Extended Family Portraits in Highland Park
Extended Family Portraits in Highland Park
During the week of Thanksgiving, this family joined together to have portraits taken. They were celebrating the first day of Hanukkah on the day of their portrait session. What a nice way to gather with family at the beginning of a holiday.
Many families ask what they should wear and how the session will flow, so this blog will explain the process for extended family portrait sessions.
Wardrobe is Key! Choose a color scheme that incorporates at least three colors. This family did a great job of wearing jewel tone clothing. All of the colors are warm and complementary. Family members can mix and match the colors used. It’s best to avoid neon colors and busy patterns. Along with colors, make sure all clothing fits well and everyone has proper undergarments, socks, and shoes. Grooming is important as well- nails should be clean, beards trimmed, and hair groomed- you get the idea. For wardrobe ideas, click here.
Plan a list of shots. Have a “leader” in the family, usually the person who books the session, make a list of family shots. Extended family photos always include the large group. Making a list of smaller group photo arrangements is very helpful. Think about portraits with cousins, grown siblings, grandchildren, etc. It is nice to have the list ready, so we make sure to capture all of the special relationships and generations.
Communication is Key. Large groups usually arrive in different cars and different households. Communicate the time and location. Being punctual is very important in optimizing your portrait session.
How long is the session? The majority of large group sessions take sixty minutes. This allows the time to photograph all of the combinations of family members. Each family unit usually has their family portraits taken in addition to the large group. The length of time taken will ensure there are a variety of images to view in the proof gallery.
Click here to view an extended family portrait session in Richardson, Tx.
