Thinking about making a family photo shoot all by yourself? This task is not an easy one. But if you have a camera and like to take pictures all you need is some proper planning. In this article, we are going to cover 6 tips for a DIY family photo shoot. So let's dive in!
Think of Location
The first thing on the list is to decide where you want to hold your photo shoot. Whether it will be at home or outside. The main ingredient to create good pictures is light. So if you will be shooting at home, you need to pick a spot that is full of daylight or if you don't have one - think of an additional source of light. If you choose a scene outside, you need to think about what time it is better to start shooting, so that there will be enough light. And you also need to look at the surroundings to see if you need to bring some extra props, like chairs or blankets.
Pick an Outfit
Now that you have decided on the place of your photo shoot, time to think of what to wear. Let's cover some don'ts first. Do not wear clothes with busy patterns and stripes, logos, and captions since they tend to create unnecessary visual noise. Do not wear black near your face, since it will cast a shadow on your face and will change the way it looks. Now some do's. Coordinate colors with your family. You may pick one of the principal rules of color combinations and stick to it. And the last piece of advice - if changing outfits during the shoot is tiresome for you, think about multi-layer outfits.
Make a Posing Guide
Posing is essential, especially when you have a big group of family members, or you have kids that will not sit still for a long time. So we suggest that you prepare posing cue cards depending on the chosen spot for the photo shoot. This way you will know where to place everyone, and at first, you can place adults and at last - kids. This will save you time, and give a plan of what to shoot and in which order - group portraits, individual portraits, close-ups of some details, etc.
Prepare Your Gear
The most important part of our list of tips. Gather together all the gear that you have and decide on the items that you will need for this particular photo shoot. If you have several camera lenses, pick the ones that will suit your goals. Don't forget to charge your camera, and take an extra battery and SD card. And the most necessary thing is a tripod and a remote shutter if you have one. This way you will be able to prepare the scene and be present in the pictures.
Pick the Time
Decide on the time of your photo shoot depending on the light that you need - some people like to shoot in the magic hours, others feel comfortable with hard light. Estimate the duration of your photo shoot. If it will not be short, maybe you should ask your family members to bring some snacks with them. Looks like a good idea - a picnic and a family photo shoot at the same time.
Edit Your Pictures
Once your photo shoot is over, it's time to edit the pictures. It's better to do it on your PC or Mac since mobile apps will not give you the best result and are not as comfortable to work with as desktop programs. If you have a Mac we recommend using Pixelmator Pro. This photo editor has a clear interface and uses machine learning to make the best editing choices. You will find all the basic tools to edit your pictures in a click. If you have a PC that works on Windows we suggest using PhotoWorks. It has a batch editing mode that will save you time, AI tools like Portrait Magic to enhance your portraits, a built-in collection of artistic filters, and lots of other tools. If you must have the opportunity to work both on Windows and Mac, then your choice is GIMP. It is a powerful software that has all the essential photo-editing tools along with working with layers, though there is a steep learning curve.
We hope that these tips were helpful. And that your DIY photo shoot will turn out to be a great experience and a lot of fun! And those pictures that you will print out, frame, and hang on the wall will be a good memory of your family's life.
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