8 Tips For Photographing A Family Event

We all end up taking photographs at family occasions, and sometimes it can be hard to know what approach to take.

Here are my 8 Tips for Photographing a Family Event

1. Familiarize Yourself

Familiarise yourself with the venue when you first arrive. Scope out possible good locations for group photographs and identify any nice characteristics of the venue that will make for interesting photographs.

2. Key Players

Make sure you know all of the key family members and who they are, so you don't miss anyone out!

3. Get Chatting

Chat with people! Find out a bit about the group you are photographing and gather some background info to help put personality into the photographs.

4. It's All in the Detail

Take pictures of the details. People put a lot of effort into the finer aspects when planning a party, such as decorations, talking points, cakes, flowers, etc. Capture these moments so that they are remembered for posterity.

5. Group Shots

Go with the flow when it comes to group photographs. Some photographers try to limit the number of group shots taken as they can consume time, but they are also the ones that get framed the most and shared around the family. They're important! Vary the backdrop if you're doing lots, and keep the energy high. Take plenty of photographs of each group in rapid succession!

6. Go Outside

Get outdoors! If you're at a venue and find yourself stuck inside, try to get outside for a variety of lighting. The pictures will turn out better! Of course, this should be avoided if it's raining or too windy!

7. Look for Natural Light

Look for big windows. Many venues can be quite dark, so try to shoot near large windows and away from them to capture natural light. This saves you from using artificial flash lighting, which I personally don't prefer. I only use flash if there's no hope of any natural lighting whatsoever (like during a wedding disco).

8. Don't Be Shy

Get right in there for cake cutting, speeches, and key events. I don’t worry about people noticing me; their attention is on the family members and the event itself. Getting in close means you'll achieve great shots!