, and even more so to taking portraits of children. Photographing entire families (or other large groups) comes with its own set of challenges but can also be incredibly rewarding. Today's mobile society can make it hard to gather the family together (let alone extended family members), so when it happens that everyone's in the same place at the same time, it's even more important to immortalize the moment.
Gather the troops
Whether you're photographing 20 cousins at a family reunion or a bride and groom and their 10-member wedding party, the first step is obviously gathering everyone together. You might not have much control over your location, but go for somewhere with a background that won't be distracting. Watch out for backgrounds that are too colorful, as they can end up distracting from your subjects and clashing with their coloring.
A field of green grass is perfect, maybe in front of thick shrubbery. A wide set of stairs or props such as chairs that let you position subjects at different levels can help, especially with a large group.
Should subjects coordinate outfits?
If you have the chance to give instructions to your subjects prior to the photo session, remember that the focus of the photos should be the family, not what they're wearing. So encourage your subjects to resist the urge to all wear matching outfits — chances are high that while it might look cute on some members of the family, it won't look good on all of them and will look forced and staged.
Wearing clothes of a similar color and style (for example, different shades of blue) will look much more relaxed. On the other hand, if your group happens to love dressing up, it might be fun to do a session in costumes!
Relaxed people make great pictures
Gone are the days of stiff, posed studio portraits. Today, most people prefer a group photo that shows them as they really are: smiling and happy, without looking forced. Strive to capture the group in ways that appear spontaneous and candid.
To achieve that goal, get your subjects to relax and feel comfortable being themselves. Get them talking and telling stories — you might need to encourage this by asking questions. Make sure to talk to your subjects in private before your session, to find out if there are any issues you should be aware of. Don't try to pull them outside their comfort zone — that will result in the opposite of relaxed, happy subjects!
Assume the position
If possible, shoot from eye level or slightly above your subjects. This will emphasize their eyes and reduce the pesky double chins and undereye circles you sometimes get if your subjects are looking down. There are a multitude of different ways to position your subjects, of course, and you'll want to try several different groupings so they have options to choose from.
However, there are some general guidelines to help you get the best pictures possible.
- Make sure your subjects are touching each other. This might require some convincing, especially for kids at various stages of "Touching! Eww!" — but it will really bring home the fact that this is a group of people who care deeply for each other. It doesn't have to be more than a hand on a shoulder here, an arm around a waist there, or someone leaning against someone else, but try to get some physical contact going. One of the best positions for pairs (for example, two brothers seated in front of the parents) is back-to-back, giving the feeling that they're firmly supporting each other.
- Arrange your subjects by height, with the tallest in the center. You can also put taller people behind shorter ones, but be sure that their heads and faces aren't being blocked; give them something to stand on, if necessary. A simple pyramid arrangement works best, but you could also try a diamond, with someone kneeling or standing in the back, two people sitting or kneeling in the middle, and one sitting in the front. Just be aware that kneeling isn't comfortable for long periods of time, so try to avoid it if possible!
- Get older family members to hold younger ones, if appropriate. Try having an older sibling give a younger one a piggyback ride or sitting a child up on a parent's shoulders.
- Huddle up! Have everyone lean in toward each other. Not only does this let you get a closer photo, but it also helps give the impression of closeness. You can even try a literal huddle, like a football team on the field. Position yourself on the ground in front of and underneath them, shooting up, for an unusual photo.
- Especially if you're working with a very large group, try organizing them in smaller clusters, then arranging the clusters together. Group smaller family units together at a family reunion, for example, rather than having everyone stand in a big, messy bunch.
- Get some action shots. Have the family play a game, throw a ball or Frisbee, or run a short race, and snap candid shots of the action. It's sometimes a bit tricky to catch everyone looking good, but if you luck out, these can be some of the most memorable portraits.
The more people you have in the picture, the more tries it will likely take to find a shot where everyone's looking more or less at the camera and smiling, and no one is blinking or frowning or staring off into the distance. Don't forget that with photography, rules are meant to be broken, so don't be afraid to try different things. Experiment with lots of different poses and setups — you're bound to end up with something wonderful!
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