A Guide For A Professional-looking Family Portrait

I recently had the opportunity to pose for a professional NY photographer (see “O” magazine article).  They gave me the works, professional hair and makeup and even a  manicure.  It was a grueling, 9 hour affair, with more than a few 45-minute pauses just to adjust a cube one quarter of an inch or a stool in and out of frame.  The attention to detail on a professional photo shoot is unimaginable and that doesn’t even figure in the weeks prior that it took to plan the shoot. 

This, of course, made me think of our holiday family photos, which are almost upon us.  If you are like me, you’re lucky to get the family to sit still for 15 minutes, let alone 9 hours  I’ve compiled some tips to help your holiday family photo shoot come out like a magazine cover and have fun in the process.  Enjoy!

First, Be prepared – What to Wear

• Coordinate, but don’t match.  I know many families like to wear the same outfit for their portraits (the white shirt and blue jeans was cute,
  but now it’s a cliche). The pros made sure that we blended well, but not too much. And avoid patterns. A simple stripe or a basic design is OK, but if in doubt, go with a simple, solid-colored shirt.
• Long sleeves are best, so that the focus is drawn to the face, unless you have Michelle Obama arms.
• Simple accessories, they should be understated so they do not take the attention away from the faces.
• Makeup tips: Don’t go overboard, the photos need to look like you. Choose a soft color palette, but avoid glosses and shimmers, about the same amount of makeup for a night out.  An even skin tone with emphasis on the eyes produces the best pictures.  Before mascara application, use an eyelash curler. Use a waterproof/smudge-proof mascara to prevent problems if you’ll be under hot photographer's lights.  Applying a lip liner and lipstick in the same color creates a well-shaped mouth. Choosing a lip color only one shade darker than your normal color is best.  A brown-tinted blush provides a natural contour to the face.

Second - Best time to schedule:

• If you have little ones, schedule the photo shoot when
  kids are at their happiest.
• If shooting outdoors: lighting is best in morning and
  late in the day, when sun is not directly overhead causing harsh shadows.
• Scope out the location of your shot before hand - The
  background is not the most important subject of your photo, so keep your location simple.  Do try to blur the background.

Third - Prep the Camera:

• Make sure your camera is on and has charged batteries.
• If you can’t avoid a bright sunny day, try not to position the sun directly behind you or you’ll end up with a collection of squinting faces in your shot.
• Make sure you have changed your camera to “High” quality from “Low” quality from the last time you used your camera to sell something on Ebay.  Of course indoor and outdoor settings will differ as will natural light or artificial light.
• Try to shoot some frames off before everyone is ready – sometimes the organization of a group shot can be quite funny with people telling each other where to go and jostling for position.
• Get closer than you think.   Faces are what you really want to see – so
  get right up there and use your zoom.  That being said, if you have time, mix up the framing of your shots by taking some shots that are wide and some that are more tightly framed.

Start Shooting:

• Take multiple photos quickly.  Switch to continuous shooting mode if
  possible.  The first shot is generally poor, but the one or two directly after it look less posed and more relaxed.
• Tell everyone to raise their chins a little – they’ll thank you later when they see the shot without any double chins!
• Make sure that someone’s head isn’t hiding behind another person.
• You, the photographer/organizer should smile!  There’s nothing worse than a grumpy stressed out photographer. Have fun and enjoy the process of getting your shots and you’ll find the group will too.
• Sometimes teens can be self-conscious or downright moody - try having the group jump, run, or do jumping jacks, anything that gets them loosened up and having fun.  A few cheesy jokes such as, “Ok, I need everyone to get in focus.” Or asking everyone to strike their best glamour pose will crack some smiles.
• Don’t let your subjects tilt their heads into each other.  Watch
  for it and avoid it. There is always the lovey-dovey pose where they
  intentionally lean heads in, but not a family portrait – it just makes
  everything off-kilter.
• Be Postitive - Don’t say things like “This isn’t working.” Rephrase it into a positive, “Great, let’s try a few more positions.” The more you tell them the pictures are looking great the better looking the pictures will get. Think high fashion cliche’s like, “Love it,” “Your beautiful,” “What a great one.”   The
  energy will show confidence in their smiles.

If you want a professional photo shoot, but it’s out of your budget, try looking in your local Craigslist.– there’s always someone out there who’s wanting to expand their photography business.  And if you are unsure of you makeup technique, you can always have your local beauty consultant show you how, usually for free or a cost of a lipgloss.  I wish you luck and great photos!  If you find this helpful, please let me know and send me your photo-shoot triumphs.

Read more: How to Pose for the Perfect Picture | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2142378_pose-perfect-picture.html#ixzz28xQ6a6sJ

Read more: Makeup Tips for Photo Shoots | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/list_6557803_makeup-tips-photo-shoots.html#ixzz28xPPwJeF

Read more: http://digital-photography-school.com/family-portraits-dos-and-donts#ixzz28vD7CfSo

Read more: Family Portrait Clothing Tips | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/way_5135751_family-portrait-clothing-tips.html#ixzz28v6yJgFq