A Walk Together

You have been designated the official photographer at the family reunion and you know very little about family photography.  But not to worry, there are just a few simple steps you can learn to be an expert.

The best way is to start with a basic group and then add to them as you go. Let's look at a rather large family with three married children, each of them with one child, making three generations. In family photography you would want to start with grandma and grandpa seated. Whether you choose a chair or stools will depend on them, but make sure others can gather around later on.

Once they have been photographed, bring in one set of their children, preferably standing behind them. Now you can add a second set of their children and place to one side, the other set moving over slightly so that the four children are centered behind their mom and dad. Working in family photography can be time consuming, because after that picture you can have the first couple step aside and take the second couple with the parents alone. Once they're done, move them out of the picture and move in the third couple.

After that picture, bring the other two couples back into the shot so that you now have all three children and their spouse in the picture with the parents. The assistant you have with you for your stint in family photography is watching the children. Once all the adult photos are taken, bring all the kids in for the big picture and after taking that one, move the adults out so grandparents can be photographed with the grandchildren.

If you are into family photography to make money, this technique would be potential sale of five pictures to four people. One of the grandparents alone, one of the grandparents with one set of their adult children, one with grandparents and all adult children, one with everyone in the picture and one with grandparents and grandkids.

In family photography, don't stop there. Take a picture of each family with their children and one of the parents alone and one the child alone. This creates a potential of three more pictures for each family.

Watch your composition in family photography and remember that for the most part what you see through the lens is what the picture will look like. If you wouldn't want it hanging on your living room wall, chances are they won't either.