Memory Making - Top Tips for Better Family Photos

Easter is this weekend, followed closely by Mothers' Day, Memorial Day and eventually Fathers' Day. These holidays seem to beg for family photos. Thought you might like some ideas on ways you can make sure your photographic memories of these family moments are the best they can be!

DO: Get Close! You're family, act like it. There's nothing harder than fitting all the key players into a shot, but when you do get close and act like you, you know, "like" each other, you get a better family photo. Try having family members stand at easy angles, with their shoulders slightly overlapping.

DON'T: Make Grandma & Grandpa Stand Forever! It takes time to set up, take and retake family photos. Make sure there are chairs for the more senior family members. It not only keeps them from tiring out, but it's easier to cluster and get close.

DO: Discuss Fashion! You don't want to look like a sports team with too matchy-matchy outfits, but you don't want colors and patterns clashing for top attention when the focus of the photo is family.

Don't let the outfits overpower the family!

DON'T: Tilt-A-Photo! A lot of folks think tilting their heads toward one another gets you in closer and gets a better picture. Not so much. Why not? It detracts because the viewer ends up tilting their own head to try to get things in the right perspective.

DO: Blur the Background! YIKES. Some photographers think blur = bad. Again. Not so much. Blurring the background keeps the focus where it should be, on the foreground, which in family photos = the family.
It won't be easy, I can tell you that, especially if you're taking a wide shot and have crazy uncles that always manage to mess up the family photos. In fact, I'm going to see if I can't get Lynne to write something up on this!

DON'T: Be Strict and Overly Regimented! Why must your family photo look like exactly the same as every other family photo taken in your family's history? Spice things up! Let the kids get grubby, don't you want the memories to be real? Replace stiff smiles with real laughter. Family photos of kids should look like kids, scrabbling in the dirt, splashing in the water, etc. Like to take family hikes? Take some pics on the trail. Be creative and have fun. Your pictures will look the better for it.

Maybe you don't want to go this far, but...

Family photos should reflect your family, above and beyond anything else. Hope you all take some great photos with your families this weekend!