Help me make this photo pop!

[The_Traveler]

The idea that the family needs to wear certain clothes to take a good picture is ludicrous. "Ok kids, go put on the family photo uniforms so I can take a picture now." LOL

There is a very mechanical way to look at pictures and that is to assume that everything that needs to be done can be done with a slider. Looks dull, more contrast, not well framed, make an incredible ugly vignette that looks very much like there is a fire nearby and smoke has driften in.

What makes a group picture work is that there is some coherency in the grouping and pose and there are few enough distractions or distracting elements that the viewer is free to look at the faces.

There's no sense reiterating all the tips and suggestions of actual portrait photographers so, if you are actually interested in understanding the concepts behind dressing a group to make a good family photo, here are some references.

What {NOT} to wear in family photos! - Key To Pictures

10 Tips for What to Wear in Family Photos - Extraordinary Mommy
what to wear for family pictures outside - Google Search
What to Wear in Family Pictures by Color - Capturing Joy with Kristen Duke
What to wear in Family Pictures
Clothing for Portraits - How to Tell your Subjects What to Wear
11 Tips for What to Wear in Family Photos | Click it Up a Notch
What to Wear for Photo Sessions - Styling and Clothing Tips

 

[JustJazzie]

The idea that the family needs to wear certain clothes to take a good picture is ludicrous. "Ok kids, go put on the family photo uniforms so I can take a picture now." LOL

There is a very mechanical way to look at pictures and that is to assume that everything that needs to be done can be done with a slider. Looks dull, more contrast, not well framed, make an incredible ugly vignette that looks very much like there is a fire nearby and smoke has driften in.

What makes a group picture work is that there is some coherency in the grouping and pose and there are few enough distractions or distracting elements that the viewer is free to look at the faces.

There's no sense reiterating all the tips and suggestions of actual portrait photographers so, if you are actually interested in understanding the concepts behind dressing a group to make a good family photo, here are some references.

What {NOT} to wear in family photos! - Key To Pictures

10 Tips for What to Wear in Family Photos - Extraordinary Mommy
what to wear for family pictures outside - Google Search
What to Wear in Family Pictures by Color - Capturing Joy with Kristen Duke
What to wear in Family Pictures
Clothing for Portraits - How to Tell your Subjects What to Wear
11 Tips for What to Wear in Family Photos | Click it Up a Notch
What to Wear for Photo Sessions - Styling and Clothing Tips

Uh oh! Link 4 has me second guessing our christmas photo attire. I hadn't thought about being TOO match-y......

 

[vintagesnaps]

It looks much better cropped down. Too much of a good thing with that sun. I think the camera may have been reading that light coming in from the background instead of where the subjects were seated. I usually lower the camera a little and meter where the subject is or will be, then reframe.

There's a good bit of pattern and lines in what they're wearing which can be visually distracting and can draw the viewer away from what you as a photographer want them to see.