I am usually working during traditional ‘family photo season’, so our family photos are always done when we are on vacation, to capture holiday memories. Before we left Alberta, I wanted to get family photos of us with the Edmonton skyline in the background, because there is no better time of year there than the summer!
This is what a photographers’ family photoshoot looks like! It involves the photographer patiently asking their family to stand still and look at the camera first, so they can setup their lighting and check for funny shadows on faces. Notice how awesome my family is at this? Our dog is FABULOUS at looking almost in the right direction. 🙂
Then, after getting the lighting right in place, pre-focusing the camera and doing a test shot (without me in it), I either :
- Use a self timer and tripod and run like hell.
- Use a stand-in body to be physically right behind/beside me, grab the camera to where i held the focus frozen at and push the button. This involves much running back and forth by the photographer to make sure the shot is framed and in focus. Very similar to the tripod except the stand in can accidentally move and the shot is out of focus.
Of course, when I join my family, we all stand up nice and tall and smile beautifully. Not!
It also helps if your dog is realllllllllly interested in chasing rabbits, and you point and yell, “Whats that?” two seconds before the shot and luck out getting your dog to look.
If a pet looks at the camera, thats plain luck. Being a portrait photographer shooting pets often means you are happy if pets look anywhere BUT backwards, or does anything other than clean themselves.
With my kid, this lady here in black is my awesome camera stand for the afternoon! My own mom (who else would volunteer to be a photographers light stand for Starbucks?).