photo by bernardbodo via iStock
For many people, Thanksgiving is a time to get together with your family and friends to have a big ol’ feast. But this year, many of us will not be having gatherings due to the pandemic.
It’ll just be myself, my wife, and our son this year. And even though we won’t have family over, that doesn’t mean that I can’t plan on capturing some great Thanksgiving family portraits of the three of us. You can do the same with your immediate family, friends, or roommates.
With that in mind, check out the tutorial below by Adorama:
This video offers five simple, straightforward tips for beautiful family portraits.
Better still, these tips are for natural light photography, so you don’t have to worry about setting up lightboxes or speedlights to capture your shots.
I’ve summarized each of the five tips below for quick reference.
Tip 1: It’s All About the Light
Youtube Screenshot / Adorama
Obviously photography is all about light. But what this tip involves is ensuring that you seek out the best light when taking the shot.
In many cases, this means heading outdoors and finding the ideal spot to pose your family or friends.
As Pye discusses in the video, this might require that you move the subjects left, right, forward or back by just a few feet, yet that small movement can make a huge difference in how the images turn out.
Just be wary of putting your subjects in direct light as it can result in “raccoon eyes” and harsh shadows under their noses and chins. Instead try to find a nice boundary between light and shade so the light is a little more diffused.
Tip 2: Use the Background
Youtube Screenshot / Adorama
While the background shouldn’t compete with your subjects for attention, it also shouldn’t be disregarded either. Instead, you can use the background to help you frame an interesting composition.
In the example above, you can see how the opening in the trees behind the subjects helps frame them in the shot. This helps draw our attention to the subjects even more.
Find elements in the background of your shoot location to help do the same, and you’ll end up with a much more powerful composition.
Learn More:
- Best Camera Settings for Portrait Photography
- 9 Can’t-Miss Portrait Photography Tips That Will Help You Create Better Portraits Today
Tip 3: Direct the Action
Youtube Screenshot / Adorama
Portraits that involve action are often viewed as being more authentic than those that are strictly posed. You can see this idea play out in the example above.
By directing the subjects to pretend they’re having a sword fight, the photographer was able to capture a candid moment that makes for quite the compelling photo.
There’s movement in both subjects, the little girl has a big (unforced) smile on her face, and the lines created by their outstretched arms helps connect the subjects together visually.
You can use this trick to create more authentic and action-packed portraits too!
Tip 4: Shoot From Various Angles
Youtube Screenshot / Adorama
This one is quite simple...move your feet!
Try not to get caught up in what’s going on and get stuck in one spot. As your subjects interact with one another, take photos from the front, back, and side, that way you can tell a more complete story about what is going on in the moment.
As you can see above, moving around the subjects as they play together allowed Pye to get some interesting images from vastly different angles. This results in a better ability to tell the subjects’ story.
Tip 5: Think Wide, Medium, and Tight
Youtube Screenshot / Adorama
This tip goes hand-in-hand with the previous tip in that it serves as a reminder to vary the types of shots you get.
Again, this is all about storytelling. There’s a reason why videographers utilize wide, medium, and tight shots - it enables them to set the scene, provide context, and give close-up details. You can do the same by varying the shots you take of your subjects.
I hope these tips inspire you to get some fun portraits this holiday season!