Tips for Taking Your Own Family Photos

I don’t know about you, but come mid November I start really feeling the crunch to get my family photos taken so I can get to work on my Christmas cards.  My husband is almost always absent, but I usually hire a local photographer to capture some shots of the kiddos and me.  I had done the same thing this year, but realized that my hubby had a random and unexpected week at home where we could squeeze in some full family pics, but alas my photographer was unable to change our date.  Throwing caution to the wind, I decided to do it myself and I’m here to share some tips for taking your own family photos that I picked up along the way.

Tip 1:

So I think that most of us are on the same page these days about wearing color coordinated but not matchy-matchy clothing.  This is huge for me.  I don’t want us all in Canadian tuxedos or matching pajamas, but I also want to make sure that there won’t be a flash of neon yellow on someone’s shirt that will be drawing the eye.  Choose a color scheme and work as best as you can to stay in it.  This year my family chose maroon and olive green with gray as an accent.

Tip 2:

Never be above bribery.  Take some treats for your kiddos or promise them a trip to the ice cream shop when you are done.  There has to be a light at the end of the tunnel for them to agree to stand there and smile.

Tips 3:

Keep it short and simple.  Go into it with a set amount of time (I try to limit mine to 30 minutes) and stick to it.  It would be better to go back and try again on a different day than to make your kids pose for two hours.  Be upfront and let your family know that this is how long you will be working today, but remind them that the better their attitudes, the less likely it will be that you will have to do a make-up session.

Tip 4:

Don’t attempt taking your own family photos without a tripod.  They can be found almost anywhere these days for a very reasonable price (I use one just like this) or you can also use a gorilla like tripod if you have one of those (I love these for traveling too!).  It is just way too hard to try to find a flat surface to set your camera on, and if you are lucky enough to find one, you can’t move and try new areas and poses.  Invest, it is worth it and far less than you would pay a photographer.

Tip 5:

Another must is to use the self timer option or purchase a remote.  I have a remote, but I honestly prefer the self timer as I can set my camera to take multiple shots at a time and I don’t have to worry about hiding a remote in my hand.  I set my timer to take eight photos in a row and I run to get in place.  I have my whole family set where I want them and I can direct them while standing at my camera so I have an opening and know exactly where I am going.  After the eight photos are taken I ask my family to stay exactly where they are while I run back to look at what was captured to see what, if any, changes need to be made.

Tip 6:

Which brings me to my next tip.  If at all possible, take your laptop and camera cord with you so that you can have your camera and computer connected.  You need to be able to see the photos on a larger screen than the camera.  Sometimes you might see a photo on your camera’s screen and you think it is the one only to get home and see it on your computer and realize that it is blurry and out of focus.  It can be heartbreaking.

Tip 7:

Natural lighting is your friend.  You don’t want to be out in the full sunshine mind you, but you also never want to be in a dark room with the flash on.  Never!!!  My kiddos and I actually just walked down the street to our community playground to take our photos, but keep an eye out while driving around and scope out some fun outdoor locations.  If you choose to take your photos indoors, try to be close to large windows allowing the light to come from them and not overhead lighting.

Tip 8:

Don’t try new makeup or hairstyles for your photos.  I can’t stress this enough.  Now is not the time to decide that you want to dye your hair purple and try a smoky eye look.  You want to look like you!  I wear very little makeup on a normal day, so I keep it that way for my pictures.  The only addition that I make is to use an eyebrow pencil since I have very light colored hair.  Other than that, it is business as usual.

Most importantly, just have fun.  Remember that this is to capture your family, personalities and quirks included.  Break up the monotony of smiling and posing by letting the kids do silly faces or a crazy pose.  I always love to see those while I am editing and they sometimes become family favorites.

I hope that these tips will help you to feel more confident and excited to try your hand at taking your own family photos.  There are many great and FREE photo editing sites and apps out there, so make sure to take advantage of those.  I use PicMonkey for both work and personal use.  Play around with it and see what looks you like best.

Now I am just trying to decide what picture to use and what cards to purchase.  I am super excited to be ordering Minted cards this year.  Umm, hello free recipient addressing and gold foil!!!  There are so many options that I am obsessed with that deciding on just one has become the challenge and it is constantly expanding, making it even harder.  🙂  Be sure to check them out to see their design marketplace of independent artists from around the globe and let me know which is your fave…it just might help me make my decision!

Big thanks to Minted for allowing me to try their incredible cards.  All opinions and thoughts are mine.