3601 S. Congress Ave Bldg. A Suite 100 · Austin, TX 78704 · (512) 474-8484 · (512) 416-8483 fax
dneuse@davidneuse.com
3601 S. Congress Ave Bldg. A Suite 100 · Austin, TX 78704
· (512) 474-8484 · (512) 416-8483 fax
dneuse@davidneuse.com
Guidance for Family Shoots
When scheduling a family portrait session, you can also schedule a pre-session consultation if you desire. If not, here are some things you will want to consider.
1. Attitude- Remember that when you are photographing people, you are photographing thoughts. What people are thinking when the shutter clicks is what you will see on their faces in the portrait. It is important that everyone in the portrait really wants to do the portrait session, or at least is willing to have a positive attitude during the session. As silly as this may sound, it is the biggest source of problems in family portrait sessions. Discussing this with each member of the family is important. It may also be a reason to limit the number of groupings (often just one). Some members of the family may want to get the session over with quickly.
2. Style – It is important to determine the style of portrait prior to the shoot. Most of our family portraits are done in one of two styles. (Please refer to examples on our website) The most common style is full body “on the floor”, usually in black shirts and jeans. Next most common is closely posed head and shoulders, usually with dark clothes, dark background. If neither of these are what you are looking for, please discuss this with us ahead of time. There are some other things we can do, or you may prefer for us to recommend a location photographer to do your session at Zilker Gardens, Laguna Gloria Art Museum, or even at your home.
3. Wardrobe – Most photographers prefer to photograph families “in uniform”. It is difficult enough to come up with a pleasing composition without having to worry about getting proper balance between different wardrobe colors and styles. Matched wardrobe ties the group together. Mixed styles separate people and often result in imbalanced or conflicting colors in the portrait. Dark, solid, soft fabrics are best, even if just black T-shirts and jeans (actually our most popular look). Light fabrics or stiff, crisp fabrics show wrinkles badly.
4. Color vs. Black and White – If this matters to you, certainly discuss this with us ahead of time. It may influence decisions on lighting and sets.
5. Sub groupings – The fewer the sub-groupings, the easier it is to focus on getting the best out of each grouping. Most family sessions in our studio involve one to three groupings. Just throwing people in front of the camera and snapping the shutter does not produce a quality portrait. Good portraits are the result of careful considerations of a combination of items such as pose, lighting, attitude and focus of subject(s) and photography. To do this correctly usually takes time. Also remember the mental focus and attitude of family members may not last if you try to achieve too many things. Try to prioritize your desires.
6. Makeup – If there are more than one females in the group it is important to have similar makeup styles. For example, don’t mix non-complimentary lip colors. Conservative makeup is usually best. Try to avoid skin moisturizers or anything that would cause shine (including lip gloss). We have never had anyone complain about their skin or lips looking dry in their portraits. Everyone, including the male members should powder their faces immediately prior to the session. This can be done in our studio using our makeup room. You may want to talk to us about scheduling a makeup artist to be here to provide touch ups. READ HERE FOR TOUCH-UP GUIDELINES
7. Timelines – Your appointment time is the time we expect to start shooting, so try to be a few minutes early. If you are running a little late getting everyone ready, please call. We may need to reschedule. You don’t want to go through the trouble of getting everyone ready and rushing to the studio only to find we do not have time to do the shoot.