Family

The Best of Family Portrait Photography: Professional Techniques and Images

The Best of Family Portrait Photography: Professional Techniques and Images

Bill Hurter

Language: English

Pages: 128

ISBN: 1584281723

Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub


Artwork from 30 of the industry's top photographers is used to highlight both clearcut shooting strategies and colorful, cutting edge approaches to family portraiture in this handbook intended for idea gathering and inspiration. Advice on focal length, perspective, and maximizing the potential of digital equipment highlights the technical aspects of family portraiture while group posing strategies demonstrate how best to flatter each subject and convey a sense of family unity. A lengthy discussion of lighting—the backbone of portraiture—and the manipulation of shadows and highlights instructs photographers on how to create mood and interest in a variety of lighting scenarios, both indoors and out. Specifics on adjusting body lines, colors, and shapes, working with young children, and creating a comfortable atmosphere ensure that the photographer captures the unique personality of each family with dynamic and attractive images.

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true for large groups. Posing stools and benches allow the subject comfort, and also provide good, upright posture. These are fine for studio work, but what about outdoors or on location? You must find a spot—a hillside or an outdoor chair, for example— that will be comfortable for the duration of the shooting session. This will help your posing appear natural. If your subjects are to appear relaxed, then the poses must be typical to them—something they would normally do. HEAD-AND-SHOULDERS AXES

small size, they attract attention to themselves, particularly against dark clothing. They can be especially problematic in seated groups, where at first glance you might think there are more hands than there should be for the number of people pictured. This makes it a good idea to hide as many hands as you can. For men, have them put their hands in their pockets; for women, try to hide their hands in their laps. Flowers, hats, and other people can also be used to hide hands in group portraits.

static line of a straight leg. The back leg can remain straight. Have the feet pointing at an angle to the camera. Just as it is undesirable to have the hands facing the lens head-on, so it is with the feet, but even more so. Feet tend to look stumpy, large, and very unattractive when photographed head-on. When subjects are sitting, a cross-legged pose is sometimes desirable. Have the top leg facing at an angle and not pointing into the camera lens. With a woman who is sitting cross-legged, it is

illumination. Look at the environmental portraits by Bill McIntosh that are sprinkled throughout this book. In each of his outdoor portraits he uses a 50 watt-second barebulb flash to either fill in backlit subjects or to add a little punch to sunlit subjects when the sun is very low, as it is early in the morning or at sunset. Some photographers like to soften their fill flash. Robert Love, for example, uses a Lumedyne strobe inside of a 24-inch softbox. He triggers the strobe cordlessly with a

family looked “back then” and a document of the family’s growth as new generations are added. For the photographer, however, family portraits are a challenge that will draw on all of your skills. In this book, you will master the technical side of family portraiture—how to pose, light, and photograph family groups—as well as the creative elements that produce compelling group portraits. F FEATURES: Amherst Media PUBLISHER OF PHOTOGRAPHY BOOKS PO Box 586 Buffalo, NY 14226 www.AmherstMedia.com

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