During the summer months we are all out with our families and wanting to capture those special authentic moments.
As a Mummy myself I know just how full the camera roll can get with lots of the same looking pictures of our little ones with an ice cream or going down a slide
I wanted to put together a blog to explain how to get some lovely family photos on those days out.. as we can’t always have a Photographer at the ready :)
None of the below are essential, but when all applied together you will certainly end up with some beautiful family photos to treasure
Attire
If you can plan ahead and arrange neutral coloured outfits that all lie in with each other then your images will look a lot more put together
Bedsheet or neutral coloured windbreaker
Having some sort of backdrop is always handy if you want some photos but there are too many distracting elements in the background
Natural cuddling shots - No posing
Asking young children to all look at the camera at the same time and smile isn’t always realistic, and this can cause frustration and sometimes temptation for pulling silly faces.
Instead asking dad or an older sibling to tickle each other or baby is much more natural looking, resulting in more authentic photos
Camera
A DSLR camera is not essential if you are keeping the images small and not planning on printing too large (due to quality) We can do a lot with our Phones these days so take advantage of them
Tripod
Maybe it’s just my eye as a Photographer, but what really makes an image is the angle and composition. Using a tripod can really help with this, and also allow all family members to be present in the image (paired with the tip below)
Timer app
Using a timer app on your mobile (or even better your DSLR) means that everyone has time to jump in the photo
Editing app
To finish off making your family photo even more gorgeous I’d highly recommend an editing app such as Lightroom, however even just the basic camera editing settings can be good enough. Bringing out the contrast, colours, cropping and increasing the exposure will help bring that family photo more to life
So… now that you have some basic tips to get those family shots with ease, go ahead and put them into practice. Even if you just try this in your home or garden to start with
And if you'd like any information on the professional photoshoots that we offer here at Annie Allen Photography then feel free to get in touch
Author: Annie Allen
Professional Photographer specialising in maternity, newborn, baby, birthday and family photography
Aldershot Hampshire based (covering Guildford, Farnham, Camberley, Woking, Reading, Basingstoke and Bracknell areas)