Learn the basics of your camera or smartphone. Understand how to adjust settings like exposure, focus, and white balance. Pro Tip: the Manual setting almost always yields better results. If you're not comfortable with manual settings, use auto mode but be aware of its limitations.
Whenever possible, use natural light. Position your family near a window or outside for softer, more flattering light. However, avoid direct sunlight whenever possible. This kind of harsh light can create unflattering shadows on your subject's face. Remember, if it's bright and sunny out, your photos will have it made in the shade (seek shade to get even and more flattering light on your subjects). If it's an overcast day, you're in luck! The clouds work as a natural diffuser and often yield very flattering results. Our favorite images are captured during the beautiful and ever-flattering Golden Hour, which is the hour just after sunrise or the hour just before sunset of every day.
Try to avoid distracting, cluttered backgrounds unless they are essential to the moment you are trying to capture. Also, focus on your subject. Make sure your family member or members are the main focus of the photo. You can use portrait mode on your smartphone or adjust your camera settings to blur the background with a wide aperture.
Try different angles and perspectives—shoot from above, below, or from the side. This adds variety and can make ordinary shots more interesting. Shooting from the eye level of children or adults can create more engaging and personal portraits. Use elements in your surrounding environment like tree branches or door frames to frame your family, adding depth to your shot. You can also learn the Rule of Thirds, a fail-safe for composing great images.
Sometimes the best photos are the unposed ones, or the candids. Capture your family interacting naturally or engaging in activities they enjoy. Encourage natural smiles and laughter. Try to take pictures when everyone is relaxed and having fun. Forced poses are usually instantly recognizable and not nearly as treasured as the genuine moments. Pro tip: if you have no choice but to have a posed photo, instead of "say cheese," tell your subjects to laugh on the count of 3. It may seem counter intuitive, but they will feel so silly trying to force a laugh, it will make them do it for real. Genuine smile? Mission accomplished.
Take several shots in quick succession. This increases your chances of capturing that perfect moment. This is a great tip for any photo situation, but especially for group photos. Believe us, in a group, there is always a yawner, a blinker, or someone looking in the wrong direction. Always. Take multiple shots in quick succession to get a greater chance of a shot where everyone looks their best.
There are many wonderful editing applications or downloadable software to adjust brightness, contrast, sharpness, and more. Be careful not to overdo it—always aim for natural-looking results. The trick is to think of how you can enhance the great moment you've already captured, not to manufacture a different image entirely. Sometimes a simple tweak is all you need to enhance your photo without making it look overly processed.
We don't capture images for them to collect digital dust in our camera rolls! Photographs were always meant to be developed— this is why we LOVE printing our photos! Whether you prefer loose prints, manual scrapbooking, photo books, or wall art, do something meaningful with your photos. It's great to have digital backups, but your printed photos are treasured keepsakes that you will value forever. Embrace the physical print— trust us, you won't regret it!
