An Otherwise Empty Room: Photographing Families

Well, hello there! This post is part of the foundation for a new collection of work that I'll be showing soon. I'm working on an introduction piece on photographing people, so come back soon to check that one out. I promise that it will be very interesting! Photographing people is always a challenge, but hopefully with a few tips here and there, you'll become great at it in no time. I'll be showcasing different sessions as often as I can, and I'd like to start with this one I did last night around the Ka'anapali area in West Maui. This lovely family, from Orange County, California, vacations on the island almost every year, and I had the privilege of photographing them during a gorgeous and luminous Maui sunset. I picked my favorite ones from each set.

We've all heard about the "Golden Hour" of photography, or that moment in time right around sunset, when the skies turn a beautiful and soft yellow, with pink and lilac undertones. It's important to remember that although the sunset is nice and all, using the light appropriately is more important. Using the sunset as a support light, rather than your main light, intensifies its effects, and shows off those colors behind your subjects. On western Maui, it is easy to offset your clients, since the sun usually sets slight off-center from the coastline. I use a soft ISO--400--and set my camera to manual. First, I find my correct background exposure speed (usually about 1/200 or 1/125) and then set my on-camera flash on 0 at TTL. I adjust my f-stop accordingly (usually 8 or 5.6, rarely lower, or else I risk lots of troublesome soft focus). For this shot, giving the girl something to hold on to made her hands seems less fidgety. Men and small children often don't know what to do with their hands, so I make sure to give them a pose immediately. I try to keep the hands in the photo whenever possible, I feel that they are aesthetically important, as well as grounding.

Babies are always a trip. Sometimes, you have to think outside the box to get them to do what you want. Try non-traditional poses. It felt awkward for the family to stand this way, but in the end, it worked, the light worked, and the baby was happy. Nothing matters in the end unless the photo works.

Is there anything prettier than this? Little girls usually love to feel pretty (who doesn't?), so complimenting them, and telling them so, helps bunches when producing these types of photos. Classical poses for women can be found all over the last thousand years of portraiture, from painting to photography. Study different artists that you enjoy. I particularly find much of my inspiration in dramatic posing from the 1920s and in post-Illumination French paintings and Art Deco. Don't be afraid of femininity or masculinity; make sure to flaunt those traits, such as beautiful, flowing hair, or well-toned arms and solid chins.

The big family usually strikes a chord of terror in photographers' hearts. I recommend getting this shot out of the way first. Get solid on your posing, and you can never act a fool enough while holding the camera (to get their attention). Adults and children both will be entertained, and not fail to smile. Wear a funny hat, sing, dance, do whatever you need to hold people's attention. Nail your exposure the first time, while they are getting ready, so that you can shoot off a string of photos to get the perfect one.

These two photos here are an example of good, solid, old-fashioned posing. I know many photographers who shun traditional posing, or insist on being "modern," whatever that means. What I can tell you is that there is a reason why it works: it looks good, it makes people feel good, it's familiar, and if it's not broke, don't fix it. Remember, rules are made to be broken, but only if you know those rules inside out. Get your classical poses down before you attempt "modern" (again, whatever that is).

These last three are all samples of traditional posing in family photography. A few notes:

Watch those horizon lines. Keep them below the heads; this may mean getting down lower on the ground. Practice with this idea; you will see how the photo "weighs" differently with the horizon line above or below the head lines.
Be aware of the "Rule of Thirds." Use your space in a circular manner, and keep those horizon lines / trees / posts away from the center lines.
Use an "open book" design: think of the two halves of a book, opened, either laid flat or partway. Angle people in such a way that it appears like an "open book." This is also a good visual to give people so they understand how you want them to stand.
Pose in order of importance: grandparents, babies, couples, children, etc. in the center, and then radiating out. Resist the urge to throw babies off to the side, or split couples up (yes, you can break the rules, sometimes, but knowing when is dire). If one individual's presence is stronger than the others', put them front and center, and use their energy to focus the photograph. Usually, it's these folks who make or break the photo, so pose them accordingly.
Make sure everyone knows what to do with their hands!!!

Feel free to ask any questions, I'll be glad to answer! Stay tuned for more portrait series and tips.

Technical information:

Canon EOS Rebel t4i (camera)

Canon EX 600EX-RT Speedlight (flash)

Canon 17-55mm (lens)

I always photograph using manual settings. Usually, I photography at ISO 200, except at sunset, when I like to "soften" the images, and I use an ISO 400. I set my background first, usually around 1/200 or 1/125 for speed. Since I use a camera-mounted flash, I set that usually at 0 TTL (depending on the light--if the light behind the subject is strong, I bump it up all the way to 3 TTL), and then I work on my f-stop (usually between 5.6 and 14).

Photos were edited using Adobe Lightroom 4, Photoshop 6, and Portrait Professional.

K.A.

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Thursday, May 9, 2013

Photographing Families

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