It Seems I have a photoshoot....I'm scared

[NicoleScraps]

Let me preface this by saying, I am not a professional. I do not have the skills, knowledge, or equipment to even consider charging people for photographs. I am...I don't know. I take photos of my family, friends, and my personal surroundings and for the most part, that is all I really want to do, but I'd like to do it well.
I live in a very small town and most people assume that since they see me with a nicer camera, that means I must take really awesome photos. I get asked ALOT! Most of the time I say no, depending on the person. But one of my best friends asked me to take some family photos of her, her husband and three children. If I say no, she will not be going to a professional. They don't have a lot right now. She is a yoga teacher and her husband is an unemployed OSHA administrator. They have a little farm that helps, but they are clearly struggling right now.
So I told her that I would try, but I could not promise that the photos would be great.
We are going to take them outside because the thought of indoor portrait photography scares me to death. I KNOW I do not have the right stuff for that. Their farm is quite lovely. I have a lot of beautiful scenery to use as backdrops, tall tall trees, a stream, mountains in the background, hillsides, fields, you name it.
I have so many questions that I don't even know where to start. Any advice? Just scrap of wisdom that I can use as a starting point would be wonderful. I have my camera, Canon EOS Rebel T1i, I have the two lenses that came with it, 18-55 and 55-250, and I have a really nice tripod. That's it. I think I would like to spend some time on their property beforehand, taking test shots with different camera settings. Is there a time of day that is preferable for outdoor photoshoots? Do you have ANY information that might help me out? I would like for these to be good photos. I know they won't be outstanding. I just don't have the skills. But we'll all be happy with good. TIA

[SusanH1970]

Here is a mini-tutorial I wrote in another thread, hope it helps you out with some basics:

First Portrait Session

Also, don't pose them all in a row or facing straight-on. Have them angled and at different heights.

Read up on the Exposure Triangle if you're not familiar with it.

Have them in coordinating outfits - not necessarily all matching, but nicely coordinated. Avoid crazy patterns/logos/etc., have them stick with classics.

Hope this helps you out!

[MonaShieldPayne]

Hey Nicole,

I've been shooting professionally for years, and I still get nervous with each of my shoots. So welcome to the club, lol. I read Susan's tips and they are great. I'll add a few things I try to keep in mind....

1) Shoot around 10 am or 3 pm to avoid that hot sunlight flat on top of the heads

2) Look for full-shaded areas where you'll have balanced shade on their faces. However, avoid super bright backgrounds because if your camera is exposing automatically, it will see that bright light and your subjects' faces will be exposed darker. So try for green in the background... just something to break up the brightness. I do shoot individuals in full sunlight, but I try to have them look away from the camera. Try everything

3) I tend to use my on-camera flash (you'll probably have a pop-up), but I turn it down quite a bit just to get a fill light on their face and catch lights in their eyes (the sparkle of light which makes people look happy). Since you'll use a pop-up, try to shoot in TV or AV. This will tell the camera the flash is only for fill not for the entire environment, which happens in P. In full sunlight in P, your flash wouldn't even pop up. So you'll have to manually pop it up in TV or AV.

4) I normally shoot in TV and try to shoot with a higher shutter speed to avoid blur and to aim for low depth of field. This stops the little munchkins' movements and blurs the trees, etc. Keep in mind, adults move a lot too. They like to talk, so maybe your subjects will just smile I use F 5/6 - 8 for a group to ensure everyone is in focus. 2.8 is awesome for one subject and blurring the background. If you use 2.8 on three subjects, the one furthest in the background will be blurry.

5) I like to shoot down low and over my subjects to give a different perspective. Straight-on shots can be boring, even though you have to shoot some. Also, try placing the subjects on one side of your frame (rule of thirds).

6) Have fun. The more fun you are having the less you'll be nervous and your subjects will relax. Also, digital is free. Shoot as many as your subjects will tolerate. I always tell my clients... I shoot a ton and feel free to tell me when you've had enough; otherwise, I could shoot for hours.

7) Oh, almost forgot... if you don't know this already, learn to place your focusing spots on the portion of the photograph you want to focus. Avoid letting the camera focus wherever the red spots land. It takes more time to focus this way, but it is the only way to have control of your image.

I hope these off-the-cuff thoughts help some. If you want, check out my web site under portraits, especially family, the composition and lighting might help you come up with ideas.

Good Luck, Mona

[NicoleScraps]

Thanks so much! These are great tips. I am going to study them all.

[SusanH1970]

Mona, those are great tips, thanks for adding them!

Nicole, best of luck. Please come back and post some photos after the shoot!