Taking Family Portraits Outdoors

Taking family portraits outside is a wonderful way to have beautiful and fun backgrounds and get professional quality lighting for your picture. This is a favorite trick of many photographers because you can shoot outside without having to worry about studio lights, reflectors and external flashes.

If you are a beginner or the designated family photographer with a digital compact and built in flash, then taking your family portraits outdoors is the easiest way to get professional quality portraits, the type you'll want to display in picture frames.

The Best Natural Lighting for Taking Family Portraits Outdoors

Not all outdoors lighting is ideal. The worst time of day to take outdoor family portraits is mid day. The best times of day are what many photographers refer to as the "Golden Hours," the hour before sunset and after dawn when the light is softest and the shadows least harsh. The closer to these time frames you can take the portrait, the better.

Another good option is to wait for an overcast day when there's a high overcast, also called bright overcast. This provides enough brightness but with the kind of softness the pros spend money on soft boxes to get. If you can't get the timing to work out for dawn or dusk then you should find even shade that isn't too dark.

Settings for Outdoor Portraits

The obvious choice and perhaps the best choice is the family's backyard. Or you could also go to a park or favorite place where the family spends time and enjoys. If you go somewhere for your portrait, look for locations and times of the day that are quiet and not crowded.

You should also consider using a family activity or a hobby as a potential setting. If the entire family is into horses, a pretty pasture with horses nibbling on the grass with the family posed on and in front of a nice white fence could work quite well. If the family sails, consider the boat's deck.

Speaking of boats, a word of caution: if you decide to take any family portraits outdoors at places such as the sea, beach or snow, here are some things that can help: On a digital compact camera, use the "beach" mode or if you're using a DSLR or SLR use a polarizing filter. This will help to minimize the glare. If you want to minimize the shadows on the family, set the flash to "on" instead of "automatic.". Don't position the group where they will be looking into the sun otherwise they will all be squinting.

Like any picture you want to remove the clutter from the picture. Do you want to use the natural lighting of outdoors but want a plain background? Use a piece of fabric and drape it over fence to create a different backdrop. Look for lawn sprinklers, lamp posts or anything that could be a distraction in your picture.

If you want to decrease the focus on the background, use the "portrait" mode or set the Aperture Priority for a smaller depth of field.

On the other hand, you may want to pose the family so that yard features such as a beautiful tree or garden cottage are part of the picture. Just be sure to compose the shot with the focus on the family.

Regardless if you're taking family portraits for your family or someone else, use these portrait tips and you'll be sure to take a portrait that will be displayed proudly on the wall.