10 Tips For a DIY Family Photo Shoot

How many pictures of your kids do you have, either on your PC or on your phone? We bet the answer is thousands.

Now, how many pictures do you have of ALL of you? Probably only a few, right? It is actually a shame, because family pictures are a precious and valuable thing. They capture you at your happiest moments and chronicle the way your family evolves. 

So how do you fill that little gap in your photo archive? Sure, you can book a photographer who would snap myriads pictures of your family, but it would cost you a lot.

Alternatively, you can do it yourself. That’s right – you can easily become your own photographer and make awesome pictures of your entire family. Want to know how to do that hassle-free? Well, that’s what we are here to teach you. So let’s dive into 10 tips for taking your own pro-level family pictures. 

This post has been sponsored by photo-works.net.

1. Get a Tripod

That is the first thing you need to do once you decide to have a family photo shoot. By mounting your camera on the tripod you ensure that all the members of the family will be in the frame. Besides, you also make sure that you won’t end up with a slanted photo. 

2. Take Lots of Photos

Program your camera to snap multiple photos in quick succession. Sure, you will end up with tons of seemingly identical shots, but at least you’ll have something to cull from and will be able to find the perfect pic where everyone is smiling, looking directly into the camera with their eyes open. 

3. Bring Some Treats

If you are having a photo shoot for kids, make sure you have something to bribe them into behaving themselves. Kids get easily bored and distracted, but a promise of a candy or a fruit will help them stay put for a little while longer.

4. Wear Matching Clothing

Pro photo shoots are all about aesthetics. So why should yours be any different? Plan your whole family’s looks so that they either match each other’s outfits or complement one another in a beautiful way. You can also color coordinate your garments with the surroundings, that is if you choose to shoot outdoors.

5. Choose Perfect Time of Day

Sure, a bright sunny day seems like the perfect time to take pictures, but in reality you will end up with harsh shadows. Not to mention your whole family squinting helplessly.

You need softer light, like the one in the morning or in the evening. In case you choose to shoot indoors – for instance for a toddler photo shoot – the afternoon will be the perfect time, with all that light pouring into your room from outside. 

6. Prepare Props

If you want to avoid boring shots of people just standing and staring into the camera, you need props. These can be virtually anything. Use a chair that one family member could sit in while the others would stand around.

Get a blanket your kids can wrap themselves in. Bring an old toy that your little ones can get engaged with. Old telephones, vintage suitcases, pieces of cloth, ribbons, seashells, decorative cages, real flowers – the list of ideas is endless.

7. Take Little Breaks

You might find yourself unable to smile and pose at one point, but it doesn’t mean that it’s time to wrap up. Make sure to pause once in a while and do something else. This way your family can have a little breather and get back to the photo shoot all rested and fresh. 

8. Practice Posing

Don’t want to find yourselves struggling to pose in front of the camera? Then make sure to rehearse beforehand.

First off, think about what would work on your family photos. If you can’t quite come up with a stance to take, have a look at the best family photo poses. Then, pick the one you want to recreate and practice them in front of the mirror. So next time you find yourself staging into the lens, you’ll already have a killer pose in mind. 

9. Ditch Posing and Be Yourself

Once you have choreographed posing done, shake any restrictions off and just fool around. Do not look into the camera, take it off the tripod and go handheld, and just have fun as a family.

More often than not the best pictures are the one where people aren’t aware of the camera and the photographer. 

10. Post-Process Images Together 

If you think that all the fun is over one you wrap the photo shoot up – think again. In fact, what follows might be even a more exciting process called editing.

This is the step where you can fix your images, get rid of any flaws, and bring the best aspects out. It’s important that all family members contribute to this challenging yet rewarding process. First of all, it’s important to realize everyone’s vision. Besides, the more people are involved, the more flaws can be detected and fixed. 

Use the Right Photo Editing Software

Since post processing is an essential, but quite difficult, part of any photo shoot, you need the right tool for it. A tool that would be intuitive but at the same time efficient.

Go with PhotoWorks, a photo editor for a computer that combines ease of use with pro-level tools. This software is equipped with a sophisticated AI that allows for quick and seamless photo enhancement.

With it, you can retouch faces, fix colors, erase odd objects, crop your images and stylize them with filters, and so much more. So if you have little experience in photo editing, a low-end computer and a limited budget, PhotoWorks is the way to go.

See, you don’t need a professional photographer to finally get the perfect family photo. With a little help from your loved one, a bit of time and inspiration, and our tips you’ll be able to shoot an image that you’ll proudly frame and hand on the wall for everyone to admire. 

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