Ask the Experts: 5 Tips for Taking Family Photos
My entire life I’ve worked with children and learned the most from them. Their feet are closest to the ground, they are naturally curious, say what they mean, and are eager to be helpers. I’d like to think we are all this way, in our marrow, because we all were once children.
In my first few years as a family portrait photographer, I traveled around with studio lighting and a backdrop. I suggested outfit ideas, I used the same posing. I created a very pretty preparation list for families.
When I think about it now, what I accomplished was to create the same photo, of every child, of every family. I essentially erased all background and context. I had a system, and it was foolproof. As my business took off, I grew increasingly uneasy—something felt entirely wrong.
There were three experiences that changed my worldview, and encouraged me to step into my own instinct about why I make photos to begin with:
I was photographing a newborn and noted that my strobe lighting was causing the baby distress. He kept blinking, and turning his face away. It was clear to me that I had invaded a sacred space in this new baby’s world. I turned the lights off. He turned towards the natural light—the window. I never used strobe lighting again with newborns.
2. One of the toddlers I met was obsessed with a metal colander. We all were trying to coax this little girl to leave it aside, when I realized that this might be the best photo we made all day and be a memory of something that someday might otherwise be forgotten.
3. I read an article on Family Narrative by Marshall Duke, about how the stories we tell give our children a sense of place in the world—they understand that they come from ancestors who triumphed and mourned life events. Their sense of resilience, their hope for the future, is tied to the narratives we share. And guess what? Photos are story triggers. They are the seeds of our family narrative.
“So, I began to see myself as a documentarian. I asked families to reflect on who their children were, what activities they enjoyed as a family, what places they visited that were meaningful.”
I began to notice that the quieter daily activities are the real fabric of our lives. We incorporated these in the photos. My photos became more collaborative, more messy, sometimes even more spontaneous and the feedback from clients told me that we were also making more meaning and having fun doing it.
Katherine’s 5 Tips for Making Family Memories
1. You are your best family historian. When you think about each member, what would you want to remember right now about them? What are your favorite songs? What toys, lovies, games are part of your family’s life? What books do you read? When you start thinking about these things, you’ll start to notice moments when you’d like to make a photo.
2. Natural light. Good lighting is the soul of any good photograph. When you look in your home, where do you have window light? Play there. Make photos in that light.
3. The best camera you have is the one you carry with you. Smart phones are so incredible these days—you really don’t need more. The number 1 tip I tell everyone is to learn to adjust exposure on your smart phone. (See details below.) Magic!
4. Make sure you get in the frame. Use a self timer. Have your children make photos of you. Ask strangers to make photos of you.
5. Print your images. This is really important to do, especially in our digital world. Print your images! Put them on walls, on shelves, surround yourself with images to talk about. Make calendars. Make books. Plant the seeds of your own family narrative.
Recommended Resources
An Exploration of How People Remember and Narrate the Events of Their Lives
Artist Loryn Brantz, IG @lorynbrantz has a very funny series entitled Toddlers Love Weird Things that will make your day.
How to Handle Exposure in Your Smartphone Technology
Print resources I love: Social Print Studios, Artifact Uprising, Mpix, Pinhole Press