Taking Family Portraits During Vacation

Whether you’re traveling with just the kids or the extended family, getting some family portraits in during your next vacation can not only be fun, it’ll also result in a great keepsake everyone will love and a Christmas card that’ll have all your friends asking, where’d you take these great photos?

But we know what you’re thinking — it’s hard enough to get my kids to take a good photo on any old holiday, why would I want to wrangle multiple family members into a group shot and hope everything turns out? That’s why we’ve put together a few suggestions to make sure your family portraits are more fun than headache.

Hire a Professional

We can’t stress it enough. Don’t try to do it yourself. Yes, you can set the timer on your camera, but who’s making sure everyone in the shot actually looks, well, good? And you might have a friend with a fancy new photo setup, but are they actually that helpful — and how long will it be before they get around to editing your shots?

A professional not only will guarantee photos you look good in, but they’re fast, show up on time and have the right equipment. Plus, hiring a local photographer in your destination means they know the area well and can make recommendations on the best spots for taking family portraits. They know all the ins and outs, the rules for where you can or can’t take photos and what to expect, so there are no surprises.

Go for a Comfortable Look

Don’t force everyone into matching polos or implement a strict white-shirt, khaki-pants policy. Instead, find a color scheme you all like (and that’s flattering to the majority of skin tones and body types you’re working with) and let your family members take it from there. As long as everyone keeps it to the same level of casual, you should be fine and everyone will be comfortable wearing something they actually like and find flattering.

Relax and Have Fun

If you’re tense and aggravated in the photos, people will tell and that’s not the look you want your neighbors seeing on the Christmas cards. Have fun with your photo shoot, leave it all in your professional photographer’s capable hands and just act natural. Don’t try to pose everything or make it look like you’re the perfect family — just be yourselves.