How to set up professional looking photos of your kids/family

I included a few family photos in my Michigan recap post earlier this week and, today, I'm sharing my camera settings and how I set up the photos.  I don't know if this sounds ridiculous or not but when I do these types of photo shoots, even impromptu, I always tackle it as if it was a professional photo shoot.  You know, I'm getting paid and these aren't my family members.  It's how I challenge myself to see if I would really want to do this professionally.  I know that technically I'm where I need to be, but posing people is not something I necessarily enjoy.  I've been working on it but I still prefer to take a photojournalistic approach.

I'm a big fan of backlighting in photos as I feel the hazy sunlight adds a little bit of whimsy.  It also makes the photo feel warm and summery.  In order to take backlit photos, the sun needs to be lower in the sky.  Think about an hour to two before sunset.


Camera settings:  ISO 200, f/4.5, SS 1/200

Tip:  Spot meter off of your subjects

I took photos of my girls with Mamaw while we waited for my brother and his kids to arrive.  I was the only one using a DSLR camera and everyone else (using phones and point and shoots) hated the flaring sun.

Because the sun had shifted, I needed to move the bench over.  This, however, did not work out so well because the sun was reflecting off of a window of the house and leaving a bright spot right on Anna.  I spotted the problem but it took a few minutes in the chaos of clicking to point it out.  This was the one photo that turned out.  In all the others, it looks like there's a bright spotlight on Anna.


Camera settings:  ISO 320, f/5.0, SS 1/500 (I really could have kept the ISO at 200 and the shutter speed would have been fine.  During some of the test shots when I was trying to limit the sun, I had to bump it up so I ended up just leaving it there.)

Because everyone else hated the position of the sun, we moved to a shaded spot with the kids facing the sun.


Camera settings:  ISO 320, f/5.0, SS 1/250

The background here is less appealing and looks more snapshot-like but I figured I could use a square crop and extend the bushes if I wanted to change it.  Or it could just be viewed as real life.


Camera settings:  ISO 320, f/5.0, SS 1/250

In case you're wondering what it's like to get six kids to cooperate . . .



My camera equipment for this photo shoot:
Camera - Nikon D750
Lens - Sigma Art 35mm

Are people still using DSLRs?  I know phones have replaced cameras for many people and sometimes I feel like DSLRs are making a comeback, but not so much as of late.  If you're using a DSLR, learn how to shoot in manual.  You are smarter than your camera, trust me.  Additional tips:  Watch the background and avoid clutter.  Keep the horizon line straight!    

I'll leave you with this lovely photo I shot of Allie as we were heading out to the front yard to say our goodbyes before returning to the hotel to pack up for our trip back home.




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