Over the years, I have conducted a lot of shoots on location with people who aren't professionally trained in front of the camera. Although some of those are weddings, I've also done engagement shoots, family shoots, and everything in between. I would say a lot of the difficulties of these kinds of shoots are tied up in how you direct the subjects who will likely need a lot of advice. But, from a more technical standpoint, this video touches on something I believe makes a huge difference: using a large but portable octabox.
I had used lights on my outdoor portrait shoots from the beginning, but big modifiers were not something I introduced to my work for a few years, and the difference it made was profound. Yes, it's possible to do these sorts of shoots with natural light, but the quality of the work — at least my work — improved tenfold when I used a large octabox to light my subjects, taking care to balance it with the available light, of course.
What are your best tips to someone looking to do a family portrait shoot for the first time.
