We had a family of 12 in the studio last week for some high-key portraits.  ”What is ‘high-key’?” you ask.  High-key essentially means that the key tone of the image is high, so usually high key images tend to focus on a lot of white.  High-key is a great technique for family portraits as it draws the viewer’s attention directly to the faces of the subjects.  But as you can see from these images with the Sharp, Clifton and Elliott families, planning in the clothing department is a huge component, and this family nailed it.

At the risk of tooting my own horn, another key to success with this type of family portrait is lighting and posing.  You can’t just slap a bunch of people in front of a white bed sheet and expect to get this look.  You have to know how to light the subjects separately from the backdrop and most importantly, how to pose the group in the most appealing, symmetrical and flattering way (and it doesn’t hurt to have a few laughs along the way as high-key images generally have a feeling of brightness and happiness).

Family portraits are so much more than just a picture on your wall.  They are an heirloom.  A well thought out, and well  planned family portrait session will capture your family for a moment in time and preserve it for generations to come.

If you’d like to schedule your own family portrait session (high-key, low-key, outdoors, or even funky/non-traditional), contact our studio to set up an appointment.