Learn How To Take Great Family Photos at a Photography Workshop

The festive season is the perfect time of year for capturing wonderful family photos. Christmas is all about spending precious time with loved ones and making memories that last a lifetime. Budding photographers can make the most of the festivities and having all the family together for some quality time to capture some images that can be cherished forever.
Whether you want to take photos for your next holiday card, or just get some good snaps for the photo album, the holiday season is the perfect time of year to practice your photography skills on your family and friends. Many photography courses for kids focus on taking photos of individuals or groups of people, so making the most of online photography courses UK can be a really useful tool for honing your skills (and makes a unique Christmas present too!).

If you want your family photos to turn out perfect this December, it is important to plan ahead and make the most of what you have got. There are a lot of different aspects that go into getting a good photograph, especially when a lot of different people are involved. Here we look into some top tricks and hints for capturing the perfect family photos this December:

Think About Equipment

When it comes to taking awesome family holiday photos, there is no need to splash out on a new expensive camera. In fact, it might be easier for you to stick with what you already know and learn how to best use your existing equipment.
If you want to take nice group shots, a tripod and a remote might be worth using, but self timer can also work wonders. Tripods can be tricky to position right if you are planning on using a self-timer to get yourself in the photo too. Make sure to position it correctly and plan where you are going to stand with everyone when the image is being taken. Generally, a ten-second self-timer will work well to give you enough time to run into place and get your best smile ready.

Christmas family photos for kids and teens
It is usually worth setting your camera to take a few photos in a row, that way at least one might have your whole family smiling and with eyes open at the same time!

Lillie’s Top Tips: Consider the backdrop for your photos. Try to find a wintery or Christmas themed backdrop for a really festive feel in your family photos. Gathering in front of the Christmas tree or outside in the snow can be some great options for a festive photoshoot.

Consider The Setup

If you are planning on getting your whole family into one big photo, then it is really important to think about how everyone is going to fit in. Plan to take your photos in a large room with enough space for everyone to fit comfortably.
In photos it is important to get everyone to get in close together, so there aren’t gaps in the image and consider getting your family to create some rows, so everyone isn’t in one long line. A long line can look awkward but positioning some people to sit at the front while others stand behind can make a much nicer image.
As well as the way everyone is positioned in the photo, you should also think about the location. If you don’t have a room big enough to fit everyone in comfortably, then consider taking some shots outdoors or in a local park.
The lighting is also very important and if you are thinking of taking photos outdoors then remember that morning and dusk (on sunny days) are often the best times for lighting. But remember days are shorter in the Winter so dusk falls much earlier.

Christmas family photos for kids and teens

Lillie’s Top Tips: Dusk is usually the best time of day for outdoor lighting. The colouring is warm and really beautiful for creating natural looking photographs. Afternoon lighting can sometimes be too harsh and create unsightly shadows in your images. Plus, if you stay out long enough, you can try capturing some fabulous wintery sunset shots too!

Christmas family photos for kids and teens

Remember Lighting Positions

As well as considering the time of day that offers the best lighting for your photographs, also think about where the lighting should be in relation to your subjects. Photography courses and online photography courses UK can offer some excellent tips and tricks for positioning your lighting in the best place.
The Capturing Winter course will teach you how best to capture all the beautiful features of winter and how to use the golden light and long shadows to your advantage. Winter sun can be extremely difficult to work with as it is extremely harsh and bright, but when captured properly it can be a real asset to your work.

Christmas family photos for kids and teens

Christmas family photos for kids and teens

Lillie’s Top Tips: Always try to make sure the main source of lighting for your image is behind the camera. This will light up your family beautifully and avoid bright lighting behind them. If you are shooting at dusk, make sure to take the photo before it gets too dark, or use the flash to light your subjects properly.

Make It Fun For Your Family

You could have the most hi-tech equipment and incredible photography skills, but the real secret to capturing great family photos is smiles and laughter. It is so important to make sure your family are having a good time during the photo shoot, and this will really show in the final images.
Tell some cheesy cracker jokes, get some Christmas music on, and have some fun toys on hand to entertain little ones during the shoot. For some real fun and a full family portrait make sure your pets are involved. Getting your cat, dog or goldfish in the shoot will be sure to lighten the spirits and encourage a few laughs from your loved ones.

Christmas family photos for kids and teens

Lillie’s Top Tips: When you are trying to set up the perfect family portrait shot there is often a lot going on, and everyone will be having a good time. Use this to capture some candid shots which show the real fun moments and genuine expressions of your family when they are unaware.

Experiment With Settings

One of the best ways to learn photography is to experiment and explore what your camera can do. Play around with the various settings on your camera and see what works for your family photos and what doesn’t.
Black and white family shots can create some stunning images, that provide a really timeless appeal. Photography courses for kids such as the Black and White Photography course can teach you how to capture beautiful monochrome shots, how to use aperture to tell a story and shutter speed to capture motion. When your taking family shots, try taking some solo shots of individuals using the portrait mode or even try to capture pets in motion with shutter speeds and focus.

Christmas family photos for kids and teens

Lillie’s Top Tips: When you are taking a group photo of the whole family, or even using a timer to get yourself in too, try to use a big aperture like f/11 to ensure everyone is in focus in the shot.