Tips for better family portraits from a professional photographer in Grand Junction

There are definitely many tricks to composing good family portraits. We put together a short list on how You can improve when trying to capture some memories. 🙂

1 – Trees

Trees are a great addition to family portraits, depending where they are placed in the composition. If you want your subject to stand by the tree, place them next to the tree, not directly in front of it. Having a big trunk coming out of their head can look terribly awkward!

2 – Don’t shoot from low angles

Unless you really love the look of double chins, hold your camera above your eye level when shooting yourself, or above your subject’s eye level. This helps to thin out the face of the subject whereas shooting from below the chin puts more emphasis on the extra baggage commonly referred to as a “double chin”.

3 – Avoid shooting in direct sun

Contrary to popular belief, trying to take family portraits in the direct sunlight isn’t the ideal. It causes your subjects to squint and also creates harsh shadows under their eyes, nose and chin. Instead, look for a shady spot that is still evenly and well lit. Your subject will have a nice evenly lit face and much less squinting. Way more appealing and professional picture!

4 – Hold the camera still

Especially if you are shooting in low light situations, it’s important to hold the camera very still when shooting. Any movement from your hands can cause your photo to turn out blurry.

5 – Avoid dark situations

When you shoot in a low light situation and your not using a flash, your shutter speed will slow way down in order to get enough light on the subject. That slow shutter speed can be the reason for blurry photos. Always choose the most well lit area possible for the best quality picture!

Would you like to see how a full gallery looks at our fine art portrait studio?

Check out this gorgeous gallery: https://csillaleonardphotography.shootproof.com/gallery/thepedersenfamily2017