Shooting my first Family Portrait - and now I'm a wreck

[graciousness]

Ok wait, I've always been a wreck. Now I'm just more of a catastrophic bag of nerves.

A friend of ours had been asking me for months to take photos of her family. Actually, for almost two years now. I've dodged the request because I felt I couldnt' do the job. So when I took my camera and shot her son's 3rd birthday party (as a friend and without them having requested for it) and then I showed them the photos, she requested again for me to take their photos and would even pay for it. Ah, that birthday party was the one I god depressed about because I used P mode (my last thread).

Anyhoo, I can't keep refusing her anymore and told her I will do it (without pay) but set the expectations that (1) I don't do studio style shots and only worth with natural light; (2) I had not done a more formal group or family shot before. Well, of course she understands and is still dying for me to take their photos.

So that day is tomorrow.

The time had been set starting at 3 am at their backyard where it's shaded and then I have a couple of hours to play with (it's dark by 5-ish here in Sydney now) so I will still have get some golden hour, at least, if I need it.

I won't be using flash as there is no way I will use a gadget that I have no knowledge to use. I do have one, a 430x Speedlite, but I've never used it. I do, however, have a round silver reflector, one which I've never used. I think I even have a strobe thing (errrrrrrrrrr.....) but good god, I'm not even sure that it is or how to put it together, much more use it. I told you I have gears I don't bloody knwo what they're for (at my signature). It doesn't matter, as tomorrow is not the day to experiment. I will try out the reflector, though.

Even though I'm not being paid for the job, I am still treating it like one. But now I'm a nervous wreck and feels like pulling out, but then that would be stupid. It's an opportunity to flex my untrained muscles on subjects that are more than willing to be my victims and I would be a big dumba*s if find anymore excuse not to do this anymore.

I don't know why I'm here. Writing this thread. I think I'm so nervous I need to type and concentrate on something. My head hurts from reading so much if you find that google is broken or something, that would be my fault. Sorry.

Where you guys as much of a mess as I am when you first started out?????

[NicolaB]

lol - you are funny ;-)

Calm down. Remember she is asking you to take the photos because she loves your work. Don't try using equiptment you havent practiced with yet as it will send you into a tail spin - unless you are 100% comfortable with your camera and feel up to the challenge of getting out the reflector.

Relax, have fun with your friend and remember if the worst comes to the worst you can always try again tomorrow followed by a freindly bbq ;-)

Good luck. Let us know how you get on.

[graciousness]

Thanks Nicola My gut feeling says things will be ok and my friends will be happy with whatever comes out tomorrow. Their expectations and standards are different from mine, though, and I'm nervous because I feel like I'm the client here. I am the one who has be happy with the outcome.

I'm nervous because tomorrow will test and define how much I have really improved over the last 3 months when I really started seriously learning the ropes of photography. Before it was all P mode for 3 years.

I think it's because I'm so aware that it's my depth of field that will be my primary concern tomorrow as it will be four people in the photo. This has been my biggest weakness to date.

So, as you can see, this is why I'm nervous. I need to make sure that everyone is focused on the shot and I'm not sure if I know how to do that

[docxnoel]

Hi Graciousness, I have the same feeling before when I shoot my first bday party...as you told me, enjoy and bring all the best luck...I know you can do it..go go go and God Bless!

[zona5101]

you start shooting at 3am? yikes! Everybody is nervous on their first "serious" shoot. Just try & relax anyway. You might want to write down some ideas of how to pose them, maybe look though some images on the internet.... then in the thick of things when your brain freezes you can refer to your notes and get back at it. you'll do fine.

[graciousness]

Originally Posted by zona5101

you start shooting at 3am? yikes! Everybody is nervous on their first "serious" shoot. Just try & relax anyway. You might want to write down some ideas of how to pose them, maybe look though some images on the internet.... then in the thick of things when your brain freezes you can refer to your notes and get back at it. you'll do fine.

OOOOPPSS hehe....sorry Bruce, it's 3 pm!!!! See, I told you my brain is muddled

Yes, I've been sitting here thinking how I want them to pose. Gawd, I hate that - POSE - but it's something I have to live with if I am to get better eh. I have always preferred candid and natural shots. So you see, I told you this is really my first; it's a group AND posed.

Talk about notes - you just reminded me to make sure I bring the gears I need!! I have a tendency to forget. Like the tripod!!

Thanks Bruce and Noel.........I know, I'll try to relax. Do you have anymorphine???

[zona5101]

no morphine! Oxycontin
So posing , ya you want natural but you just need to coax them into natural. One thing to try and avoid is having any two people with their eyeballs on the same level. Have them positioned so all the heads are at different heights...build multiple triangles.

heres a short article with some basics...
How to Pose for Family Portraits

[MrJones]

the best advice I can give you is to use the internet and find tons of family poses. that's really easy to do.
then note the ones you like and keep them in mind when you are shooting them.
and a great advice I came across a few days ago: pose them and the set them free!
what I mean is, pose them as a group and then tell them that whenever they hear the camera click, change something subtle about their pose.. if that's a face, a smile, gesture with the hand.. whatever!
this way you'll get a nice series of photos that are a bit different for every setting.

regarding the flash and reflector, a reflector won't do you any good for group photos, only if you're going to take individual photos of them and you'll need someone's help so that's out of the question if you've never practiced it before.
the flash is quite simple to use, specially if you're going to shoot in program (P) mode.
I think you should shoot some photos with flash and some without on a test model, and then see what's the best way and continue to the actual photo shoot.

hope I've helped

[graciousness]

Darn, I was hoping you guys would just point me to do Awkward Family Photos. I'm almost tempted to persuade them to dress up for that purpose - I think they'll do it, too, you know, being lovers of themed parties and get ups.

Hmmmm.......

I have read that link the other day - cheers for that The rule of triangles was quite helpful, and now also your advice on not having eyeballs at the same level. Good stuff, Bruce!!

Mr Jones, that's what I was thinking about the reflector and I was wondering how it woudl work on a group. I was trying to imagine how the light, if possible, would be reflected on all of them evenly if they are all on different angles or planes. I couldn't imagine how it would work. So your advice answered that question in my head as I suspected!!

Yeah, I've looked and looked at articles and photos online. I think that's why I keep getting more discouraged. Been looking too much and getting intimidated....

I'm not planning on shooting P mode tomorrow. I don't trust my canon to do the depth of field calculation for me as I foudn that even with two people on the photo, it didn't work well. So it's AV mode for me and hope for the best.

[MrJones]

just one more thing, keep in mind that you want all of them to come out sharp and nice on the group photos so try and use a closed aperture of around f/8 or higher if you can.
to get the background still blurry, you'll need to pose them as far from the background as you can (the best is like an open field where the background is just far away)
that's about it.. good luck and most important - have a great time!