How to Take the Family Photo You Will Use All Year

One good family photo does an enormous amount of work. It becomes the card, the keepsakes, the gift for both sets of grandparents, and the picture on the wall for a year.

Getting it does not require a photographer. It requires about twenty minutes and a few decisions made in advance.

Shoot in the right light, which is not the brightest light

Bright midday sun is the worst light for faces. It comes from directly overhead, casting shadows in eye sockets and making everyone squint.

The good options are an overcast day at any time, open shade with the family facing out towards the open sky, indoors near a large window with everyone facing it, or the hour before sunset. All of these give soft even light that flatters faces and holds detail, which matters when the photo is later printed small.

Clothing: coordinate, do not match

Identical outfits look staged. Completely unrelated outfits look chaotic, particularly against a busy background.

Agree two or three colours in advance and let everyone choose within them. Avoid logos, slogans and small busy patterns, all of which become distracting noise at print size and date the photo precisely.

Small children: buy ninety seconds, not an afternoon

Young children have a very short window of cooperation, and most families waste it setting up.

Set the camera on a timer or a tripod, frame the shot, check the light, and get the adults positioned first. Only then bring the children in. You are aiming to use their entire attention span for photographs rather than logistics.

Burst mode is essential. Thirty frames gives you one where nobody is blinking, which is roughly the real hit rate.

Frame it for what you will use it for

This is the step almost nobody does, and it decides whether the photo works on keepsakes later.

Shoot the same scene twice: once wide with room around everyone, and once closer with faces filling more of the frame. The wide one suits a card and a canvas. The close one suits ornaments, mugs and anything small, where distant faces become unrecognisable. See photo ornaments.

Also shoot both landscape and portrait. It costs nothing at the time and saves an awkward crop later.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a proper camera?

No. A phone from the last few years is more than adequate, provided you shoot in good light and keep the original file rather than a shared copy.

How do I include myself in the photo?

A tripod and the timer, or a phone propped up with the volume button on headphones as a remote. Self timer runs of ten shots let you check and adjust without running back and forth.

What about pets?

Bring them in last, have someone stand behind the camera with treats, and accept that the dog will be looking somewhere else in most frames. Photograph them separately too. See pet gifts.

When should we take it?

Autumn. Early enough that the photo is available for cards and personalized gifts with time to spare, and late enough to look seasonal.

What if the family will not cooperate at all?

Take a candid instead. A photo of everyone doing something, slightly imperfect, ages far better than a forced arrangement where everyone looks mildly annoyed.

Soft light, two crops, thirty frames

That is the whole method. Then browse personalized Christmas gifts to put it to use.