6 Tips for Taking Great Family Photos

The time is fast approaching when families will gather to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. It's also the time of year when many families take their annual holiday photo card portrait. Since we get so many compliments on the photos we feature each year on William Arthur Holiday Photo Cards, we decided to use some of these sample images to illustrate six helpful tips for taking great family photographs this Thanksgiving.

(Left photo:) SETTING. Consider attractive backdrops: a stand of trees or a stone wall. This photo uses the porch as a nice framing device, with the background planters lending a holiday touch. For interior shots, arrange chairs and furniture to create an intimate setting. Remove distracting objects in the fore and backgrounds.

(Right photo:) ARRANGEMENT. Be comfortable with asking your subjects to move around to create a visually interesting arrangement. Getting folks seated helps relax them and gives options for people to sit on chair arms and allows others to stand behind them. Note how these chairs are turned toward each other, uniting the parents, with the children dispersed comfortably between them.

(Left photo:) COLOR. Consider asking everyone to dress in coordinated colors. They needn’t match perfectly, just suggest they dress in a “family” of colors, like holiday reds, or greys and neutrals. Unified colors are pleasing to the eye and add cohesiveness.

(Right photo:) FOCAL POINT. When photographing a multi-generational group, it can be nice to put elders in the center, with family sub-groups surrounding them.

(Both photos:) POINT OF VIEW. Getting up a little higher than your subjects pulls the group together, adds visual interest and is a flattering perspective.

(Both photos:) GET CLOSE. Encourage everyone to get close, then zoom right in. Chat and joke to keep them smiling and relaxed. Spontaneous laughter can show a family in its most authentic light, creating the perfect "imperfect" photo that reveals love and joy—what the holidays are all about!

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Photo credits: Photos 1-2: Kate Oelerich; Photo 3: Sharon Peavey; Photo 4: Chris Smith; Photos 5- 6: Kelly Roy; Photos 7-8: Paige Brown.