MAKE TIME FOR AN EXTENDED FAMILY PHOTO SHOOT …
Nowadays families are often scattered all over the world, and when everyone is able to get together, it’s a great idea to book an extended family photo shoot. I used to be a little intimidated by the idea of shooting extended families as there seemed to be an endless amount of posed shots that I thought I had to get through. Since changing my style of shooting to a more relaxed easy going approach with NO posing at all, I have found extended family photo shoots an absolute joy to photograph.
EMOTION TRUMPS POSES…
The idea behind my work is to always try and capture a connection as opposed to a formal posed photograph. It’s not as easy as it sounds though, done incorrectly and you end up with shots that look like ‘generic snap shots’. The key to the success is to choose your location carefully and base your choice on the quality of light. The next crucial step is to get your subjects to interact naturally with each other in front of the camera. There are a variety of creative and unique methods to encourage natural interaction, and it’s very much a skill that is perfected over time. I’m still learning my ‘method’ on a daily basis, but as long as your subjects are comfortable with you, you are half way there to a successful shoot :)
So, having said all that, I thoroughly enjoyed this extended family photo shoot and what was so apparent was the love that everyone had for each other. That was the easy part to capture :)
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