6 Methods To Achieve Natural Family Photoshoot Poses

Ever had a family photo shoot and found it hard to get images that do not look too posed? Do you struggle to get the family, especially children, to look interested and natural? Whether you are taking a family photo yourself or are a photographer shooting for a family, it can often be challenging to get natural-looking photos.

In this post, we will provide some of the best tips on encouraging your family or helping the family pose as naturally and comfortably as possible.

1. Be positive

Keep it fun and light. Explain your envision for the photoshoot and what the family can remember as they look back at these memories. Staying positive is key to a successful photoshoot. You may lighten the mood by inserting some funny jokes to make them laugh. When the atmosphere is positive, it is easier to achieve better, natural photos. Children, especially, can be difficult to cooperate with once they do not like the environment they are in. Hence, bringing and maintaining your best smile to the shoot and keeping the time light-hearted while ensuring constant communication with the family is vital.

2. Include a "friend"

Children can be rather shy in front of the camera. Hence, to make them feel at ease, it is nice to include their "friend" in the photo shoot. It can be their favourite toy, stuffed animal, or pet. Not only will they feel more at ease, but including their "friend" might get you some of their best smiles as the child interacts with them. Additionally, you might also get more natural poses as they focus on playing with their toy or pet. Once they are more comfortable being in front of the camera, you may gently remove their "friend" should you want to shoot some pictures of the child without any other elements.

3. Pre-plan your group 

Time is crucial in photoshoots, especially when there are children involved. The longer the family photoshoot takes, the more tired and distracted the family becomes. Hence, to avoid shooting them while their energy level is low, you can decrease wasted time and prioritise your pose options by pre-planning how the family would look best. For example, there are several group options you can organise the photoshoot into; parents, mom and children, dad and children, children by themselves, and the whole family together. If the photoshoot is about celebrating the birth of a new child, then make the baby the primary focus. Pre-planning your group will help you get into a smooth photoshoot flow.

4. Vary your poses 

You can make the photoshoot more fun by asking the children questions like "how do you like to keep your hands warm," "how do daddy and mummy sit or stand," "what makes your siblings laugh," etc. You can also get the family to move in certain ways, play copycat, follow what you do, or freeze in a funny position. Knowing what you want to achieve at the end of the photoshoot helps you to decide the type of poses you want the family to do. When you are clear about the poses, it is also easier for the family to follow your instructions.

5. Family hobbies

You can also get the family to share with you their favourite past-time or hobbies they like to do together. For example, if the family enjoys playing tennis, you can get them to bring their gear to the photo shoot. Or perhaps, the children enjoy drawing, then bringing their colour pencils, and some paper could serve as a cute time as you shoot them drawing pictures of their parents. At the end of the day, a natural family photo shoot is about personalising and tailoring it towards the family. That way, you are able to achieve a more authentic shoot.

6. Accessories or costumes can add a unique touch

Playing around with costumes and accessories can indeed help to add a unique and fun touch to the photo shoot. Allowing the children to put on costumes certainly will make them excited and enthusiastic, which will help to add energy to the photos. Additionally, you could also get the children to dress up in what they hope to be in the future. For example, a toddler dressing up as a pilot.

Conclusion

These six methods can help you master family portraits and boost engagement and elevate the vibrancy during the family photoshoot. Remember, a fun and positive shooting environment will bring you more authentic smiles and poses for a more natural photo shoot. A family photoshoot can be less posed and more candid. 

Nevertheless, if you are looking to rent a photo studio space to conduct your photoshoots or looking for professional photographer services, Crio Collective is the place to look at. We are a photoshoot studio in Singapore that offers a wide range of photo and video services. For more information, do visit https://www.crio-collective.com/.