TAKING THE PERFECT FAMILY PORTRAIT

TAKING THE PERFECT FAMILY PORTRAIT IS A SNAP!

Sophie Elgort It’s that time of year again—everyone and their mom (literally) is looking to get family portraits done, for holiday cards (already!?) or maybe just their Instagram feed. Either way, I’ve seen great ones and also some not so great. Here are my tips on how to get the best possible shot. BY SOPHIE ELGORT

TIME OF DAY

To hit that good light, aim for either early in the morning (9 a.m.) or end of day (depending when the sun is setting). If you have children, early in the day might work better for you so your kids aren’t completely exhausted by the time golden hour rolls around. You can tell it’s a good time when the sun isn’t directly overhead; of course, if it’s a cloudy day, which diffuses the sun so there’s not such harsh shadows, you have more leeway.

DON’T LOOK TOO PERFECT

There’s something beautiful about that undone look, especially in the summer. Also if you’re on a beach, the wind is going to mess up your hair anyway and it’s better just to go with it than to fight it, trust me. And don’t try to make your kids look too perfect either; they’re kids so they’ll look gorgeous no matter what, and it’s more charming for them to look like the kids they are.

DITCH THE STATIC POSES

Move around and have fun with it! Your photographer should be directing you what to do (run! jump! dance!), but if he or she doesn’t, take it upon yourself to create some fun. Modeling is harder work than it looks. Do something unexpected! There are no bad ideas, and now with most people shooting digital, if something turns out terribly, it can be deleted, never to be seen again. What you want is that perfectly imperfect candid shot, and you can only get that by living those candid moments.

MAXIMIZING YOUR SHOOT!

Bring a change of clothes. Why not get in a few outfits and/or different locations while you’re at it? You don’t need too long in each one. And make each look classic, so the pictures are timeless. Try capturing different groupings within the family, too—just the kids, just the parents! Make sure everyone gets their own close-up, too. This doesn’t have to take long; just have the photographer come in on one person if they’re doing something great and there you have your new profile pic. T