Today I’m so happy cause finally I’m touch down in my hometown following my past portrait session in several places. Just few months ago I flew to Bali, Jakarta, and Hong Kong to meet my couple and serve them in family and friends portrait session. Actually it was fun to meet my past couple who contacting my wife again for another session with their whole family member. And here in this article I’m gonna share some family photo tips that will bring more love and meaning to your client for the next decades.
My name is Bima and thank you visiting my blog again and gain, portrait of family is not only about taking some nice pictures and done, here you should get involve and know every single details that make your client happy. I’m pretty sure that there are a lot family photo references on Google or Pinterest that you can see but here I want to let you know that it should be beyond their expectation and give another taste to enjoy for whole family member.
Family Photo Tips You Should Know as a Photographer
Family portrait is another challenge that I recommend you to observe, it’s really fun cause things you need to do here is just capturing their happiness and moments. It simple two words but once you able to grab it than you will see tears or your client’s cheek and love hug that they gave to me over and over again.
I will write 4 family photo tips below so if you got an inquiry for family shoots than you are able to do it nicely.
1 – Accompany them to choose the most cozy spots
When I serve a family or friend portrait shots I always ask my client where should I go to capturing this beautiful moment. SInce I living nearby Bali which only take 1,5 hour flight than my couple often ask me to come to their private resort or villas, they got super stunning scenery for sure.
Cozy spots definitely help them to get enjoy cause here in family photo shoots there is no specific moment just like when we found in weddings. So I could say that you should help them to design and create the moments.
If they bring a kids or infant, I’m not suggest them to go to some places which is take more time and energy, so what I recommend is I let them choose the most cozy place that make them enjoy. Surely a lot of hotels and resorts that you can suggest and let them book through Agoda.com. Make sure they have a great view like mountain, lake, cliff, or beach and you will surprise cause they will get rock and roll even you not push them to do it.
On this photo, group of 6 gorgeous ladies ask me to flew to one great private villa known as Suluban Cliff in Uluwatu Bali, it’s a cliff-front villa babe! so you definitely got amazing view for whole day. 6 sexy ladies + magnificent view that God made = Perfect Day!
2 – Don’t shoot! but get involve with them first
Don’t be in a rush before the photo shoot, I suggest you to have a t least 30 minutes to know your client, their family or friends and be their good friend.
When I taking a portrait shots for group of beautiful and sexy girls, they invite me to come to their private villas in Uluwatu highland Bali. It takes me ride a scooter for almost an hour, way to go there is amazing but having a scooter is the best decision cause some private resort has an irregular access and road that a bit hard to pass by car.
Get involve with your client! Try to ask some simple ‘bullshit’ word like what is your name, where do they come from, and they hobbies. Know them personally cause you better to call them by the name, it gaves you more privilege among your client.
3 – Touch their heart and not just shooting!
You guys awesome! OMG it’s truly stunning! Beautiful smile!
That were some words that I always shouting to my client while I push my camera shutter, everybody love when someone give them positive words so that’s what I did during 10 hours of portrait shots in Hong Kong or even simple 3 hours of shooting in a family house. On tips number 2 I encourage you to get involve and here I still suggest you to give a nice approach for whole shooting and this will keep your client in a great mood.
Down here I’m gonna share you how I shoot family portrait for my couple who cross thousand miles from Melbourne to get back to their hometown in Jakarta past few months. I shoot for about 10-12 people which I found 4 generation on that day, take a look this 2 minutes video…
If you watch the video above you will see I’m not focusing on taking photo but capturing moments, sometimes you don’t need to know about speed, aperture, and some other ridiculous camera setting while capturing moments cause all you need to do is just enjoying the photo shoots and grab all the beautiful memories that coming through.
4 – Do the post production with your heart
Any kind of software is just a tool so you can choose any of them that suitable on your needs. Having fun with client for 3 hours takes me bring about 700 files and choose the best to get edit and set in on album is another job. Get some relax before you do it cause you can’t do it in a rush, truly masterpiece will take several times to finalize. One you get a your day than get back to your computer and start retouching the best images that you will deliver to your client.
I do post product naturally and I use both system Photoshop and Lightroom, I just can choose which one that I will use for this work cause choosing one of them is quite enough to present the best masterpiece ever.
When you want to learn more about photoshop than this 36 professional photoshop tutorials will be the best for you, they coming with 36 best ways to educate and teach you how to edit your photo using photoshop even you know NOTHING about it before.
In some case you love Lightroom better than you can learn more and more about it and use it to impress your client through your works. Having this 122 lightroom presets is amazing cause you can edit your photo with one simple click but before using it I highly recommend you to learn more about Lightroom Mastery, it helps you to figure out how it works and know the basic.
I will keep share my experience in this blog so here I’m done with this family photo tips than I will see you with other topic. If you want to ask something about photography related to this article or just simply say hi to me than just leave a comment below, I’ll see you soon!