We are getting family pics done soon. We have never had them done professionally as a family before. I am so excited! We (I think) have figured out what to wear - THANKS LEE P =).
My question is - is there any other suggestions you moms have? Things you did that you loved, things to ask, things you wished you would have done but didn't? Favorite poses, locations, clothing....Any suggestions are welcomed. Thanks!
Maybe you can go to Sears, or Kmart. They always have coupons online that you can print out. You will save a ton of money. You all wear a different shade of the same color shirt. You and hubby can stand up in the back, kids sitting in front of you, with hands folded of legs crossed, depending on the gender.
We live in by the beach in CA, so we were lucky to have our pictures with our kids in Laguna Beach, literally on top of the rocks where the waves were breaking and the pictures came out awesome. I think the photographer matters more than location, because a good photographer will make the picture great no matter the location, so do some research on them before you pick one. Outside locations IMO are great and allow for a variety of options, we had some on the rocks, walking on the beach, walking towards the water, etc. I like options, so this worked out great for us.
Personally, I love the more candid shots; they look more natural. Just before the picture, tell a funny joke to get everyone *really* laughing. Take a walk on the beach or in the park and just be a sweet family (hold hands, carry your kids, crouch down and draw in the sand with them) - instruct the photographer to take pics as he/she sees the shots.
Make sure you look at a lot of the photographer's work before you commit to one. Some have very distinct styles and you want to find one that will produce the look you want for your family. Someone with experience with kids is a must too :o)
put everybody in the same color, white works best...with black as the 2nd choice of most photographers.
Long sleeves make a more uniform photo & allows the viewer to focus on the faces!
Full body shots look great when the whole family is wearing jeans & are barefoot!
All of these recommendations come from a close friend who's a pro photog.
EDIT: whoops, just noticed who posted the ? !! There are some really great photographers in our area! Have fun!
I personally loath the uniform look. I, like Lesley, prefer the candid shots. They show off personality and what the dynamics of the family is like. I have a shot from when my cousins visitied and they wanted pictures of us. We were all standing out in our yard and none of us are looking at the camera. Kids were running all over the place, but you could see what we are like. You know?
Don't get me wrong, uniform look is nice, but it's not what I do. If you go to my profile and look at my pic, that is kind of what I'm talking about. That shot wasn't planned out, my sister said smile and my son refused to. It's adorable, but it still looks great! I wish we could put 5 or so pics up so that I could show off more of my family. My current FB picture captures what me and my son are like perfectly!!!!
So I think you should do what you like. Obviously there are different types of photographers. If you want the more candid shot, go for the one with tons of candid shots on his website or in his studio. Same goes for the uniform look.
Oh as for clothes. I also prefer not matching, but color coordinated. Maybe like there needs to be black and turquoise, but it doesn't have to be black pants and turquoise shirt. But somewhere wear turquoise and black could be the main color for one person. The possibilities are endless.
We JUST got our family pics done and I LOVE them! They did some great shots where we were all just at the duck pond looking at the ducks and some where we were walking through the park holding the kids hands. They turned out great! They also did some posed shots which I love too and one of my favorites was with all of our kids sitting on the grass and my husband and I were standing a ways behind them kissing and they all had their hands over their mouths and eyes wide ... it was a really cute idea I thought! Good Luck!
I like quirky pictures.
Candid moments of our comical life. Not staged.
One of my favorites is just of our feet in socks.
Another of my son walking on dad's feet, another with him trying to wear dad's shoes.
We have one hanging up that is of our infant son sleeping on the bed with me & husband in the background looking on, but we are completely blurry, focus on baby.
We have the traditional baby feet photo, but we put our wedding rings on baby's big toes to show how little they were.
Ummm... Daddy laying down on the grass & holding baby up with one hand like in a superman pose it looks like the baby is flying.
If it is too sunny out do not do outside pictures, everyone is squinting and only turns out ok (but for hundreds of dollars ok is not good or great)... we thought it would not turn out, kind of voiced our concern but the photographer said 'don't worry we will get some great shots' HA. Cloudy, overcast day is better for outdoor pics.
Does the photographer have a website... the best thing you can do is look through it and see what you really like and want to do. Also look through other websites and pick out things/place ideas you like.
a single friend of mine had a picture taken of her walking in the park w/ her kids. It was taken from behind holding her kids hands, and it is one of the cutest pictures that I have EVER seen.... Next time we hav family pictures, we are going to do something similiar!
have pleanty of snacks, drinks, toys etc for the little and big kids avail!
You're welcome! ;)
As for ideas for the shoot, or things to think about...
Yes, a cloudy, overcast day can make for better photos than a bright, sunny day... but since you can't choose the weather, if it happens to be a bright, sunny day, try to get into the shade somewhere... shade is much better than bright sun... but your photographer 'should' know that... but something to keep in mind.
Your photographer should come well equipped to pose your family, as well as take lots of candid shots... often, those are the most adorable... I'm assuming you've already perused this photographer's work, and have a general idea of the kind of photos you can expect... thus the reason you chose them...
One of the most important things I can suggest is to RELAX!!! Let your photographer do his or her job, and wrangle your family into whatever shot she is trying to get. Don't get all photo-nazi and try to strongarm your kids to smile and sit still, etc... LOL (Not that you'd do that!) But seriously, try to trust your photographer... and let the kids relax and be themselves, even if that's silly, or shy, or whatever... your photographer, if he/she is good, will capture them at their best, and for who they are...
Have a blast!!! I love this stuff!!
