Family Portraits (Professional Photography Series)
by Ed Pedi
Category: Photography

To stand out in the crowded field of family portrait photography, one’s photos must capture feelings and convey heartfelt emotions. Ed Pedi has spent 20+ years in the business, honing his techniques and establishing himself as an award winning photographer. In this book, Pedi presents 60 of his finest images, detailing the setting and the technical aspects of the shoot. Each image is also accompanied by set-up shots and or diagrams. This collection provides a concise overview of the art of family portrait photography. Family portrait photography can mean many different things. From individual portraits of babies and children, to various groupings of family members all the way to 100 people family -reunion group portraits, there are many things a professional shooter needs to be prepared for. In fact, many shoots will include multiple setups with a changing roster of family members in different poses and settings. Being able to deftly maneuver all of this and keep everyone and everything under control and on task can seem quite daunting. Pedi breaks all of this down into simple and easy to enact tips and lessons. While skill and artistry are key to creating memorable portraits, actually selling prints is just as important to running a successful business. Photographing each family member and the children separately increases options for greater sales with multiple pictures to choose form. In a similar vein, larger groups (like the group of 28 that Pedi details in the book) can be photographed in multiple breakdowns. In the book he explains a number of these breakdowns, each which works as a way to increase sales from one session. Another key to long term success as a portrait photographer is the repeat client. Imagine photographing a child every few years, from newborn to high school graduation. Many families will have their family portraits taken every few years as their children grow or more children are born. Repeat clients are more than just clients, they are relationships built between the photographer and the families. These relationships allow families to trust the photographer, not just for the standard family portrait but for special occasions like graduations, family reunions or seasonal portraits. Crafting a portrait that clients will love is more than just simple posing. Lighting plays a huge role. Oftentimes, with large groups it is necessary to shoot outdoors. The author provides a number of creative lighting techniques for dealing with everything from the single child portrait to large outdoor setups. The author provides the metering lighting setups he used for many of his shots, taking special consideration for photographing large groups or shooting outdoors. Also important is composition and many times, the use of props. Pedi always has a number of potted plants and artificial rocks with him to use to spruce up a scene. Flowers can be used to subtly add color to the portrait or fill in dead space, while the rocks can be used as posing or seating objects. In this book Pedi provides examples from his 20+ years in the industry of how to create the emotional portraits that clients want. Not only will they want multiple photos from one shoot, they will want to hire you again and again for their ongoing portrait needs. Creating a relationship with your clients not only makes everyone more comfortable during a shoot but lets them know that they can trust you and expect a certain level of quality each time they need a photographer.