Tuesday, August 16, 2011

How a Photographer Get's Family Pictures

"We need to get a family picture." "Our last one was over a year ago" (or longer- eek!!)! Being a photographer these are things I often hear and lately they had been coming from my mouth.

But when I am the photographer how do I get a picture of my own family? I mean it probably would be best for me to be in our family photo.

I had talked with a couple of friends who also are photographers and we have talked about exchanging services- but then I remembered that groupon I had ordered- that expired on Monday. No time to set anything up with anyone.

So instead, I filled up the entire bed with lots of clothes- found outfits for everyone- grabbed my tripod and headed to a local park.

Oh and I don't have a remote for my Canon 5D- so this shoot involved lots of pushing the button and running to get in the picture before the timer went off. In the end I'd say I got a few good shots.
The picture that is going above our fireplace
(I totally had to cloan out my sunglasses as I forgot to take them off the top of my head before this picture-opps)



It was pretty windy- but I still like this one

So while I am still itching to get a real family shoot where all I have to do is smile and look pretty, I was happy with how these turned out.

When did you last get your family picture taken?

27 comments:

  1. I'm so bad, it was when Wyatt was a baby and it was taken at Walmart... this is on my radar right now since Edy just turned one and I thought I could join the two things in one photo session.

    Your family pictures are great!

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  2. They came out so cute! I really adore the one you're choosing to put over the fireplace!

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  3. I think they turned out great! I need to get a tripod, so I can do this, too!

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  4. Those are gorgeous. I totally wish that you lived in my city so that you could take our family photo. Ours is about 2 years old.

    Yikes.

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  5. Those are GREAT!!! Wow!! Your family is so stinking adorable and with pictures like those you don't need anyone taking more of you, you did a great job! It would be hard for me to choose any one of those would look perfect above your fireplace!

    Nice job!

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  6. Your photos turned out great!!!
    We haven't had a family photo since LB was 2 weeks old! I've been wanting to get one done since she's a year already!

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  7. I can't believe you took these by running back and forth! Wu! They turned out great! I've taken our own before, but I used a remote . . . Much easier!

    Nice work!

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  8. My dad who is a photographer did the set and run thing a lot with our family photos. We last had a family picture taken kind of like you, just on a random day when we decided to just go take one so we'd have one. Nothing set up, just asked my dad one sunday while we were visiting. Let's just say that my kids were less than cooperative. John and I look beautifully posed and the kids look, well, like kids. Grumpy face, arms crossed for Margaret and crying trying to run away for Nathaniel. Looking at it makes me laugh because it's so their personalities. This happens every time we try to take pictures with them. I think candid family photos are the way to go for us. They're not so good at sitting still, looking at the camera, smiling on command, etc.

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  9. Wow you did a great job! Family photos are hard to come by for me too.

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  10. So cute!

    We had ones done 2 years ago- we need to do another soon!

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  11. Well you know who my photographer is. As there is no other like her. ;) And it's been almost a year! Sheesh where does the time go???

    Love that you had to blot out the sunglasses. I love being able to do that. haha.

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  12. These turned out really great! I actually went out with my family recently and did a photo shoot with the tripod except mine didn't turn out that great. I wanted to take individual pics and then family pics..I wish they came out better. I keep meaning to post them but I have so many pictures...lol.

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  13. That is always the issue with photographers! Mark is never in the pictures. We've done the whole timer thing and the remote thing- but I never get the emotion I want out of those. So the last time we got family photos we traded with another photographer we knew. That was almost 2 years ago and so we are planning on trading with another photographer this fall!
    Can't wait to get an actual photo as a family of 4! (I think we only have one right now!)
    Now if I could just loose all my baby weight by then! Hmmm..... ;)

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  14. Oh and P.S. your pictures turned out great! YOu would never guess you had run back and forth!

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  15. I love your pictures!! They are all great. I have a friend who is a photographer and she takes awesome pics, so we just had our most recently family pic done a couple weeks ago!

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  16. Last time was when Brennan was one and max was in my belly we're def behind!

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  17. These are beautiful! I saw them on fb and thought the same! I can totally imagine you running back and forth!

    Our last family photo was a bit over ten years ago! Perhaps it's time once again!!

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  18. Those are amazing. Come work in UT, okay? We got ours done last year, and we need to do it again, this year. I want to do a yearly photo shoot. Talking my husband into it may be hard, but I really would like to.

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  19. We took the whole fam to Sears! My SIL was not happy and almost refused to participate. A couple of months ago I needed a new pic of the family for a kid project. Rather than arrange something, I had one of my girls photoshop the baby into the existing. It looks a little silly, but it worked.
    Sandy

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  20. I am completely amazed that you did these yourself! You would never guess if you didn't tell us!

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  21. Those are awesome.

    I love how Eric is crouching or sitting in every picture! I guess when you're that tall, you have to do that!

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  22. I think those shots are pretty darn amazing (but I also think that the odds are in your favor with a photogenic family like that :)

    And I would totally be that person who leaves their glasses on their head too, hee hee!

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  23. Totally impressed by your ability to get these photos without a remote! I would not have been able to get both my kids to look at the camera at the same time.... or at all! LOL

    I LOVE the first one so much! The rest are fantastic too! We really need to get some family photos. We haven't really gotten any since.... ummmm.... Lula Mae was about 18 months old. wow. Now I feel the need to get out my tripod! LOL

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  24. That is exactly how I have to get family photos too! It is tradition to get a photo for the xmas cards. Last years' did not turn out so good. I am hoping for better success this year. Do you know of any great places to take pictures from when you lived here?
    That first shot is SOOOO great!!

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  25. Those pictures are awesome! They turned out great...my favorite is the first one! You guys are a good looking family!

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  26. OH such great photos! And the background! GORGEOUS! We had our pictures taken back in 2009 before we were a "family". A friend was trying to get a business started so he cut us an extremely good deal, then did our engagement photos too. Now I do ours with our remote because timing and money usually :). Someday we'll have them done again... maybe ;)

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