Family & Friends Photo Tips

Pictures capture moments in time, helping to keep memories alive forever. Whether you’re taking a family portrait for holiday photo Christmas cards or you are snapping a photo of your dog or your best friend, this section will provide you with tips on how to take flawless photos of the most important people in your life.

Tips

• Is it time for the annual family photo? Think about dressing the family in similar outfits or colors. For example, have everyone wear denim jeans and white shirts. Coordinating outfits will create a balanced and cohesive look.
  
• Instead of taking a standard portrait of the subject's face, think about what makes that person special and create a unique type of portrait. Capture details of the subject's clothing, body, hobbies or activities that express an abstract message about who he or she is. For example, you can focus on the feet of a dancer or soccer player; the hands of a writer or piano player; a stethoscope draped around the neck of a doctor; the uniform of an Army soldier.
  
• Are any of your friends or relatives starting a new hobby, sport or activity? How about offering to document their experiences by taking photos? Whether your nephew just started Little League or your best friend is starting a garden, taking pictures can be a fun opportunity for you to improve your photography skills and provide keepsake photos for an individual.
• With the advent of digital cameras, getting kids involved in photography is easier than ever before - after all, the not-so-great photos can be deleted with the click of a button! If you are buying a child his or her own camera, look for one that has automated settings (including an automatic off function), is small enough to fit in the child's hands, and is durable enough to survive the inevitable bumps and drops.
  
• If your child shows an interest in photography but you're not quite sure if he or she is ready for a digital camera, consider buying a waterproof disposable camera first. Using a less expensive model will give you peace of mind as the child learns how to properly take care of a camera. You can also give the child time with your own digital camera, under your supervision.
• To help your child become the next Ansel Adams, create projects that will encourage creativity as he or she learns how to take photos. Have the kids take photos throughout a family party to document the event and tell a story. Or devise a scavenger hunt, listing items to find and take pictures of. Another fun photography exercise is taking photos that illustrate a descriptive word; for example, instruct the kids to take photos of something round, colorful, soft or tall. 
  
• A tip that will make a family portrait photo more interesting is to express your family's interests. For example, if you are all die-hard Giants fans, dress up in football jerseys. Is your family environmentally-conscious or outdoorsy? Wear green or natural-colored clothes and have the photo taken at a local park or nature preserve. 
  

Photo Christmas Cards Articles

• Taking Pictures of Families and Groups
• Sending Christmas Photo Cards of Your Child is Not an Act of Vanity
• Photo Cards: When Your Non-Human “Beautiful Baby” is the Love of Your Life
• Photo Tips for Photographing Babies