Family Portrait Tips That Will Take Your Holiday Card Game To The Next Level

In order to make the photoshoot run smoothly, make sure you communicate with your family members ahead of time to plan out what each of you will be wearing.

Family Portrait Tips That Will Take Your Holiday Card Game To The Next Level

Family Portrait Tips

The holidays are the perfect time to show the world how much you love your family and these family portrait tips will help you create a badass holiday card that does just that. Group portraits can be complicated since there are so many different people involved, but as long as you take the time to prepare and hire a photographer whom you all trust, you will end up with a stunning photo to send to your friends.

Here are a few family portrait tips that will take your holiday card game to the next level so you don’t have to send out any more generic Hallmark cards:

In order to make the photoshoot run smoothly, make sure you communicate with your family members ahead of time to plan out what each of you will be wearing. Even if you think the idea of wearing matching sweaters is corny, you might want everyone to stick to the same color scheme and wear a shade of red or green.

At the very least, make sure you clarify whether the photoshoot is formal or casual, because there is always a chance someone in the family will show up wearing shorts and a sports jersey when you were assuming they would come wearing a button-down and slacks.

You should take a little time to consider where you want your photographs taken and plan out the logistics. If you want them inside of your living room, make sure you clear out enough room to fit everyone. If you want them on the beach, make sure everyone has a ride there. Most importantly, even though you are the one doing the planning, make sure the rest of the family is onboard with your ideas. You don’t want anyone uncomfortable with the plan and backing out at the last minute.

When it’s time to take the pictures, try not to divide your family into multiple rows. Stay in a single line so everyone is visible and there aren’t any heads or cute outfits being blocked.

Remember you can include multiple photographs on a single holiday card card, which means you can separate your family into groups. You can take one picture of all the girls and another of all the boys. You can take one picture of all the adults and another of all the children. Test out different combinations to see what looks the best.

You should also remember that photos of candid interactions can come out better than planned ones with stiff poses. For a few shots, allow your family members to play around, engage in conversation, and laugh with each other. Even if you don’t get a good picture out of the exercise, it will help everyone loosen up and become less nervous in front of the camera.

Experimentation is important. Take serious pictures. Take goofy pictures. Take pictures from the front. Take pictures from behind. Take as many variations as possible. It’s better to have too many pictures to sort through after your photoshoot is finished than fifty repeats.

Unless you have a tripod you can set up yourself and the eye of a photographer, then you should hire a professional to achieve the best results possible. They will ease your stress because they will be able to suggest poses and standing orders. A good photographer will also keep the mood light and tension-free. They will make everyone feel comfortable and included so there is no drama to ruin the afternoon.

Of course, families are unpredictable, especially when there are kids involved. In order to create cute holiday cards, you have to try your hardest to remain calm when babies start crying and teenagers start complaining. Don’t let the photoshoot cause a fight. Let it bring you closer together.

If you have more family portrait tips please add them in the comments below.