It’s not impossible…but it sure isn’t easy! Actually, nothing to do with children is straightforward or easy (I’m currently writing this while my son is asking me for craft help every 5 minutes now that the summer vacations have started, so I know!). But add photography to the mix and it becomes a real challenge! This is why family portrait photographers deserve some recognition!
In this video (yes, she is selling a course, but bear with me), Katelyn James shows us some behind-the-scenes footage from a recent family shoot and then walks us through her decisions about how she shot the family and framed them. There are a few really good takeaways here that will certainly elevate your family portraits.
Don’t forget composition in the crazy
So, the first point that Katelyn makes is that good composition and technique should always be at the forefront of your mind. In fact, they should almost be automatic. Of course, this takes some practice, and while you’re getting there, you will still need to walk through the steps consciously.
Under stress (i.e. screaming children running about), it’s all too easy to panic and abandon thoughts of good composition. But this will lead to more creative and impressive photos, with a greater variety (and more chances of sales).
Find activities
If you find yourself starting to lose it, just take a breather. You can let everyone relax for a few minutes while you catch your breath. I also find that having the family do some activity or action helps a lot, and you can ask them to repeat it a few times while you gather your thoughts. In the video you’ll see the family walking up the drive holding hands. It’s simple yet effective.
Direct and talk to your subjects
One big takeaway from this video was watching Katelyn interact with her subjects. She talks and communicates with them nonstop. There isn’t a single moment when she isn’t encouraging them, giving feedback, or directing them.
By doing this, she is taking up all the space in their brains, reassuring them and not leaving any moment that they could question what she’s doing or for feeling self-conscious. Yes, it can be exhausting, but I find that this level of interaction with your subject is what gets you the best images. This isn’t reportage or photojournalism; that would require a completely different approach. But for this type of produced portrait work, the interaction is imperative.
Don’t centre your subjects
It can be tempting to always centre the subject in the frame. However, for variety, and especially if you have a nice location to shoot in, it can be more impactful to use the rule of thirds and place the family off-centre. Katelyn explains her reasons for shooting this way. One consideration was the way the light and exposure were hitting the landscape, and she wanted to minimise any overexposed parts of the photo.
Think like a movie director
The final takeaway is to think like a movie director. A film tells the story through a variety of ultra-wide, medium and close-up shots, and everything in between. If you change your mindset to thinking more in these terms, you will create much wider variety in your images, and tell stories with the session. Epic wide shots always do well with portrait clients, particularly when you can mix beautiful sweeping landscapes with the portraiture. These print extremely well and are always popular as wall art.
Family shoots certainly keep you on your toes, but you don’t have to lose touch with your photographic roots when things start to get crazy. Emotion combined with great visual storytelling and strong composition will win you repeat clients.
