FAMILY PORTRAIT POSES

Family Portrait Poses are all about
Family, Friends, & Memories

And it's not even difficult! Just take a look at these easy-to-use photography poses and techniques. In "Small Family Group Poses" (as opposed to Large Family Group Poses), we will focus on groups between 2 and 5.

Your group can consist of adults, children, babies, and pets, as long as the total doesn't exceed five in total.

Let's explore some tips on family portrait poses specifically for YOUR FAMILY. We will address group pictures taken inside and outside; and discuss the portrait techniques applicable to each.

Remember that family portraits are not that much different than traditional group pictures (except there's usually a lot more yelling and embarrassing sounds).

If you can capture the magic... that elusive and hard to pin down chemistry between the couple, then you almost can't ruin the picture. For example, how many "different" photographic factors took place in this picture?

To start with, it's not a typical half or three quarter portrait. This family portrait pose is an extreme close-up. Also, part of the man's head is "cut off" for dramatic effect. No, it wasn't a cropping mistake.

That's one of the great things about photography... there are guidelines, but it is also a creative art, where you are always free to push the envelope; especially with family portrait poses.

Notice anything else? For one thing, couples normally face the camera. But this time not only aren't they looking at the camera, they are not looking at each other, or even facing the same direction!

Plenty of photographic instructors will tell you to always have your subjects look at the camera. That is a "rule" that should only be followed when it makes sense.

For this family portrait pose, it doesn't. How do we know? We only have to look at the photograph to see that for THIS couple in THIS family portrait pose THE PICTURE "WORKS." And in photography, that's THE REAL BOTTOM LINE.

Brag about your pictures

Here are a few things to keep in mind when capturing family portrait poses that produce a profound emotion.

In this particular photo:

• The dad is asleep while the baby is not. Generally, the easiest approach to this type of portrait is to first pose the parent, then wait for the baby to fall asleep.

• This type of shot begs using unique camera angles. Try numerous compositions and angles, once the subjects are set.

• Probably the most challenging (and the most creative) part is to not automatically take the same kind of shots you have always taken. Think about doing things for the first time. As they say, "See with photographer's eyes!"

They will automatically put their arms around each other, hold hands, or move their heads together. After enough "standard wedding poses," they automatically assume the position.

You might think: "What's wrong with that? Then the pressure's off me." The problem is that those portrait poses are usually going to wind up looking lifeless, boring, and "typical." But the worst thing... they don't look natural!

Anyone can take family portrait poses that look like cardboard figures. But, you can to do so much better than that. Rather than just let the couple leap into their standard couples pose, gently give them directions.

Think about it - how often have you noticed people taking portraits of others where they actually gave them directions to create a better pose? That is very rare, AND it is precisely what will dramatically improve your family portrait poses.

Here are some very simple examples:

• "Jim, how about if you get behind Marge and put your arm loosely around her neck?"
  
  
• "Hey guys, forget I'm here, look into each other's eyes, and then think back to ______."
  
  (Depending on the type of pose desired; remind them of a funny, sensitive, emotional, or loving event in their life.)
  
  
• Suggest various position changes such as one person standing and one sitting, looking at directions other than directly at the camera, or using your environment (tables, statues, columns, trees, boulders, etc.).

Once you have them posed in a comfortable position, you can fine tune it with slight adjustments of jewelry, head, and hand positions.

So, what do you notice about this family portrait pose? Yes, it's outside (or in a really big house with a tree inside it). What else do you notice?

Is it centered? Sort of? What do you think of the tree? Do you feel it adds or detracts from the shot?" (You are the one who gets to decide, you know.) And, what's the deal with the out-of-focus woman in the background?

OK, let's tackle these one at a time in "Small Family Portrait Poses 201"...

It's time to talk about "composition." The challenge with composition is that while photography is both art & science, "composition" remains firmly in the "art" camp.

In photography, symmetry is not necessarily a preferred result. Although most group pictures have the group nicely centered, you can take more creative liberties with smaller groups (say 2 or 3 people). Here's another word for "centered." It's boring.

Refer back to the photo above, ignoring the person in the background for the moment. Of course the portrait could have been taken using the same pose, but without the tree. What do you think... better or worse?

One nice thing about photography is that every photo is subjective. It's not like math where no matter how much you want 2+2 to equal 5, it just doesn't. So, back to the tree... do you like it better in or out of the picture? Personally, I feel it adds an element of interest and balance to the photo. And, that's essentially the same reason for the grassy area on the left.

The woman was in the background because the wrong F-stop was used. Basic rule of thumb: If you want to have the subjects in the foreground AND the background to be in focus, use a smaller aperture (higher F-stop) such as F/11 through F/22.

For example, if you're taking family portrait poses in front of the White House, you would probably also like the White House to be in focus, rather than be blurred out. That's when you use a small aperture.

If, however, you were taking several family portrait poses in front of a row of ugly buildings, you would probably want to blur the background as much as possible. In this case, you would use as LARGE an aperture (small F-stop number) as possible.

Back to the sample photo. The F-stop used was F/32, so even though the background woman was around 150 feet away, you could still sort of tell she's there. Had an F-stop of 4 or 5.6 been used, the woman would be a non-distracting blur.

Here is the final photograph used with the same family portrait pose. To achieve it, we used a highly coveted, secret photography trick to eliminate the background distractions... we waited until the woman moved out of the frame!

As an alternative, we could have repositioned the camera about 15 degrees to the left, thus eliminating the background woman from the field of view.

The main point is this:

Think about the details BEFORE taking important shots of family portrait poses. As long as your objective is to take the best possible family portrait poses, remember the details.

If you're like me and have trouble remembering a lot of details, here's a convenient way to have everything you need, in one place.

This particular example falls under the heading of "dramatic family portrait poses." And the best part is that not only is it stunning but it's actually easy to take.

The simplest way to achieve family portrait poses like this one is to use one of the following:

• The "Portrait mode" (or equivalent) setting on your digital camera

• The telephoto setting to fill your viewfinder with the final desired image.

• Physically move closer to fill your viewfinder.

This a good time to use a bounce-flash (from an external flash unit).

If that is not available, move as far as possible from the subjects (while still being within the range of your on-camera flash), and let your subjects fill the picture frame.

If taking this type of group pictures outside, it's best to take it in other-than-direct-sunlight. Find a solid color background (a building wall will do), and wait for a little cloud cover to happen. Overcast sky? Even better.

Optional themes for family portrait poses like this include:

• Forehead-to-forehead

• Nose-to-nose, but not smiling

• Very close together, but not touching. One person a few inches higher-looking down; other person lower-looking up

• Any portrait pose above, with one subject softly placing their open hands on the cheeks of the other

The good news is that "cropping" is often the easiest tool in your software's tool box. The other good news is that there are outstanding free photo-editing software packages available, such as the free open-source favorite GIMP.

This particular family portrait pose is derived from the one above. There are several interesting points to notice in this example.

The most important thing to remember is that there are often photo masterpieces "hidden" within otherwise average-looking pictures.

The best time to catch these is following the download of the original photograph to your computer.

On the other hand, if you do see the potential while taking the original picture, experiment with changing your camera's mode to "Macro" and move in very close to fill the frame, as shown here.

Another creative approach is "breaking the rules" and taking a close up (or executing the crop, if it is after the fact) in the vertical Portrait Orientation, rather than the traditional horizontal Landscape Orientation. In this case, the Portrait Orientation beautifully captures this wonderful mother and child family portrait pose.

October's Winning Group Picture Titled: "Three Friends" Amanda Starry of Avondale, AZ demonstrates that wondrous examples of family portrait poses don't require two hours of preparation. We're now looking for November's Featured Group Picture to be show-cased on this page.   Therefore, submit your pictures here and feel free to submit more than one.

Submitting your group pictures is free and easy. Just fill in the form below, upload your picture, and hit the submit button.

After your photograph is accepted, your picture will become a "live" page on this site. You may upload as many pictures as you want, using a new submission page for each one.

And don't forget to tell us the story BEHIND THE PICTURE, including tips, lessons, etc.

The best photo every month (judged by our staff, but influenced by comments) will be featured on this page, along with your name.

Discover new poses, ideas, perspectives, tips, and techniques used by other visitors to create group portraits. Simply click on the links below.

A Day at the Lake 
My friends and I wanted to take some pictures with each other. So we got dressed and went down to a nearby lake. Here is a result of the picture. What ...

Love's Blossom 
I took this couple (my friends)'s engagement pictures. I shot the originals on a Nikon D80, and then tweaked them with Photoshop CS3. For this one, I ...

In the pines 
I took this photo at a park near some pine trees. The mother didn't have any recent photos of her and her boys so we planned for shots on this day. I ...

A Walk In The Park 
I was photographing a childhood friend's family on this particular day and before they even realized I was ready to snap this photo, voila! And I love ...

father and kids 
I just wanted a natural pose that the father and kids would have if they were out playing and having a good time.

Digital camera: Auto settings Outdoors...

A New Life 
I did this session with the thought of originality....I wanted to capture the family in a natural state...and have fun. I used my Nikon D2oo with a nikon ...

Friends 

This group portrait pose was pretty much a no-brainer since it was all couples.

The challenges were that I had to be in the picture (that's me ...

My Kids 
We were on a walk last summer through Patapsco State park and I loved the shadows in this part. So I set my camera to sepia and this is what I came up ...

They Luv Me 



Teens! They are so hard to plan around as they are always so busy running here and there....or on the phone!! I finally set an appointment ...

the loves of my life!!!!!!!!! 



I WAS LAYING ON MY COUCH WITH THE KIDS AND WANTED TO TAKE A PICTURE OF THEM AND THIS IS WHAT I GOT.

Just a Day in the Woods 


The grand kids didn't want to just "pose" traditionally, so we found a nice rock and just got comfortable. Bless tripods!

Used a Canon powershot ...

First Fall Picture 



This was the first time I took a family portrait shot. I tried to place the kids in positions that would be flattering to the photo. I used ...

Loving Sisters  Not rated yet
This seemed so natural. I used my Nikon D-70.

Happily Ever After...  Not rated yet
This was taken at my friend's wedding after the event was over. They were heading off to their new life together.

Young Love  Not rated yet
I was taking engagement pics for my niece's friend and we were outside for this shot. It's one of the least formal that we took that day, but I love how ...

The Wiley Family  Not rated yet
This is my husband and Kids and Grandkids all together in the same room the first time ever on my husband 60th birthday party. It was taken in my dining ...

Family at dog park  Not rated yet
We visit Pinckneyville park in Norcross Georgia often, to let our dogs play. Sometimes people let us take our pictures. This family sat down on the bench....

My Boys   Not rated yet
This picture was posed I was trying to get both of their profiles not easy with a 3 month old. Pic was taken with Cannon 950SD. This is my son's second ...

what did you catch?  Not rated yet
My son was fishing with his buddy. I thought that this was a special tranquil moment.

I took this with my Canon Digital Rebel XT while we were staying ...

Ros & Anna  Not rated yet
This was our '08 Halloween card. I told my oldest to hold her sister's hand and run... just run. The big issue was keeping in front of them AND keeping ...

Family Fun  Not rated yet
It was quite obvious after being with these children for only a few minutes, that we would not be getting the "perfect" picture.

Instead of stressing ...

New Cousins  Not rated yet
I wanted a shot of our sons with my "new" nephew (my brother recently married and his wife has an adorable son) to give to my parents. This was my favorite,...

My Three Sons  Not rated yet
This picture was snapped while visiting Lake Superior. Our sons were so excited by the huge waves, they asked if it was the ocean! The only challenge ...

Henderson 2003 Xmas  Not rated yet
1) Wanted different angles & heights.
2) Getting good poses around 1 person in a chair.
3) Sony Ciber Shot Digital
4) Family visit at Christmas

The Awesome Foursome  Not rated yet



A quick photo I took at my daughter's 10th birthday party. It was inside a roller skating arena and the light were DARK.
It was easy to get ...

Scottish Prince Charming finds his Princess  Not rated yet
The bride loved the decor, especially the chandelier.

About the challenges, the main one was getting the crystals into the shot without getting glare ...

On the way  Not rated yet
It was a spontaneous shot on the way to party for my cousin's 21st birthday. Canon Powershot. It's probably just a snap shot, but I love it!

Three Friends  Not rated yet
I wanted the kids to "act" natural. They were rough housing and I called their names, and this is what I got. I use a point & shoot Fugifilm FinePix S700 ...

The Pinky  Not rated yet
During our vacation visiting Broadway at Myrtle Beach I saw a bench just waiting for my two grandchildren and niece to sit with a pose. Challenges were ...

BEST FRIENDS  Not rated yet
IN N.W.

Feel free to take a look at "The No-Sweat Approach to Taking Great Group Photos," "The Blink Eradication System," and all our ...

Our Family Photo  Not rated yet



As a photographer at Sears, I learned a little about posing people then. I had my Cannon powershot S1 on a tripod. I posed my husband and children ...

MAKING MEMORIES  Not rated yet
THIS IS AN UNPOSED PORTRAIT. I USED MY NIKON D40X. THIS FAMILY SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT WITH ME, AND I TOOK THEM TO LE MANOIR FLEURI FOR THEIR PHOTOSHOOT....

ready, set, jump  Not rated yet
Taken at intramuros manila, philippines.

jack & cel  Not rated yet
When our group went to the historic place in Intramuros Manila, Philippines, we took this photo of some friends of mine at an old Spanish prison. Camera ...

Rather than use the couch or love seat, which would have severely limited posing options, we used a weight-lifting bench as a unique focal point.

In addition, the fireplace screen is a good background "prop," that forms a partial photographic frame, as well as making the fireplace more recognizable.

This group picture required all three family members to be positioned about two feet off the ground. That means the camera better not be higher than three feet maximum. Why?

Because for most family portrait poses, the camera needs to be at eye-level with the subjects. If not, the perspective and composition will generally not look very good.

What is truly unique about this family portrait pose is that two of the three heads are partially blocked, adding a slight spontaneous feel to the picture.

Important in this pose is to use as high an F-stop number as allowable on your camera. By doing that, you will insure that all three subjects are in focus, although at different distances from the camera.

Family Portrait Ideas

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