Lessons
Class Introduction
09:12 2Favorite Family Group Poses
12:45 3Plan the Photo Shoot
04:08 4Meet Three Person Family for Shoot
04:02 5Shoot: Get Family in Front of Camera
15:23 6Review Images from Shoot
04:37 7Shoot: Get Family Comfortable
14:45 8Family of Three Shoot Recap
10:05Tips & Tricks For Family Group Posing
03:30 10The Art Of Unposing
02:46 11Using Furniture In Family Portraits
07:47 12Demo: Using Furniture
04:24 13Shoot: Family With Furniture
24:28 14Shoot: Combine Family Members on Furniture
08:01 15Shoot: Siblings Laying On Rug
06:21 16Shoot: Close Family Image on Furniture
08:48 17Creative Shooting Spaces
05:59 18Tips For Photographing With Dogs
05:54 19Demo: Studio Lighting
04:07 20Shoot: Introduction to Shooting With Dogs
09:17 21Shoot: Favorite Poses With Dogs
18:41 22Introduction to Generational Photography
06:23 23Large Group Posing Options
06:51 24Demo: Large Group Posing
11:29 25Shoot: Favorite Poses For Multigenerational Families
15:29 26Shoot: Incorporate Ring Light
09:05 27Shoot: Colorful Generational Family Images
13:38 28Shoot To Sell Products
05:52 29Photoshop®️ CC Efficient Workflow
06:09 30Post Processing Before The Sales
10:40 31Sales Templates in Photoshop®️ CC
09:06 32Post Processing After The Sale
06:31 33Concluding Thoughts
09:02Lesson Info
Large Group Posing Options
This was actually that same thing Emily, I was talking about that I went around and like photographed all the family. They have this super unique modern house that they built. Super open and my daughter's getting old enough, she's eight, I took her as my photo assistant. So, she was doing behind the scene photos and holding reflectors. But that's kind of that ... I love the whole shooting above, you know, getting that little bit of an angle on people. I love props and personality if it makes sense. So I do think my work is somewhat simple but I have no, like these people are big bicyclists so for sure that was just a fun, fun option to do for them. And one thing too, like I know I've explained, giving your clients a reason to come back. So not doing everything with them like in one session. So I typically would not do, oh let's go to the studio then let's go drive to this great outdoor location. But right outside my studio there's like this wall. There's like a couple of trees. I mean ...
there's nothing fantastic but it's enough that I'm able to shoot it in a way that, if our goal was, say, to shoot in the studio like this family did or up close portraits but at the end it was quick, let's hop outside and we did this fun shot with their bikes. This family all jumped off of at dock a their lake house, in their clothes. I met 'em up and it was starting to rain, but that was a really fun one because that hangs like huge in their lake home. But it was mom's idea. She is one of my favorite people. Super fun lady, but from that one their ended up being this article in our local newspaper about like holiday pictures and Christmas cards. I don't even remember exactly you know the lengths people go to, I don't know, to do something. But that was a ton of fun. And then Jed is going to show you guys a little bit later. This is that ten percent, five percent, you know, like I love the whole sunflare and the images. But when I'm outside I definitely try to capture a few of those. That's not the majority of what I'm doing but I think that's a great look. It's kind of a hip look right now but he's actually has an action he's created that he's gonna show later of how to add that into your images. So if it's already like an outdoor event and you want that sunflare, how you can do that. Then next what I want to go into before we do some of that posing is more of like what we're gonna show here. Some of that classic group posing so this would be four adult children and then how I would add mom and dad just again, hide them in kind of behind the back, bring this whole thing together so it's not that huggle pose. But it's still like, it's usually like waist up when I'm shooting this kind of stuff and it's more up close. You know, just, usually a simpler darker clothing for this style. You know, but then those groups get larger you're adding in grandkids. I mean that's a group of what, eight? Seven. This is a pretty big one for the studio. That's probably like caught by two shots in here. That's probably like, that's about as big as I comfortable shooting in the studio, a family this large. But that's that huggle shot you can do it with more people. So yeah, I have that standard, little bit more classic, not as snuggly and then those are always my favorite though. Same thing. So all these aren't what I would consider the huggle but it's showing definitely how can just group. And I would say like I feel like we tend to sell more either like panoramics or a lot of squares too. So like shooting stuff that kind of has this circular feel to the pose. Then it crops really well square. Same thing, this image would be like ... That's, I'm probably literally shooting like edge to edge. I had to crop off the (mumble) reflector and the light but that is still shot that same way that I'm showing you, with two studio lights, shooting through the tunnel with my reflectors in there. And so like a couple of things you do have to look for with that is definitely ... It's the same thing with window light, I mean but that just that people's faces are turning towards the light. I mean shooting like this you definitely can get pretty like harsh shadows, sides of the face. People tend to be looking away from the light so it's getting people to turn back into the light. Just some sweet shots of some other families. And then this last one here, is a great whole pano shot of sisters. So obviously when I shoot those like I may be shooting it in a way that I might only show it to them that way. You know, maybe I didn't even like how it looked. Showing that whole image that I'm shooting and knowing that this is going to be a great panoramic and that is how we're going to ... Like I have no problem as the artist telling them like, this is how I think this should be. Because I do feel strongly that we all know that if you're selling an eight by ten and our clients know that it's not like ... I'll just throw any number, like let's say you sell an eight by ten for a hundred dollars and you know you can go to Walmart for two dollars. Like, we're not trying to convince our clients that I print my paper at the lab or it must cost like seventy-five dollars so I have to charge a hundred Like we're really, like need to get our clients to realize they're buying that ... They're buying you. Like we go back to sign of experience that they're buying your vision, your art. Like my clients want to know, which one did you like the best? I mean over the years we've done so many ways to kind of pre-sell. Jed will talk about this a little more but to have products already designed or I'm shooting, as I'm shooting, I'm telling them like oh, like I think this one that I shot is going to be really cool grouping of images. I mean we talked about you love, like, those barnwood frames. You know, I mean, things we just keep talking from the initial phone call to a consultation, to the session, that by the time they see the images and they come in to order, we've even made, pre-designed digital files that show their images on a wall. Or some of these products we're talking about so they're not coming in cold like oh, I didn't know I was gonna get a wall portrait. They're already excited about the images before they've seen them. So then the last little image I'll just show you quick before we do a demo would be kind of a collage. This is something we have done for years. Jed actually has an action that automates this for you. If you open up nine images it will populate and make that for you. But, like this family is a group of four but I have done this before like where we've been pushed to the limit of what I can shoot in my studio and I've talked to the clients. Shown them this idea. And like hey, we can do something like this though. Like maybe we shoot separate groupings and we're still presenting this final complete image. But it's not that we were all shot. You know in ... Or it could be a situation, maybe everybody's not there. You know maybe it's extended family, you could recreate and shoot over different sessions and still get mom or grandma a great finished product.
Class Materials
Bonus Materials with RSVP
Bonus Materials with Purchase
Ratings and Reviews
CANCEL RUsso
All I have to say is - Vicki you are a saint. To handle four kids, dog and their parents too, not to mention a class of students watching...AND YOU'RE TAKING PHOTOS, GOOD ONES!! All I know is, I could not handle that as you have even though I was a teacher for 25 years (K-12, all of them) - and wonderful people like you are far and few between. May you stay healthy and happy and continue interacting with kids and parents - you really have a talent! (I had to turn the sound off on the vid because it was driving me crazy,, with kids, dog, etc etc!)
Marla GIbson
It was true to life and yes, a bit chaotic. But I enjoyed it, it shows the work that often does go into a session with all the multitasking. I got some great ideas for poses, and learned some new way to interact with younger children. Thank you for a honest session and not a perfect planned one.
Lee Boddington
Awesome class, really informative, and loved how you handled all the chaos. Great sales and promotional advice from your hubby too. Fantastic, well rounded :)