Tip 2. TAKE SOME TIME TO SCOUT.

Do some scouting before you gather your group. It can be a little stressful to wrangle a small group for a photo so if it falls upon you to take the family photos, take some time, go outside and scout for the best places to shoot. I actually like this process quite a bit.  It kind of meditative and it gives me a little time to feel centered and visualize the shots.  Plus it gives me a little break from the energy of the group.  Find the best light and the nicest backgrounds. Take a look at the background to see if anything will be sticking up or across people’s heads. Take some test shots to see how you like the background and the quality of light (See tip #1 for finding the best light).   Maybe find one willing test subject and put them in different locations for test shots.

A few other things to pay attention to:  If the background is really overblown and too bright.   Are there poles, branches or signs that might stick out of the top of people’s heads when you crop the photo?  Simple backgrounds are usually the best.

Advanced tip: Play with depth of field. If you can, pull your subjects away from the background far enough so it falls blurry behind them. You want to make sure everyone is in focus so make sure your F-stop is at least 5.6 or higher but keeping the background far enough away will help in making it soft focus.

Next week:  LET THEM KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT.