Out Door Stuff

Family Portraits: How to Take Portraits Outdoors

Why take family portraits outdoors? Besides the potential for beautiful or fun backgrounds, photographing outside provides the opportunity to use natural lighting. If you are a professional photographer or serious enthusiast then you know that the external flash, studio lights and reflectors work to mimic the beauty of natural light.

If you are new to photography and have a digital compact and built in flash, then taking your family portraits outdoors is the best way to get professional quality portraits that you’ll want to proudly display in a picture frame in your home.

The Best Natural Lighting for Taking Family Portraits Outdoors

Not all outdoors lighting is ideal. The worst time of day to take outdoor family portraits is mid day. The best times of day are what many photographers refer to as the “Golden Hours,” the hour before sunset and after dawn when the light is softest and the shadows least harsh. The closer to these time frames you can take the portrait, the better.

Another good option is to wait for a cloudy day when there is bright overcast light. This provides enough bright light and is the kind of softness professional photographers spend money on soft boxes to get. If the timing doesn’t work out for any of the above, find shade that isn’t too dark.

Settings for Outdoor Portraits

The obvious choice and perhaps the perfect choice is the family’s backyard. Or you could take your family portraits outdoors at a place the family enjoys like a park. If you go away from home, look for times of the day that the location you choose is the least crowded.

You should also consider using a family hobby as a potential setting. If the family loves horses, a green pasture with horses in the background and the family posed in front could work well. If the family sails, consider the boat’s deck.

Speaking of boats, a word of caution. If you decide to take outdoor family portraits on a beach, on water or in the snow, select the beach mode on a digital compact or if you use a DSLR or SLR, use a polarizing filter. This will help with the glare. Set the flash to “On” instead of “Automatic” to help reduce shadows on the family. Don’t face the family towards the sun or they’ll be squinting.

As with any photo, be sure to remove or hide clutter. Do you want to use the natural lighting of outdoors but want a plain background? Tack a piece of fabric to a fence. Check the lawn for sprinklers and behind the family for things that might be distracting, like a lamp post.

If you want to diminish the overall background, use the Portrait mode or set your Aperture Priority for a smaller depth of field.

On the other hand, you may want to pose the family so that yard features such as a beautiful tree or garden cottage are part of the picture. Just be sure to compose the shot with the focus on the family. And, whatever background you choose, select a picture frame that complements your portrait. For example, if you setting is at the Museum of Modern Art, you probably want to go with a more modern metal picture frame than an old fashioned antique looking frame.

Whether you’re taking outdoor family portraits of your family or someone else’s, use these portrait tips and you’ll be sure to take a portrait that will be proudly framed on the wall in a special wooden picture frame.

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