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Top Tips for Photographing Large Families: Capturing Timeless Moments

If you’ve ever been involved in coordinating a family photoshoot, you’d understand the challenges that comes with it. The larger the number, the more stressful it gets! As photographers who have photographed large families up to 40 people, it’s daunting for us as well. Posing large families and ensuring everyone looks their best requires experience and skills. In Malaysia, there are many festive seasons where a family portrait session becomes necessary. If you are trying to DIY a large family portrait at home, these tips will help you master the art of photographing large families!

1. Start with a plan

Before the photoshoot, communicate with the family to discuss their vision, preferences, and any specific poses they have in mind. Consider factors such as location, wardrobe choices, and the overall style of the portraits. Having a clear plan in place will streamline the process and ensure everyone is prepared.

2. Choose a location

Selecting a suitable location is essential for large family portraits. Outdoor settings with ample natural light, such as parks, gardens, or beaches, provide a beautiful backdrop and ample space for posing. However, it can be pretty humid and chaotic when you bring so many people outdoors, so make sure you set everyone’s expectations prior to the shoot. Alternatively, if shooting indoors, opt for areas with neutral backgrounds to avoid distractions.

3. Appoint a leader

A leader is tasked in coordinating and organizing the entire shoot from the start till the end, as well as communicating with all the family members and photographer to ensure a smooth session. Create a chat group so that everyone involved receives the same message and information about the photoshoot.

4. Arranging and Posing

When posing large families, it’s helpful to establish a hierarchy to ensure everyone is positioned appropriately. Start by placing the parents or grandparents at the centre of the group, with smaller family units positioned around them. This arrangement helps to identify the family’s structure more clearly. Instead of lining everyone up in a straight row, arrange family members in layers to add depth and dimension to the photograph. This technique creates visual interest and prevents the image from appearing too flat. You can place taller individuals towards the back and shorter ones towards the front to avoid blocking faces. Utilize props or natural elements like stairs or benches to add dimension to the scene.

5. Pay attention to details

Try to take the time to pay attention to details such as wardrobe coordination, hair and hand placement. Besides that, notice for any distracting elements in the background and make adjustments as necessary. Additionally, be mindful of facial expressions, body language, and posture to convey warmth and unity within the family. Avoid stiff, unnatural poses by encouraging relaxed and comfortable stances. Guide family members to lean towards each other slightly or make physical contact to convey closeness and affection.

6. Experiment with different angles

If you have a really large family like the one below, and find it really hard to get a location to fit everyone, you can try to take a top angle shot! Everyone can be standing on the same level, but as long as they can see the camera, their faces will be seen.


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Family Portraits at Perdana Botanical Gardens

The Perdana Botanical Garden is quickly becoming the go-to-park for our clients! It’s situated in KL City with quite a few of parking spaces available which makes it convenient. It is a really beautiful and family-friendly park that’s perfect for cycling, running, exploring and simply just enjoying the surrounding nature. We have been here hundreds of times, and we never get tired of this beautiful park! There’s also plenty of other parks around the Klang Valley that we have photographed, in case you’re looking for a park that’s closest to where you live.

Josiah chose this park for his family photo shoot. After all, being a three-time Olympian cyclist, he loves being outdoors and doing fun, active things with his family. I had such a fun time with Josiah and Nattha. I am so glad that they love candid shots focusing on play. When you remove expectations for a family portrait to be so posed, perfect, and flawless, you’ll get more natural images that are filled with warmth and connection.

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A Christmas Family Portrait

Christmas isn’t just a date on the calendar; it’s a feeling—a feeling of warmth, love, and togetherness. But beyond the aesthetics, Christmas is about fostering connections. It’s a time when families come together, sharing stories and laughter. It’s about creating memories—whether it’s baking cookies with loved ones, singing carols together, or simply enjoying each other’s company. It’s a great time to gather for family portraits, as almost everyone is in holiday mode (whether or not you actually celebrate Christmas!). If you haven’t scheduled your year-end family photo session, remember to contact us quickly, as peak holiday dates are filling up fast.

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Family Portraits at Embun Luxury Villas, Janda Baik

We love to explore new places, especially if the places are a hidden gem! It’s so wonderful that Malaysia has so many beautiful resorts scattered across the country but what’s even greater is that we have places like Janda Baik which is only an hour drive from the city. This time, we visited Embun Luxury Villas at Janda Baik for the first time! It is a beautiful resort, with a lot of corners for family portraits. We began the shoot at 4pm and spent about 2 hours taking photos around the premise, thankfully, the weather was amazing!

There’s actually a number of beautiful resorts at Janda Baik that are perfect for a family reunion, birthday celebration and as a photo shoot location! We’ve photographed families at The Acres Resort and at Tiarasa Escapes. Both resorts are also highly recommended if you’re looking for a short escape from the city with slightly cooler weather and luscious greens.

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Types of Backdrops in Our Studio for your Family Photoshoot

Although we love doing photoshoots outdoors (check out our article for best parks) and at our client’s homes, we understand why you might prefer a studio session – it’s more comfortable, convenient, plus it has air conditioning! You won’t even need to do housekeeping, we’ll get the space sorted for you before you arrive! A studio photo session can be ideal for those reasons, but it doesn’t have to be generic. You can inject your own personality and flair to the shoot by selecting a backdrop to match your style. Below are the options available should you choose to do a session in our studio. 

1. Plain or classic backdrop

If you’re those looking for a timeless and classy look, you can opt for a plain studio backdrop. We have backdrops in white, grey and black.  You will also have the choice of shooting with our studio’s brown walls if these colours don’t work for you. 

To help decide on your backdrop colour, plan your outfits and look in advance to ensure your clothes match with the background. The colour of the backdrop can influence the final outcome of the pictures – for classy vibe, opt for a darker background or choose a lighter background for something simple and versatile.

 

2. Lifestyle

Lifestyle photography involves more authentic background settings – think contemporary furniture and even plants! At our studio we have a variety of couches, rugs, pillows and blankets that you can incorporate into your shoot. These items will give a cosy feeling and will lend a more natural look to your photos. Plus they make the shoot more comfortable! 



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