7 Tips for Getting the Perfect Family Picture

Time to take our back-to-school pictures and the anticipation is tremendous.

Will the children behave? Will everyone smile? What should we wear?

The stress of a family picture can be difficult and by the time you hear the camera shutter click… you might be wondering if it was worth it.

Since we have not had family pictures made in a while, we wanted to take the opportunity to start our school year with fresh faces on the blog and on our walls. (Poor Ariary has yet to be added to our collection of portraits over the piano and she is two years old!)

So, we called our sweet neighbor, Amanda, over between rain showers and she snapped some cute pictures of us in the living room.

How to get the perfect family portrait

Anytime we consider having portraits made, I try to keep these tips firmly in mind…

Use a professional.

Whether you barter (like we did) or hire a recommended photographer, using a professional can save you heartache in the end. Working with the timer on your camera or using a remote control device is an option, but be prepared for lots of running back and forth to check your work.

Match, but don’t match.

Wearing the same color can make the picture dull… and I am speaking from experience. While our family portraits where we are all in shades of blue or the year where the girls wore pink and the boys wore blue are nice, but they cannot compare with the year we decided everyone would wear fall colors.

Don’t be the beast.

Coordinate everyone without becoming the overbearing person in the family that wants to micromanage each and every detail. No one wants to talk to that person when the photo session is done.

Skip the studio.

Have your pictures made at home or in a natural setting. You do not need to plant a bunch of flowers or have an ornate gazebo for the perfect picture opportunity. A large oak tree, red brick wall, or weathered wooden fence can make a perfect backdrop.

Pray for a less-than sunny day.

Overcast days make the best outdoor pictures. If you find yourself drenched in shadows from a bright sun, drape white sheets in the limbs of a tree to create a consistent shade, or pose within the shadow of a building.

Don’t take yourself too seriously.

If your family is fun-loving, show it in your pictures. Ditch the classic pyramid pose and seek something sassy. Also, if you approach your photographer with specific poses you found on Pinterest, be willing to accept imperfection. Just as no two families are alike, no two portrait session will be alike.

Photoshop.

If all else fails, bask in the glory of photo editing. Allow your photographer to remove the stains from Junior’s shirt and the disapproving wrinkles from your worried brow. Ten years from now, you will have the perfect family portrait and the details will be a memory.

To see more of Amanda’s photography, please visit her Facebook page.

This post is linked with love at the NOT Back to School Blog Hop.