Successful family photos are what everyone wants at the end of the year, or on important occasions (birthdays, weddings, etc.), to keep "quality" memories.
I'm talking here about memories, key moments, portraits that you want to engrave in your memory, usually framed, and put on display somewhere in your home...
Here are a few tips on how to improve your family photos and get the best possible shots.
1. Always be prepared
It may sound silly, but in photography you always have to be ready, always have your camera to hand. The batteries always charged, so you're ready to draw your camera as soon as you need to. There are some moments that you just can't recreate (otherwise the result won't be the same, and even worse with children), especially when it comes to expressions and emotions! Not everyone is a model and comfortable in front of a camera, so you have to anticipate, be ready, (be discreet) and have a good eye! 😜
Being ready means being quick to seize the moment, without rushing, without stress, so you don't 'miss' the shot.
2. Selecting a location and positioning yourself
Select a location that tells the story of your photo. To achieve good image depth on a print (which is 2-dimensional), having a foreground and background gives good depth effects.
You can also adjust your focal length to blur the background and detach your subject.
Find your position so that the light falls on your subject in the right direction (between 45° and 90°), while negotiating your background as best you can.
At festive times, with all the decorations, busy tables, lights etc., photos are quickly loaded with elements, with a blurred background, this can create / show the atmosphere (with nice bokeh?), producing depth, while providing context, and telling your story.
3. Displaying your family photos
Exposure is the technical basis of a successful photo. Even if, with digital technology, you can lighten or darken a photo in processing software, the more accurate the exposure is when you capture it, the better the quality of your photo will be, and the more leeway you'll have for corrections or processing adjustments afterwards.
Poor exposure of a photo can be overlooked if you make small prints of your photos, but if you want to make large prints, it will show.
The light meter is built into many digital cameras these days, so use it. Digital cameras also allow you to carry out as many tests as necessary to find the best setting, and also inform you of the exposure by means of a curve. Use these parameters to improve the technical quality of your photos.
4. Avoid vagueness
Blur is the enemy of photography (unless it's intended for creative effect, of course).
There can be many reasons for ending up with blurry photos, but there are 2 main causes:
1/ get moving!
2/ your subject is on the move!
In the 1st case, you need to increase your capture speed. To do this, you need to increase the light, by choosing better-lit locations, or use the flash, and/or increase the sensitivity of the sensor by increasing the ISO. (Note that increasing ISO will tend to increase noise, which will need to be dealt with). The easiest way is to use the semi-automatic mode and automatic ISOs, so you don't have to think about it any more and you're free to be on your toes and be fully creative. If you want to review the options and camera settings, I suggest you read this article.
In the second case, ask your subjects to "hang around" for a second or two and allow you to shoot.
5. Composing well
"Fill the frame! Don't leave too much empty space, which can unbalance the photo, but don't squeeze too much either, which can suffocate the image.
The middle way is often the best way on the subject of "improving family photos" which concerns us here. Everything in the frame should be able to tell your story, and the story of the photo.
As far as possible, avoid anything that is pointless and tells no story in your photo.
Avoid anything that distracts and confuses the eye, that takes the eye away from the subject or the action in progress: the main subject of your photo.
6. Being creative with your family photos
In this part, it's up to you to play according to your inspiration. The more practice you have, the more experience you have, the better you'll be!
Nevertheless, here are a few tips for some and reminders for others:
- Do a bit of staging, play with foregrounds and backgrounds, play with the focal length to blur the background more or less, turn your camera to use different perspectives etc...
- fill the frame" fill the frame!
- Think reportage, i.e. take the key moments (everyone thinks about them) but also capture close-ups of objects, (with original angles), actions (kitchens, hands, actions alone....).
Always in the spirit of reporting, and of telling the story of a day of celebration, use and think about all the photos, start photographing before the guests arrive, during the day (of course) and why not a little afterwards?
Just like an introduction, development and conclusion!
Take photos of groups, small groups and couples, but be careful not to cut people off at the joints (knees, elbows). Don't frame too close to a person's head so as not to create a crushing effect.
So that's a quick round-up of the 6 tips I wanted to give you for the end of the year,
For more tips and tricks on capturing photos, visit this page,
Browse through my online galleries and take a trip down memory lane.,
Well photographed,
David
