I’m so honored to be able to photograph large families every year. Every summer and holiday season I get large families to come out for a photo shoot. These are the times that we gather. I come from a family of six children, so I’m used to huge groups of people, and all the chaos that comes from that. I actually love it, and find it to be so much fun. There’s usually a funny uncle in the back cracking jokes, a stressed out mom trying to make everything perfect, a group of kids running around, and at least one toddler crying. So how do I manage to get everyone together and smiling for the large family photo? Here are just 5 quick tips.

1. DON’T EXPECT PERFECTION

   When you have a huge group of people everyone can’t be perfectly smiling all of the time. That’s ok! You will look back on the photos and want to see your family member’s personalities. You’ll laugh at little Johnny’s pouty face. You’ll think it’s funny that uncle Fred is standing on his tippy toes trying to be the tallest. Those things add to the story. Of course you definitely don’t want closed eyes or someone not visible in the back, but let the personalities come out. I take lots and lots of photos to have options for head swaps (a common occurrence in my editing of large groups). I also like to have lots of options for you to choose from.

2. WEAR SIMILAR COLORS

   I advise my clients to choose 2-3 colors they love, and have everyone mix and match those colors in their family’s clothing. If you’re hanging these photos in your home, be sure to choose colors that will look good with your decor. You don’t want everyone dressed in pastels except aunt Sally who is wearing neon green. That’s not a good look. Is everyone on a tight budget? There’s no need to buy all new outfits. Choose neutrals, like black, grey, and white, or denim blue with a pop of one color. Stick with solid colors, except for one member of each family who has a pattern that incorporates all of the colors. If everyone was wearing a pattern it would be too overwhelming.

3. I SUPPORT BRIBING THE KIDS

   I definitely don’t want to tell anyone how to parent their children, but bribing works at photo shoots. Start by telling the kids you’re going to hang out with the family, and your friend Julie is going to be there to take some pictures. Tell them that this is important to you to document your family’s history. It should be a fun time together. Do NOT threaten them before hand telling them they better be good or else. That will make the kids wary of the situation, and automatically think it’s going to be horrible. Instead, plan a fun activity for after the photo shoot. You’ll all be looking so good you may want to go out to eat, get some ice cream, or go play at the park, or go swimming. Choose something they love to do so they look forward to going to the photo shoot, and what comes afterwards.

4. MAKE IT FUN

   The goal of the photo shoot is to have everyone smiling, and looking like they love each other. Nobody wants fake smiles. We need genuine, happy, loving smiles. When this is happening your whole body language changes, and you’ll lean closer to each other, and make it look natural. How do you make that happen? You know your family the best. Come ready to make everyone laugh with funny stories from the past. Crack inside jokes, compliment each other, and tell the people there why you love them. Don’t make fun of your family members, or make them feel bad about themselves. Make it a fun experience for everyone.

5. WHAT GROUPINGS ARE INCLUDED?

   I love to do the whole group first if everyone is already there. This breaks the ice, and gets you more familiar with me. Everyone is usually fresh and ready to go. This is also the most difficult image to get, so it’s nice to get it done first. After that I love to photograph the grandparents alone, with their kids, their kids and the in-laws, with their grandkids, etc. The individual groupings will vary depending on your family dynamics, but I also take pictures of each individual family, and couples. This is something we will talk about before the session. Be sure to let me know if you have any special requests.

I’ve been doing this long enough to know that these large family photos are something that will be cherished forever. These images will be an important part of your family’s history. You will look back on them and remember the experience. so let’s make it a great one!

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