Professional portrait photographer gives you the TLDR on how to take stunning pictures while stuck at home.
1. The best camera is the camera you have on you
Phone cameras might not be ideal, but not using them just because better cameras exist in the world is stupid, your phone can take a picture via voice command or screen grabbing from Facebook/Skype/Facetime and if bungee-cording a selfie-stick to a tree branch is what it takes to get the shot then so be it! No excuses! Make sure whatever camera you're using is taking the largest image it can, more information means a larger print size without looking bad. Whatever camera you use, learn to use it, if reading a manual isn't your thing watch a tutorial on YouTube. Your camera inevitably does more than you're aware of as far as burst shots, white balance adjustments, and focus adjustments. Play with it so when the time comes you know how to use your tools. Use a tripod or google DIY Phone Tripod for ideas if you're trying to be in the shot, timers and voice command are your friend.
2. Light matters more than megapixels
Soft light creates soft shadows which are more flattering. Overcast days, big windows with white drapes, and big white walls and ceilings are some of the many ways to find or make soft light. The larger the light-source in relation to the subject, the softer it is, the sun on a sunny day is bright but it is not a soft light source. On an overcast day the clouds become a much larger and easier to work with light-source. If you have to shoot in full sun or with hard light, put it to the back of your subject or find some shade, hard light beating on your face means squinting and major harsh shadows.The human eye is very good at being a camera, so good that I will often underestimate how much light I need. If it's too dark, your camera will compensate by adding digital noise which risks rendering your final product unusable. Create new lighting set-ups and take note of mood/color/contrast changes as you learn what you like and what you don't. The more people in a scene the harder it is to light them so make sure no one is hiding in the shadow of anyone else and everyone is evenly lit in comparison to each other.
3. Posing: Try it!
If it feels silly and uncomfortable, you're probably on to something. A good method is to make everyone think a silly pose is the picture you want, when really you want the moments afterwards when they let their guard down and smile for real. A variation is to make all the kids think you are trying to get a picture of them running towards/away from the camera when really they need to get some energy out before they can take direction. With toddlers or young kids that will refuse most direction I have to let them dictate major aspects of the photo-shoot and be prepared to move people into frame around them or else risk a melt down. Learn to roll with the punches, and let them call the shots for an hour or so, kids are typically worse at pretending to be happy than adults. Make a Pinterest board of family poses you like, sitting, standing, and something creative/fun you can emulate the day of when you're at a loss for where to start. Hold hands and make a circle, get into a tickle fight, do what it takes to loosen up. Asymmetry can make things look less fake, if one hand is in your pocket, try taking the other one out, if one hand is up high, put the other down low, one person looking at the camera, one person looking endearingly at the other person, and so on. Take way too many pictures, posing and prepping is part of what it takes, but striving to capture the moments in between shots will yield you candids you didn't know were possible. The more people in a scene the more likely someone is half-way through blinking or yawning or fighting with their little sister so give yourself as many opportunities for success as possible.
4. Outfits
Simple is better, let the focus be your faces not your clothes. Pretend you care about how you look together and use this as an excuse to dress up. Matching accent colors go a long way, a nice jacket gives you something to do with your hands to put you at ease, a well placed scarf or hat will do the same thing. Muted yellows or oranges go well with blue jeans. Pastels and muted tones that compliment each other, not necessarily match are great. Its mostly about avoiding clashing colors than it is about everyone wearing the same thing. Just keep busy patterns and logos out of it.
5. Composition tips
Foreground and background matters, distractions matter, leading lines should draw you in to the subject, negative space gives your eye a chance to breathe. Whether or not you crop off someones head, or hand, or foot can make the difference between a good picture and a bad picture. The camera shouldn't ever be lower than eye level unless highlighting someones double chin is your thing. Utilize different angles in relation to your background, spin around and find where the best spot is for your lighting scenario. Be deliberate with what your subject is and what is in focus. Reflections, shadows, and symmetry are all ways to influence how your viewer sees your subject. Take what you think is way too many pictures and look at them, make small changes and try again. When you find a lighting setup that works get a wide shot zoomed out and a tight shot zoomed in. Mentally prepare for this to take a while and set aside time to keep at it, give yourself a chance to get into. When you pick your best shots make mental note of tactics that worked and didn't work. Rinse, repeat, practice.
6. Have fun
If you don't it will show. Kids like food, bribe them. If they are on point, you need to be on point, it probably wont last so take advantage of it while it does.
You already have everything you need to take some stunning images, go out there and try!
