At least once a year, usually Christmastime, my entire immediate family is all in one place, Home. With all of us spread out along the eastern seaboard pursuing various dreams and ambitions, it’s really nice to have everyone under the same roof and enjoying the holidays together. Last year, we decided to take our first ever professional full family photo. I know right! It took us a while to get that done {my brothers and I are all adults}. This year, my Dad {extremely photographic, but not in love with photoshoots like me – I’m working on him!} suggested that we take another photo. I was shocked. Shocked! Might I say, this may be a yearly to-do?? Ha! We shall see. After last year, I felt a lot more confident in my abilities to coordinate seven different personalities and styled looks to translate into several beautiful photos. Last year, we went with a plum & slate color palate with a naturalistic background. This year, I opted for a more regal theme: shades of mauve {OMG I’m loving mauve right now!}, black, and gold. The red velvet steps and antique gold door provided the perfect backdrop to top off the regality of our theme. I found these red velvet steps during my 29th birthday shoot and fell in love! Our friend Tina, as always, did an AMAZING job with our photos and we couldn’t be happier with how they turned out. I have received questions from a few friends on how to convince and coordinate photos with family members who may not love being in front of the camera. Here are my top tips for optimal family photo shoots under those circumstances:
– Set expectations from the beginning with the most important expectation being time. Most photo shoots take at least an hour. Explain the time commitment to your family and request that they block out that hour and do not plan anything soon before or soon after so that you can account for the unexpected.
– Explain to your family and photographer the different types of photos and groupings you have in mind. That way, your family will have an idea of what is going on throughout the shoot and will not feel as though they are haphazardly hopping in and out of the frame.
– Go with the flow and have fun! Your experienced photographer will know what he or she is doing. They know the best angles, lighting, and staging to use. Trust their vision too. Since the shots are from their perspective, it’s important that they think everything looks good too. Don’t over direct.
– Decide on outfits and color schemes well in advance before the photoshoot. You want to allow time for each family member to try on their clothes and ensure comfort. You also want to make sure that your vision flows and all the looks complement one another. When deciding on themes and looks, I like to think about colors that will not only mesh well together, but also look most flattering on my family. I also ensure that the clothing blends nicely with the backdrop. I like for photos to tell a story. The story we’re telling?? #BlackRegality #BlackExcellence
– Have fun! Play music if you can. Even provide food if you are indoors! Make everyone as comfortable as possible and allow family members to take breaks if need be. Relax, go with the flow, and get ready for excellent memories!
Xoxo,
Anya
Photos by Tina Smith
