Family portraits are a wonderful way of preserving family memories as the years go by.  And since family dynamics change so frequently, it’s important to take family portraits regularly.  You can almost tell a story just from looking at a series of family portraits taken over the years, seeing people arrive and others disappear.  Still, your family portrait could tell even more of a story if you get a little bit creative with it.

Get Out of the Studio

Instead of the usual boring, stuffed-shirt photo studio portrait, consider an action shot of your family involved in some form of activity together.  This could be whitewater rafting, cross country skiing or simply picnicking at the beach.  Photographs of this sort will tell much more about you as a family than some posed studio shot with a fake background.  You may even want to print your favorite picture on canvas and frame it.

You can hire a professional photographer, or bring along a friend who’s good with a camera – and has a good camera.  Many adventure type of venues have their own photographer.  Call ahead of time and inquire about their qualifications, and let them know you’re interested in a professional, high resolution photo.

Speaking of High Resolution

Most digital cameras allow you to select different resolutions for your photos.  A 10 megapixel camera, for instance, will allow you to take photos as dense as 10 megapixels, or 10 million pixels, but it will also allow you to select a lower resolution in order to fit more pictures on your memory card.

Most people will tell you that 5 megapixels is plenty high enough resolution for a lovely 8 by 10 portrait, but if you use the 5 megapixel setting and decide to crop out 1/3 of the picture, now your picture is considerably smaller and will lose resolution when you blow it up for your portrait.  Also, you may want to put your favorite picture on canvas later, and that canvas may be considerably larger than 8 by 10 inches.  Use the 10 megapixel setting and get a bigger memory card.

Take Your Portrait at Holiday Gatherings

It’s difficult to get everyone together for a family portrait, so why not take advantage of your favorite holiday.  If you have one gathering at one particular time of year, whether it’s Christmas, Easter, someone’s birthday, or a family reunion, plan to take your family portrait then.  Everyone will already be dressed up and in a festive mood, and you can catch the family when they’re relaxed, happy and having a good time.

Whether you snap your family portrait during a family outing or vacation, reunion or holiday, you’ll get a much more natural picture that’s reflective of your family’s personality than with a posed studio portrait.