Family Photography Posing Guide
When you have the honor of shooting a family photo session (and I wholeheartedly feel that IT IS an honor), it’s CRITICAL to remember one very important word – CONNECTION!
Remember, this special group of people you are photographing is connected by blood and, more importantly, bound by LOVE!! — and your photos should capture this important connection between them as much as possible!
For the best possible photoshoot, ensure you are prepared and familiar with these SEVEN MUST-HAVE FAMILY PHOTO POSES. I use them at almost every family photo session to ensure my clients are thrilled with their photos!
In addition to these poses, I will also share several helpful tips I have learned over the years to help you capture beautiful and memorable family photos your clients will LOVE! I have also included a free “Family Posing Cheat Sheet” you can download at the end of this post!
Top 7 Family Photography Poses
1. Family Together
I generally find it easiest to start with the whole family group. The family you are photographing will be expecting this shot and the children usually have the most patience and stamina at the beginning of their family photo shoot.
If the family has small children, set up a tried and true family pose (sitting or standing) and try to get a few shots of all of them looking, and then let them interact and play together so you can take some candid photos.
If the family has older kids, set up 2-3 family poses and then add in an alternate location. The kids will have much more stamina for multiple settings. However, always try a few candid shots, even with families with older kids.
2. Children Together
Since you still have the children’s attention, remove the adults from the photo and encourage them to interact. A simple hug or look between the children can create closeness and/or laughter that is a joy to photograph. Make sure you are ready to shoot many frames if the children are little.
If the children are older, you can do multiple poses or locations (not both—even older kids have their limits).
3. Mom with Children
Before the children leave, have Mom join in for some fun. Typically these shots can be more candid and free.
Have Mom give kisses to the kids or have the kids kiss Mom. Even just looking at each other is a beautiful option. Older kids probably won’t be up for all the kissing, etc., but don’t leave this shot off the list – ALL kids need a photo with their mom, and ALL Moms need a photo with their kids!
4. Dad with Children
After taking several photos with Mom and the kids, have her switch out with Dad for several more shots to keep the fun, candid feeling.
If needed, you can place shorter children on a step or crate to help get them closer to Dad. If there is only one child, have Dad pick them up and have fun with them.
5. Mom and Dad Together
I think that every family shoot should capture the important couple relationship that created the beautiful family in front of your lens. Couples often neglect to photograph themselves together, and they will cherish a good portrait of the two of them together!
I don’t get overly creative with these, but a posed image of the couple looking at the camera and a more candid shot of the couple looking at each other or with eyes closed are good options and all that is needed.
6. Each Child Individually
Take time to capture each child individually. Often I will move these shots a short distance from where we had been shooting to ensure I have each child’s full attention.
I definitely try to have a sitting pose, a standing pose, and one good close-up. Try to stay on the same level as your subject, especially if they are little!
7. Dad & Son(s) and/or Mom & Daughter(s)
If the family group is such that this pose lends itself to them, I will try to capture these shots. For instance, a mom with her three daughters or a dad with his two sons are both sweet shots the family will cherish.
These groupings work well with candid-style poses and lots of laughing and playing. Encourage interaction, joke telling, and bathroom humor. These should be fun and the “icing on the cake” of your session.
I consider these groupings optional, so before proceeding with these optional poses, it’s a good idea to gauge whether the family still has the patience left for more photos.
All of these groupings may seem like a lot, but with a bit of practice, they shouldn’t take very long. In fact, you can usually get some of these shots without your client even knowing.
Family Photography Tips
As I mentioned previously, family photos should be all about capturing their CONNECTION and RELATIONSHIP.
So, what are some good ways to capture a family’s love, bonds, and connection through your lens? Here are some tips to help:
Tip 1. Pose Families to Show Connection
When posing a family to show connection, be aware that those connections are highly likely to be different when photographing families with older kids and teens compared to photographing families with younger children.
You will generally find it easier to capture this connection with families that have younger children because they will naturally hold their kids close, hug, snuggle, kiss, and tickle them. This connection can easily be shown by having the kids or parents hold hands with a younger child or by having the young children hug their parents.
Families with older children will have probably moved away from showing this type of affection, but they still share a deep bond. This connection may come in the form of close proximity or sharing a laugh or secret with a parent or sibling.
Try to create and capture moments when the family can share an emotion. And create a literal connection between each family member by keeping them close and touching whenever possible.
Sometimes I will have a daughter put her arm through her Mom’s or hold hands with a younger sibling. Boys can put their arms on each other’s shoulders or stand close together. Sometimes asking them to do something silly or do something yourself to make them laugh will also bring out the connection.
Of course, some families may not be comfortable with touching or silliness, which is completely fine.
Tip 2. Use Triangles When Posing Families
Whenever you are posing more than one person, look for triangles to help your composition. This rule could also be called “keep heads at different levels.” Triangles may be found in the group or between individual subjects (see the photo below). If you can’t visualize the triangles while shooting, just try to keep each head at a slightly different height than the one next to it.
Tip 3. Avoid Over Posing Families
Let’s first define “over-posing.” First, anytime a pose takes more than 5-10 minutes to set up AND shoot, it is likely “over-posed.”
As a photographer, I have photographed others and have also been photographed myself. Let me tell you, nothing kills the fun, tries the patience of little kids, and makes a family dread a session more than “over-posing.”
A family photo shoot should at least be a little fun (and really should be a lot of fun)! It should be natural and relaxed. A good combination of candid and posed shots should help you achieve this!
Tip 4. Capture Candid Moments
Once the majority of the posed shots of the family are finished, it’s time to let the magic unfold by allowing parents to play and interact with their young kids. This gives the family a break from formal posing and provides some fun. You can have parent and child walk towards you, play peek-a-boo, lift the child in the air, look in each other’s eyes, or give a kiss.
For some families, this may all happen with little or no coaching. Other families may need a bit of encouragement to get started. However, not every family will be comfortable with this. If they seem uncomfortable, move on to a different location or set of poses.
Conclusion
I hope these family poses and tips help you run a successful photo shoot and, more importantly, help you build an excellent relationship with a family that lasts for years to come!
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