Tips on How to Take Family Photos at Home – taking your own photos can be tricky but with the right camera settings your DIY family portraits will look professional.
How to Take Family Photos at Home
When I was a young girl, I loved looking through my parents photo albums. It was so fun to see what my sisters and I looked like when we were babies and tots. To this day it is one of my favorite things to do when I am home. There always seemed to be something missing though. My mom. She was always the photographer and never the subject. I vowed when I started having children that I would be in the photos. I want my children to look back on our memories and see me. Any chance I get I use my human tripod ( husband ) , a real tripod or get creative in different ways to place my camera for the best self portrait. That is what I will be discussing today, I want parents to get in the frame! Get creative! You and your children will treasure these memories. 
I shoot with a Sony A7ii and for lifestyle photos generally use my 28mm F2 Sony lens. It’s wide enough for our small space but doesn’t terribly distort anything. Along with my array of tripods, I come up with some pretty awesome setups.
My favorite and most typical setup is with the tripod and using my self timer. I’ve made sure to purchase a quality tripod that is in no way flimsy or weak. It needs to hold the weight of my camera and any bumps the kids might cause. Try different heights and angles. Peek behind a door frame like you’re peeking in on an intimate moment. Shoot through a plant for some interesting foreground. Pose in front of the window for silhouettes. So many options ! 
Another interesting and fun angle is from above the bed. There are many ways to do this but with my bedroom setup, I use the curtain rod. This is tricky and you have to trust that your curtain rod is securely anchored and that you also have a sturdy camera strap. I loop my camera strap behind the curtain rod and pass my camera through it. Then with a gorilla pod or other small tripod, the camera then sits out and away from the way and you can adjust the angle.
Finally, the whatever-steady-surface-you-can-find setup. I use whatever, countertops, dressers, the fireplace mantle, you name it , I’ve tried it. Just play around with what you have and don’t limit yourself. Get in the frame and make some memories. For some more inspiration go follow Self Portraits of Motherhood on Instagram an amazing page created just for us moms.
Camera Settings for Family Portraits
First of all I have a full frame camera which let’s in so much more light!
Second I bump my ISO up when indoors or in a low-light setting. . Since I have a full frame it handles a higher ISO much better.
Third I use aperture priority and kind of guess what I’ll need for the situation – and try that first.
Finally I have a remote trigger from my phone and can see if I’m in focus right from my phone, it’s pretty awesome and I can change a few settings right from there 
I shoot a Sony A7ii with a 28mm f2 lens for my indoor shots! It’s amazing!
DIY Family Photo Shoot Pose Ideas
- Reading a book together
- Watching TV together
- Doing a project together
- Laying in bed together
- Coloring together
- Look out the window together
- Cook/Bake together
See the pattern? Together.
Ultimately know when to call it quits as Simply Designing states! If not you’ll loose everyone in the process and it could end up a disaster! ha
Brooke is a mother, wife and photographer living in the beautiful state of Washington. Her children inspire her photography and she has a wonderful husband who’s encouraged her along the way. She has a passion for capturing everyday life and giving clients memories that last a lifetime.
Follow her on INSTAGRAM
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