In the era of Instagram stardom, photographers (including ourselves) can often be lured into thinking that the images portrayed on our devices are snippets of real life. And in a way, they are. But usually, the crying kids, the chaotic house, and the bickering parents don’t feature heavily in the frame. Even if we don’t necessarily want these segments preserved time immemorial, it’s important to remember that that’s real life too.
For clients scrolling through the endless feed of perfect skin and eerily well-behaved children, it can be difficult to manage expectations surrounding what a family shoot should look like. Arriving on location and expecting everyone to have skills comparable to a model with years of experience in the industry sets you up for a crash and burn from pretty lofty heights.
There’s a balance to navigate, and nailing the combination between aesthetically pleasing and authentic can be a bit of a tough one. We’re chasing the photos that capture the memory perfectly; snapshots that tell us the story of a chapter in a family’s life, that teleport us directly back to that day, and all of its emotional richness.
There’s nothing that says unbridled and unapologetic authenticity like young children. Their natural honesty and their creativity are a great prism to reflect the soulful inner-workings of a family. It’s never perfect, and it’s often messy, but it’s real and so so full of joy. If you’re keen to dive into the uniquely complex yet rewarding world of family photography, set yourself up for success with the family portrait poses, prompts, plus the other photography tips, tricks, and tools laid out in this guide.
In this guide
Chapter 1: Preparation - Learn about scouting locations, planning time of day, and lots of client research tips
Chapter 2: Expectations - Learn how to set expectations with your client and three things you must discuss with them
Chapter 3: Follow through - Things to think about as you deliver your photos to your client so they are delighted
Chapter 4: What to wear - A list of things to consider when determining what the family wears and four things to definitely avoid
Chapter 5: Posing guide for specific categories - Family portrait poses for young families, older families, motherhood, sibling photoshoot ideas, and even extended family photo poses
Chapter 1
Preparation
There are lots of variables in family shoots that are beyond your control. When photographing kids, you learn relatively quickly that every plan is contingent on their mood. Knowing what is predictable can be a saving grace when dealing with so many unknowns. Fortunately, there are a few things you can plan:
1. Snacks
Or treats, or bribes, or however you want to dress it up, this works on literally everyone under the sun. Unlike models, families are actually allowed to eat on set. Infact, we encourage it! We’ve been partial to carrying fruit roll-ups or carob bananas in our bag of tricks to help people forget about the giant lens pointed in their direction. Duck out to your local bulk food store and grab a variety of treats for a variety of tastes, and don’t forget to grab yourself something tasty, too.
2. Scout the location
The holy grail of photography locations is generally somewhere where the light is soft, diffused, non-directional, and the background is pleasing but not distracting. But golden hour is oh-so-sweet sometimes, and blue hour can really bring the magic. Begin to compile an index of potential locations that are perfect for delivering the lighting you’re looking for time after time, and make a note of what they look like at different times of day, what the sun is doing, and what time it dips behind the horizon. The less you have to worry about avoiding harsh light, or modifying with flash or reflectors, the more you’ll have the mental capacity to hone in on the finer details, like whether you’ve accidentally put Dad in an awkward cross-legged position, and make sure mom's dress isnt pulled in a funny angle.
3. Time of day
Time is of the essence when you’ve got a toddler, so think twice before confining yourself to golden hour, which lasts an hour at the best of times. Also, sometimes, golden hour is at 8 at night. That’s approaching our bedtime, and assuredly past the bedtimes of the little ones. Blue hour, which deceptively usually lasts less than half an hour is probably also one to avoid. If you’re planning a shoot for the afternoon, start early, and get some of your shots out of the way before golden hour begins so you can tick some shots off your list before the pressure at the end of the shoot kicks in. If shooting during high sun, seek out open shade from buildings or hills, or move indoors if thats an option.
4. Do your research
Come up with a list of questions that help you get to the heart of who you’re photographing. Find out if they’re looking for more traditional images, or if you have a bit of room to be creative and get silly. Maybe they have some ideas of how they’d like to pose themselves, or a certain thing they want to capture most during their session. Surveys or questionnaires can provide them with the opportunity to tell you about some things that could help you better connect on the day, like what their child is interested in, or things that never fail to make them smile or laugh. It can also give you a bit of insight as to how the kids might respond on the day, and how to navigate any bumps in the road.
Some example questions can include:
- How many people are going to be photographed during your session?
- Please list the names, ages, and relationships of all people being photographed.
- Provide a list of types of locations you’re interested in (ie. Mountains, rocks, tall grasses, rustic country buildings, urban environments)
- Do you lean towards traditional family portrait poses more, or are you after candid shots?
- What do you most want to capture during your session?
- What are some things your child is interested in or are there special things that make them smile or laugh?
- What’s your favourite snack?
- Have you ever had a family photoshoot before?
- Do you know how your child normally responds to picture day
- Is there an occasion we’re celebrating with this photoshoot
- If you have looked on my Instagram or on my website gallery, are there specific images that you are particularly drawn to or would like to try to emulate in your session?
- Is there any special look you would like to create for your session
- How do you want to feel when you see your photos?
Chapter 2
Expectation
No matter what they say, your clients have expectations. And their expectations will absolutely influence their perception of the service you provide. It’s probably fair to say you base many of your buying decisions on expectations that have been set for you, too, so your clients need to know you won’t get every single shot, and that to a certain extent, you’ll have to work with the conditions that present themselves on the day. Perhaps bake this into your quote terms and conditions, letting people know you’re not liable for factors that are out of control such as faulty equipment or thunderstorms, unhooking yourself from any potential sticky conversations you may have to face if all goes pear shaped.
You’ll learn so much from each shoot, and the silver lining around clunky shoots is that they’re rich learning opportunities for you to begin to comprehend what’s required of you next time. You’re not just trying to ascertain what your clients expect of you, you’re also setting healthy boundaries for yourself and your business. Let them know what your shooting style is. Are you easygoing, flexible, and open to improvisation or do you have a more strict and pre-planned approach in photo sessions? Are you willing to trespass to take photos in areas that are semi off-limits? What’s your approach to social media? Will you share pictures of the session online, talk about the session before or afterward, or snap BTS shots for your Instagram stories?
Make sure to discuss:
- Expectation of delivery time of photos - how long will your clients have to wait to get prints or digital files after the session?
- How many photos are you providing
- How many rounds of feedback and edits are included in the price -most photographers include a basic edit or grade, but if things like stains on shirts or pimples need to be photoshopped out, it’s reasonable to charge an extra editing fee. Discern whether or not your clients want any other specific edits of the images, such as conversion to black and white, and quote accordingly.
Chapter 3
Follow through
After a successful shoot and a couple late nights in the editing zone, finish strong with a streamlined and cohesive photo delivery process. Sharing your images with clients is an often overlooked but important part of the photographer’s workflow. In a digital age, there are plethora of delivery methods on offer, and finding a way that works best for you and your clients will present your work in the best light possible and add to an experience that clients will we apt to return to over and over again.
With family portrait shoots, especially, photo delivery has the potential to pack a poignant punch. Making a slideshow in addition to sending them a link to all of their files is a great way to hand over photos with impact. Add music to the equation, and cultivate a more emotive experience that will facilitate a deeper interaction with their photographs and memories. Nice touches like this will set you a cut above the rest, and will likely lead your clients to recommend you to others.
As a matter of practice, it’s also a good idea to compile a list of previous clients, when you’ve shot with them, and get in touch a few months after their last shoot and touch base about their interest in seasonal, anniversary, or birthday shoots.
Chapter 4
What to wear
There are many aspects to keep in mind when deciding what to wear for your family photos, but coordinating outfits for family photos doesn’t need to be a fraught experience. In fact, the less bells and whistles and distracting elements, the better. Try to avoid the tackiness of matchy-matchy outfits - they had their time in the sun back in the day and it’s best we leave them in the past for now. Achieve cohesion by selecting a few focal colours and textured clothing items, factoring in the time of year and temperature and comfort. Err on the practical side, especially when dressing the little ones. Comfy kids make for smoother photoshoots. That being said, if you have room to experiment with flowy fabrics, playing with texture and light can yield some really ethereal and beautiful compositions.
Consider the location too - will you be shooting on the beach amidst neutral tones, or in a lush forest with rich greens? Selecting a colour palette that compliments rather than competes with your backdrop will elevate your images.
This is our definitive list of things to avoid:
- Matching outfits
- Distracting patterns
- Large logos
- Uncomfortable, restrictive clothing
Chapter 5
Family posing guide for specific categories
1. Young families
Sometimes, the family photographer role can expand to include you stepping into the shoes of the court jester, especially when working with kids. Drop your guard and let yourself be silly, kids will open up when they see you as a collaborator in their fun.
If this means handing over the camera for them to take some photos of you for a little bit, do it. Ask them what they’d like to create, spark their imagination. Let them break some rules momentarily, like using their outside voices inside or jumping on the bed. Their infectious joy will elevate the mood of everyone involved. The Unscripted app is filled with creative prompts family poses to connect with little ones!
2. Old families
Many family albums are positively overflowing with kids in oversized shoes being adorable and little, and being blissfully unaware of their burgeoning selfhood. As they grow older and less tolerant of adults pointing a camera in their direction, the natural progression sees a phasing out of images that document the change that occurs throughout those middle years.
There’s a different approach when photographing older families, and asking them to look at the camera and say ‘cheese’ is just downright awkward. Finding the right prompts to facilitate natural interaction amongst family members will render a more authentic capture of their true personalities. Browse the app for family photo ideas and poses that connect with older kids.
3. Motherhood
The privilege of shooting the tender time of motherhood is a great one, and photographs of mothers and children often serve to anchor memories to an often fleeting time. For expectant mothers, there’s an opportunity to show the baited breath of anticipation before birth. Photographing the birth itself requires a guide of its own, but requires the photographer to be attuned to the changing phases a mother goes through throughout the process of labour.
When breastfeeding, focus on the little details that illustrate the mother-child connection like tiny hands wrapped around her finger, or the way the baby is cradled in her arms. As the kids get older, their connections to their mothers grow idiosyncratic and the value is in capturing the uniqueness of this relationship. When photographing adults with their mother, there are some well-rooted emotions and interactions that give you a glimpse into the similarities that have stayed on over the years.
4. Fatherhood
If you’ve photographed families before, you’re probably aware of the long-standing reputation of Dads being doggedly resistant to playing the family photo game. We still haven’t decoded why they tend towards awkward impatience, but we challenge the assumption that this has to be hard, and have some prompts that help to drive an approach more rooted in authentic connection that dads will be happy to get behind. Spend some time hanging out with your clients before a photoshoot building rapport and allowing them to grow accustomed to you.
5. Siblings
Siblings have a relationship like no other. One minute they’re best friends, but the next minute could bring in all the turmoil and wrath of the world. As tempting as it is to desire that ‘perfect’ image of everyone beautifully dressed and smiling for the camera, there is so much joy in the natural play that occurs between siblings that angling to capture that sets you up to capture memories that will stand the test of time. Be sure to communicate to Mom that you can't guarantee that perfect sibling photo but you'll capture beautiful candid moments between them.
6. Extended families
This configuration can be quite daunting. The thought of getting all of the crazy uncles, unruly kids, and sleepy grandparents together can make anyone want to run for the hills. But beginning to embrace them starts with you putting yourself in their shoes, and maybe calling to mind similarities between their crazy large family and yours. As is the case with most large groups, you’ll have to use your voice, move fast, and step into your authority. Pick prompts that are easy to understand and be sure to let the grandparents know that its ok to not stare into the camera like a deer in the headlights the whole time. We're after authenticity, no one needs a hundred photos of everyone weirdly smiling at the camera.
Recap:
- Set expectations in advance and let your clients know about the spontaneous nature of a family session. Nothing is guaranteed!
- Be sure to browse the Unscripted App for age-appropriate prompts before your family photoshoots
- Pack your bag with all the essentials – especially snacks and treats
lead your photography
sessions with confidence.
FAQ's
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