When shooting family portraits outdoors, there are a few things to remember. These tips below will help make your family portraits look more beautiful and professional.
Use a DSLR or a Mirrorless Camera
When you shoot family portraits outdoors, you have much more freedom with lighting and backgrounds. You can also take creative, artistic, and documentary shots of your subjects. As a result, it's important to plan. This includes thinking about the location and the number of people in your shot.
Using a DSLR or mirrorless camera will make your job easier. They will allow you to see what you're shooting before you press the shutter button. This can be a helpful tool for beginners, as it gives you a real-time indication of what your image will look like.
Choosing the Location
Family portraits are a great way to capture a family's essence and personality. You can take them indoors or at a favorite family park. However, it is important to communicate with your clients about the location of the session and their needs.
Use RAW Format
Aside from location, you should also discuss the color of their clothing so that you can set the backgrounds accordingly. Getting them involved in the decision process will help them feel comfortable with the camera person, which will be directly reflected in the photos.
Using RAW format for family photographers is to will give you more control over your photos' exposure and white balance, thus making it look more effortless and professional.
Position Your Subject in the Shade
When shooting family portraits outdoors, the harsh light from the Sun can increase image exposure. In addition, this harsh light will cast strong shadows on your subject and create unappealing photos. In order to avoid this, position your subject in the shade and use light modifiers to get soft lighting on them.
For instance, you can use reflectors to bounce a rim of light around your subject and add more depth to their image. Alternatively, you can place a tree or a wall behind your subject to block harsh sunlight. Visit here to know more about family portraits.
Use a Honeycomb Grid
A Honeycomb Grid can help you create a narrow beam of light when shooting family portraits outdoors. This will help you avoid the light spilling onto your subject's background.
A Honeycomb Grid is a simple but effective lighting modifier for flashes and continuous lights. It is a structure in the shape of a honeycomb attached to an artificial light source.
This grid can help prevent the light from falling on the background or creating lens flares. It is also useful for highlighting certain areas of your subjects.
Use a Two-Point Lighting Technique
A Two-Point Lighting Technique is an excellent way to light your subject, and it can produce fantastic results. This lighting technique involves a simple set-up that uses two lights, one angled up and the other angled down.
You should place your key light at a height of about 5 or 8 feet, depending on how you want your shadows to look (higher for dramatic shadows, lower for natural).
The second light is the fill light, which should be placed at a lower intensity than the key light. This helps balance the shadows and make your subject appear more three-dimensional.
Avoid Shadows Under the Eyes
When you shoot family portraits outdoors, avoiding shadows under the eyes is important. The harsh and scattered rays from the sun, right above the head, can create shows under the eyes.
When this happens, the subjects look tired and uncomfortable in their photos. So, taking care of light scattering is crucial to avoid this effect.
Make them feel comfortable
Not everyone is bold in front of a camera. While some love the attention, others shy away from it. Hence, the camera person must ensure their subjects are in comfortable positions.
Since it is a family portrait, allowing members to interact with one another or helping them play games and crack jokes would be a great way to make them more comfortable.
