We all have some highly cherished photographs of loved ones in our possession, which evoke memories every time we look at them.
Sometimes, you will probably have wished that the standard of photo you have taken could have been better as it would enhance a magical memory or image that is captured and become a spectacular as well as treasured family picture.
Here are some tips and ideas that should help you improve your photography skills and allow you to capture some images that look like they have been taken by a professional. Some of your photos will hopefully turn out so well that you will want to get them turned into premium canvas prints and become a unique focal point on the wall of your family home.
Get The Positioning Right
A good starting point for taking great shots is to get the positioning of your subjects right.
If you are taking a family portrait, try something different like an outside shot in your garden in the summer, with a head to circle created by everyone lying on the ground and holding hands whilst looking up at the camera.
Use a standard or wide-angle lens and make sure you get plenty of height by maybe standing on a ladder above them. This will make for just the right position for a memorable family picture that will definitely look like it has been taken professionally, if you get it set up right.
Group Pictures
If you are planning on taking a family portrait, get all the people who are going to be in the picture to stand together, but in groups.
The picture will frame better if you arrange taller and younger people at the back with older family members in the center and children filling the front spaces. You will get a more informal and relaxed photo if you don’t follow a strict short to tall order, which can make the picture appear too contrived.
Capture Relationships
A great way of getting a memorable family photo is to capture the emotion and closeness in the picture, which you can do if you let the subjects hold and hug each other rather than standing formally next to each other.
Capturing three generations in the one picture by taking a photo that features a grandmother, daughter and granddaughter for example, makes the age difference become quite clear and in doing so, creates a wonderful family memory on film.
Try to take these kind of pictures in natural light and aim to use fast shutter speeds in order to capture the natural smile of everyone being taken in a relaxed moment rather than asking them to hold a smile for the camera.
Coordinated Colors
Without being too overbearing about it, try to persuade your subjects to tray and wear the same shade or color of clothes, as this will create an interesting and aesthetically pleasing effect.
A mixture of pastel shades amongst all of your subjects in the family portrait will work well for example, or if you are looking for a more formal picture, make sure everyone dresses smartly, so you do not get a mix of formal and casual.
Close-Ups
If you use the entire frame of the camera for a close-up head shot, this works really well if you are trying to convey love and emotion between two people who are very close.
If it is mother and daughter, husband or wife, whatever the combination, get them to talk to each other as closely together as possible. This will result in a close-up picture where the heads fill the entire frame and you get a meaningful picture that everyone will love as your reward.
Don’t Dismiss Phone Cameras
The idea of using your camera phone for a good quality picture might seem counter intuitive to some people, especially if you have a good SLR camera, but don’t dismiss the idea out of hand.
There is an element of immediacy that a phone camera can provide in capturing a magical moment, which gives it an advantage when you are trying to record a real-life event as it happens. iPhone cameras are known for taking incredibly high-quality photographs and the new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are said to have the best cameras yet. I look forward to testing that claim in the near future.
Consider Using Props
Silly hats at Christmas or paper crowns at a birthday party are great props for adding a fun element to a picture.
When there is an element of humor introduced, everyone tends to loosen up and relax, which often results in some more natural photos, which will provide some happy memories of a special family event.
Creative family portraits can sometimes take longer to set up but the outcome is often positive and everyone will raise a smile every time they look at the photo in the future.
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