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Suzyana Ong In Casual Portraits, Family + Children Portraits, Portraits, Tips + Ideas

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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Bin Bin Tan In Casual Portraits, Family + Children Portraits, Maternity, Portraits, Studio

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!

Suzyana Ong In Casual Portraits, Maternity, Newborn, Portraits, Studio

Heirloom Session: Pamela & Christian

“I threw a party for my birthday in Concubine. One of my friends asked if she could bring her friend as I am “the more, the merrier” type, so I said yes. Little did I know… That night I noticed him (Chris) and thought he was good looking but that was it. We did not even talk that night. Fast forward to a month later, my friend insisted that him and I should meet so she arranged a dinner with her, another friend of hers, Chris and I. Long story short, my friend and her other friend left at 10:00 p.m. Chris and I stayed drinking and laughing until 1:00 a.m. 2 weeks later we were in Pangkor Island on our first vacation together ;)”

What a cute story from Pamela and Christian! They booked our Heirloom photo session, with two photo sessions within a year. For the first session, we photographed their maternity portraits, followed by their newborn session a few months later. However, you have the flexibility to schedule the second photo session anytime if you think you would like to capture other milestones! Contact us if you’d like to enquire about our Heirloom package!

Grace Tan In At Home, Casual Portraits, Family + Children Portraits, Portraits, Studio

Fun Ideas for a Family Shoot

Need ideas for a fun family shoot? Whenever we photograph kids, we think of play! That is the language of children, and the results? Casual, candid images that are authentic and fun! So the next time you plan for a family photo shoot, think of how you can incorporate play into your session. Bring some props or think of an activity that your children enjoy. It’s ok that the images are imperfect with sweat marks, what’s important is the memories that you have just created together as a family.

Chi Yin Tan In At Home, Casual Portraits, Family + Children Portraits, Portraits, Studio

What to Expect in a Family Photo Session

Planning to have a family portrait session and not sure what to expect? What is the usual flow for a family session? Would it work if we have kids, grandparents, and other smaller families in the same photo session?

Here is some information on what to expect in a family photo session:

1. Start the photo session with the important photo:

We frequently recommend beginning with a few of the larger family photos. It’s best to capture them first when everyone has the most energy. Also, we want to get them done before the kids get too tired or restless! Unless you have a different priority for the shoot, let us know!

2. Smaller group

After the big group photos, we can continue with some smaller group photos. We also try to prioritise kids first as they might get tired or distracted easily from the photoshoot session. We suggest getting most of their photos taken first – pictures of them with parents, grandparents, uncles and aunties, and also individual shots!