12 Tips That Can Help You Take Great Photos of Your Loved Ones

A family photo shoot can be a real challenge for everyone involved. Some find it difficult to relax in front of the camera, others complain that the pictures always turn out badly. But we just want to take a few photos of close ones and enjoy the process. We decided to put together the tips that will help you achieve this.

Pay attention to the light.

Light is a photographer’s best friend. That’s why you shouldn’t take pictures of your loved ones against the sun, unless you know how to use a flash. Otherwise, the photo will be faded, the face will look inexpressive, and the background will be backlit.

Ideally, you should choose a point of view where the light (natural or artificial) falls on the face. Try to find an angle at which the face would be evenly illuminated, and no shadows would appear under the eyes.

Try to turn your limbs away from the camera.

The camera magnifies objects that are closer to the lens. If a person sits with their legs bent in front of them, they will appear larger and more massive. It’s better to ask the model to turn their legs slightly to the side. The main thing is that the pose should be comfortable, otherwise your loved one will look tense.

Make sure your loved ones don’t cover each other.

The more people you have in the frame, the harder it is to find the perfect moment. Someone is bound to blink, sneeze or turn their head, and the photo will be ruined. Therefore, it’s better to take several pictures at once — at least one will turn out well. Don’t hesitate to tell your loved ones if they’re covering each other or if someone’s hair is messed up.

Take advantage of the objects around you.

Static poses always look boring. If your loved one doesn’t know how to stand up and feels constrained, suggest that they lean on a tree, pole or any other vertical surface. This will make the shot more lively and dynamic.

The background can be blurred.

The objects in the background don’t always make your photo more beautiful, sometimes they can just ruin the shot. You don’t have to look for the perfect place to take a picture, driving your family into a silent frenzy. It is enough to simply reduce the depth of field by opening the aperture. This way, the person’s face will be in focus, and all other objects will be blurred.

Ask your model to shift weight to the back leg.

If your significant other finds it difficult to adopt a natural pose, encourage them to stretch a little — this will help them relax. After that, advise them to shift their body weight onto one leg. This pose looks both lively and natural, and it’s easier to keep your balance.

Select a shooting angle.

Ideally, the camera lens should be positioned at the model’s eye level. If you photograph a person from below, the legs will appear more massive and the head will appear smaller. If you raise the camera too high, the legs will appear short and the head will appear disproportionately large.

That said, some people like pictures taken from an unusual angle. So you can experiment a little and then ask the model which photo they like best.

Shoot the model slightly sideways and ask them to extend one leg.

Some people prefer to tuck their legs in a sitting position. Although this pose seems natural, it doesn’t look very nice in the picture, especially if you take the picture from the front. It is better to ask the model to extend one leg and take the shot from the side.

Pay attention to the hands.

Often a model doesn’t know how to use their hands during a shoot. Some put them in their pockets, others hide them behind their back. If you see that the hands are not visible in the photo, ask the person to put them on their hips or waist. Otherwise, it may appear as if they have no hands at all, which can be frightening.

Sometimes it’s enough to take a step to the side.

You don’t have to ruthlessly chase your loved ones around to find the perfect background for your photo. If you can’t change the focal length and blur the background, you can simply take a couple of steps to one side or the other. Sometimes this is enough to find a more suitable background.

Make sure nothing grows out of your head.

When we get carried away by the process of shooting, we sometimes don’t notice what’s behind the model. As a result, even a great shot can be spoilt by a small detail. For example, a tree or a lamppost suddenly grows out of a person’s head. That’s why you should pay more attention to the background, even if it’s blurred in the photo.

Make your loved one laugh.

Don’t take the process of taking pictures too seriously. Even a perfect pose looks bad in photos if the person is too tense and feels stiff.

Try to cheer up your loved one. Let them fool around and make faces. Often such shots look prettier than staged ones, and the model will be delighted.

And these photo tricks will take your pictures to the next level.