Getting great holiday snaps of the family is harder than it seems, especially when nobody wants to model for you. Here are five things you can do to take better photos.
1. Have more fun
The most important thing to remember when making great family holiday pics is to keep having fun. No-one enjoys standing around in sweltering heat and being blinded by the midday sun. Try a more natural approach. Get involved in the activity in question and keep snapping. The nice thing about this is that the more pictures you take, the more people get used to you snapping away. This results in natural expressions and poses. The second you ask kids to pose, they’ll start hamming it up.
2. Shade is a friend
If you’re shooting in the middle of the day, look for shady spots for your subjects. People prefer shade to full sun and you won’t get scrunched-up faces for your shots. Hats are your enemy: in full sun, they throw nasty shadows across faces, making your exposures a nightmare.
3. Insure and use
There’s an old saying among professional photojournalists: ‘f8 and be there’. And this adage about getting into the action without fear of damaging your equipment applies equally well to family snaps. Insure the camera against all risks and put it through its paces. The harder the life of a camera, the better the pictures.
4. Carry your camera everywhere
The time for taking pictures is when you’re out and about, so don’t expect great photos if you leave your camera behind, only to pull it out when everyone is tired and hungry.
5. Look for the right light
Unfortunately, families tend to scurry indoors just when the light is getting interesting or can’t be raised from their sleeping bags to watch the sunrise. Plan adventures outside around these times. An early morning walk to the corner rocks or sundowner picnics jump to mind. If you make the effort you’ll be rewarded, particularly as people look better if they’re shot in softer evening and morning light.
