Family Portraits Outdoors

© Godfer | Dreamstime.com

When planning an outdoors shoot, first ask the family if there are any places that have special meaning to them. For example, they may enjoy taking family walks on the beach every evening, or go to a park to relax on Sunday afternoons.

Always be on the lookout for beautiful places that will be suitable for family portraits outdoors so that you can make suggestions if the family is unsure.

When choosing the location, make sure to use light to your advantage. It may be difficult for the family to get themselves organized for an early morning shoot, so late afternoons during the golden hours are generally great for family portraits outdoors. Shooting on overcast days is always a bonus as the cloud-cover serves as a giant softbox.

Two things to avoid for family portraits outdoors are harsh sunlight during the midday hours and dappled light as you get under trees in sunny conditions. Midday light will make your family portraits look flat and uninteresting, whilst the dark shadowy patches of dappled light are sure to ruin a family portrait.

In the event of having to do a shoot under challenging lighting conditions, my best advice is to shoot in RAW. This will enable you to do your magic in post-editing. Just remember, a bad photo to begin with can generally not be saved with the best of post-editing techniques. Try to get it right in-camera and save yourself a heap of time and frustration!

Family Portraits Outdoor Samples

(From Family Portraits Outdoors back to Family Portrait Photography Gallery) (From Family Portraits Outdoors back to Basic Photography Tips Home)