Family Portraits: How To Create a Successful Photo Shoot that's Fun and Natural.

"We are family...I've got all my sisters with me." That Sister Sledge's song always gets me smiling and moving my hips! Haha! It's sung at all our family weddings, when my sisters, cousins, and nieces all jump in and dance and celebrate family. "Get up everybody and dance!"

So, what does family mean to you?

To me it means love, support, friendship, laughter, and yes tears and sadness every once in a while. Family also helps define who we are as individuals. We all love seeing photos of family. Looking at resemblances, differences, and seeing the story told in each one's eyes. It's beautiful!

As a photographer I've always photographed my family, but I've never included myself. So I set out to photograph all of us with our mom. (By the way, I have three brothers too, all of whom I love and adore! But this day was for the girls.) :-)

First step: Setting a date! (We're all older now with families of our own.) Once I got the word out, they were all game!

Second step: Location. That was pretty easy since my oldest sister lives in a beautiful house near the lake. Since my elderly mom was joining us, we thought it would be much easier to do it where we had lots of room, privacy, and both interior and exterior options. We ultimately chose exteriors because of the natural light and beautiful foliage. One obstacle though, was the wind. You can see in the photos that it made for some interesting yet fun photos.

Third step: What to wear? Now that's the million dollar question! But it's actually very critical. We had some discussion and being sisters, we didn't all agree. I explained my concept with examples and color combinations. We did finally agree and "backstage" we had a blast coming together with our outfits! We decided on a mostly solid, cool blue color scheme with cream/white, and raspberry as the accent colors. (I'll write more about color schemes, makeup & hair in another post.) :-)

Fourth step: Framing and Posing. As a lifestyle photographer who specializes in Fun, Natural and Beautiful images, that's where I implemented my design. Things I had to consider were the terrain, light, and our various heights and sizes. I arrived early and scoped out some locations and pre-visualized how the five of us would interact. (More on this in another blog post too!)

The Final step: Taking the Photos. After designing each shot, I had an assistant operate the camera. You can't achieve a natural feel into the work if you snap and dash with a camera timer or using a remote trigger. Having designed the shots, I talked it through with my assistant about what I had visualized. As a team, it worked out great!

So, don't wait! Plan your own family portrait session now! With the summer in full bloom and fall just around the corner, it's a great time to come together. Let me help you in creating fun, natural, beautiful family portraits! Check out my website at Jenifercady.com. or follow me on Facebook and Instagram at Jenifer Cady Photography and let me capture your family's beautiful and amazing smiles. :-)