 Desiree C. Preckwinkle |
Background for Family Photo Shoot? I was asked to do a family photo shoot with 6 or 7 people and a baby. The problem is, though, they want it taken at their house, and I don't have much to work with in the way of a background. They have just a few bushes and shrubs. I have a 28-100 lens and a 70-300. Any suggestions on how to approach this would be great. Thanks, Desiree
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Justin G. |
If they have nice grass (not brown and dead) and you have a ladder, you could shoot from the top of the ladder. Make sure there is a little space behind them - 20 feet to 30 feet. And if you shoot from a slight distance with your 300 on the ladder, you should get a nice green background.
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Raymond H. Kemp |
If they have a nice large living or family room, that would work too, which was where I shoot 90% of my family photos. I try to use a focal point as the background, such as a fireplace. Then I clear away the coffee table and anything else that can be moved easily that is in the center of the room. Take a nice formal chair - or even an ottoman - and move it in front of your background. Position the chair at a slight angle to the camera. Now start to position your subjects with some sitting on the floor (kids are great for this) and others on the chair, around and behind it. Try to form a nice balance. Someone like a grandparent can take the chair and if it has a large sturdy arm you can position someone to partially sit on that. You’ll be surprised how many people you can start to fit into this kind of set-up. Sometimes I’ve used the fireplace with a fire in it so it can be seen in the background, and positioning a lamp or two in the shot with the lamp on adds warmth to the image. To pick up the incandescent lights and fireplace, you may need a tripod to shoot at a slower shutter speed to pick up the lamps and fireplace. And sometimes I bounce a strobe off a gold reflector to cast a warming effect as well. This is popular for holiday family images. Just something that has worked for me in the past! Ray
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