A Guide to Posing for Your Family Photos

The key to taking genuine and authentic family photos is knowing how to pose in front of the camera.

If you’ve never taken professional family photos before or if you simply want to improve on your last session, here is some advice on how to pose that will leave you with exceptional images.

Practice in Front of the Mirror

Look online for some of your favorite poses. Find someone with a similar body type or family size and imagine yourself in those photos. Look for your best angles.<—- You have them, just look for them!

Clothing choice

Pick clothing that will allow you to move. Movement is key in photography. If you feel uncomfortable posing you will look uncomfortable in front of the camera. I always provide a styling guide with awesome tips to help cooridate you with your family or your location. Always choose classic and timeless looks for family photography.

Get Close

The last thing you want is a family portrait that looks stiff and awkward. The secret to creating a beautiful, intimate family photo is to get close. Snuggle up with the people you love if you want the best photos. If there are people of varying heights in the photo, take a few photos on the same level so that you can get your heads close together too. You will see me moving back and forth getting all types of angles of the same photo perhaps even a lens change as well. I like to provide my clients with variety.

Have Fun

Your photos always look more authentic when your family is genuinely having fun and laughing. Spend time talking about your favorite vacation or a memory that makes you all laugh out loud. These candid moments always make for the best photos. I usually say “ok guys touch the person next to you and let out a fake laugh, ha ha ha” this usually leads to real laughs. Of course we also play little games. Kids LOVE that. I always want to make sure they are having fun so they will be excited for their next photo session.

Keep it Natural

When you overthink posing, it takes away from the genuineness of your photos, which is why it helps to shoot your family photos in a setting where you’re all comfortable and where you can go about your lives as naturally as possible. For example, if you’re in an outdoor setting, take your little one for a walk. If you’re shooting at home, bake something together or snuggle up for a story. The moments when “no one” is watching are perhaps some of the sweetest.

Use Your Surroundings

Very often, standing upright in the middle of a room or garden will make your photos look and feel stiff. Use your surroundings to make yourselves more comfortable. For example, if there’s a wall in the vicinity, lean up against it. If there’s a couch available, pose on that for a few shots. Most of my sessions utilize the beach or the woods so I find elements of interest in my surroundings. I will say though Downtown has so many creative options and textures. The Beach leaves us with fewer options but it just gives us more options to be creative with what we have.

Make Use of Props

If you would like to change things up a bit or give a younger child something to do, you can also always incorporate a few basic props into your photos to get a few non-standard shots. For example with beach sessions, I bring in a few shells to have the children hold in their hands or up to their faces. I also bring blankets of various colors to my sessions. Simplicity is key.

Simple prop examples: bubbles, kites, paper airplanes, wooden boats, shells, blankets, pillows, ribbons