How to Get Great Outdoor Family Photographs?

Outdoor family portrait photographs are more informal, relaxed and lots of fun.  However, getting the perfect shot is not as easy as it seems, as there are more than one subjects.  Often you end up with someone’s face covered by a hand or head, or people not happy with the way they look in the photograph.  Here are some tips that could help you get great outdoor family portrait photographs.

Background

When shooting for outdoor family photographs, carefully select the location.  With younger families, places like gardens or parks work great.  Children are in a safe environment here and the family can relax and pose for the portrait.  Also a colorful backdrop with flowers, grass and trees looks perfect for a young family.  For families with older children, you can go for something a bit more adventurous like a rocky backdrop or beside a stream.  If there are older members in the family, keep it safe and subtle, like chairs on the lawn or on the porch.

Head placement

Do not arrange any head directly above or next to another.  Try aligning people’s faces diagonally, it makes for more interesting portraits.  Also, you can get some to sit and others to stand.

Posture

Get people comfortable so that they do not look stiff.  Consciously get them to look more natural.  Maybe shift the weight to one side or simply lean forward slightly.  Siblings can lean on one another or put an arm casually around the other’s shoulder.

Find best angles

Find the most flattering angle of each person in the family and position them accordingly in relation to the camera lens.  For a couple that has a considerable height difference, either get the man (generally the taller one) to sit or lean against a prop.  Alternatively, get him to stand with his feet a bit apart, which will make him look slightly shorter.  If someone has a double chin, use a camera angle above their eye level.  This would make them look up, which would diminish the effect of a double chin.

With children, spontaneous works best

Letting children just be will ensure they are comfortable and happy, which in turn will give you some great outdoor family portrait photographs.  You could use props like toys, bubbles, or books.  It will give a more natural touch to the photograph, as opposed to forcefully getting children to look at the camera and smile.