By Inna Sumra M. A. in Photography, Cr. Photog., M. Photog., ARPS (UK).
A family photo is more than just a picture; it’s a family memory immortalized. The best family photographer brings out the unique personalities and relationships of family members, creating photos that capture both the special moments and everyday joys in life.
The answer to what kind of photographer does the best family pictures is not simple. Photographers like doctors come from different background and training. So let us talk about the various kinds of photography. Hopefully that will help you make a decision about the kind of photographer you should get to create your family portraits.
I will address the various genres one by one.
What is photojournalistic photography?
Photojournalistic photography is the art of creating photographs that tell a story. They do it by capturing a moment in time. It is often used to document newsworthy events and can be seen in newspapers, magazines and television. A photojournalist needs to have a keen eye for detail as well as an understanding of the people and settings they are photographing them in. This type of photography requires the ability to find the best composition rapidly.
If you hire a photojournalistic type of photographer for your family photos, the photographer will come to your house and follow you and your family around. If you hire the photographer for the whole day, the photographer will follow you all day taking photographs. There is no direction. There is no script. You can interact with your family members in any way you want. They document good bad and the ugly. If you have a conflict in the family, they will photograph it. End of the day you will end up with candid shots. The photographer tells your story through these candid shots.
Whether you smile or look unhappy, the photographer will take pictures of you. There is no posing. No background. No lighting. No smiling. You will be in your own environment. The photographers will photograph whatever they think is appropriate. End of the day you will get candid family pictures.
I don’t think anyone offers photojournalistic family photography in Fargo area but there are photojournalistic wedding photographers. If you want photojournalistic family photographer you could call some of the wedding photographers and ask for their help.
What is editorial photography?
Editorial photography is the practice of creating images to accompany editorial stories in magazines and newspapers. The idea of editorial photography is to present a certain view point. It is used to convey a certain message. It is designed to tell a story. It is typically used in publications to illustrate articles with photos that convey that certain message.
Editorial photographers need to have an eye for composition and must be able to accurately capture the emotion of their subjects in order to bring a story alive.
They usually work with art directors and stylists in order to create images that fit with a publication’s style and overall message. An editorial photographer could help you create photos that will be useful in writing an article or a book about your children. This is a very expensive undertaking.
Now I am not an editorial photographer but this portrait of a high school senior that I created can be used to show strength, hard work or dedication. If used for this purpose in a magazine it will be an editorial image.
What is freelance photography?
Freelance photographers are professionals who work independently and offer their services to clients on a freelance basis. Freelancers may work on commercial projects or have personal photography projects.
They typically operate their own businesses and have the freedom to choose which projects they take on and the rate they charge for their services. Freelance photographers may specialize in certain areas of photography and may offer general services for any kind of photo shoot.
A person who is starting out in photography and does not have a studio could do some freelance family photography. A good freelance photographer may be reasonable in price because he or she does not have the expense of the studio, employees etc. But lot them are commercial photographers and you may pay a whole lot more than studio-based photographers.
What is commercial photography?
Commercial photography is the practice of creating images to be used in marketing and advertising campaigns. Commercial photographers need to have an understanding of the needs and objectives of their clients and must be able to capture high-quality images that accurately reflect their brand.
They may be hired to photograph products, people, scenes, or events for print or online ads. Commercial photographers often need to work in teams with art directors, stylists, producers and digital technicians in order to create stunning visuals for an ad campaign. These are skilled and experienced photographers. They photograph whatever you want but be prepared to pay a lot of money.
What is product photography?
Product photography brings products to life by showing the important features of a product. These are features that are the essence of a product. This is what will be promoted. Stressing certain features of the product creates a desire for the product. It makes people want to buy that product.
This is a genre of commercial photography and is the most challenging type of photography. Now this blog article is about creating family pictures but I did include a few lines for making the article thorough. You can see how the frost on the bottle implies that product is cold. It immediately creates a desire for the product.
What is fine art photography?
Fine art photography is an artistic practice that involves creating images with a creative intent and often conveys an abstract message. It is about the photographer’s vision. These photographers often try to convey a certain message.
Fine art photographers will often use techniques such as light manipulation, composition and color to create unique works of art. Fine art photography is again expensive. Some of the fine art photographers will add elements to the photograph by painting on it. That makes some parts of the image dreamy and some of it realistic. See the fine art portrait of this high school student from Minnesota that I created several years ago.
Here is another fine art portrait that I created for a high school senior in Cavalier, ND.
Here is a portrait of myself that I created. It was published on the cover of Professional Photographers of America Magazine in 2022. This is also considered fine art portrait.
What is studio photography?
Studio photography is an art that involves photographing a subject in a controlled setting, typically in a professional studio using studio lighting equipment. It requires a range of skills from pre-planning to post-production and utilizes sophisticated pieces of equipment including cameras, lenses, filters, and artificial lighting such as soft boxes, umbrellas and other light modifiers.
Studio photography provides the photographer with greater control over the elements of the image and allows them to create unique portraits of their subjects. When a photographer works outdoor photographing a family, he or she has to accept the light that happens to be there. He can add more light with a flash. On a bright day, it will be a must because the bright highlights and dark shadows look very unflattering in the photographs. So, the photographer may use a large flash to lighten the dark shadows.
When photographing outdoor there is no control over the background. If they don’t like it, they can move to another spot. So that is where the studio photography shines. The photographers can photograph any time of the day. They can adjust the lights with precision. You can change the backdrop to a different color if needed. And if someone blinked, they can fire the camera and the flash again. You get the idea. So most likely you will end up using a studio photographer for your family photos.
The family portrait shows the detailed composition, lighting and posing available only inside a studio with precision lighting. I created that for a family in Cavalier, ND.
Here is another example of studio photograph created with similar precision but for a high school senior.
What is on location photography?
On location photography is the perfect way to capture beautiful family memories. This type of photography takes place outside of the traditional studio in a variety of places, from family homes to parks to business places and more. Often the location or the props included in the photograph are of great significance and of sentimental value to the family. Location photography not only represents you and your family but it puts everything in context of something that is very important to the family.
Not only do these photos provide irreplaceable family memories, they also make for stunning wall art pieces. On location photography puts focus on family life in action, providing an enjoyable opportunity to document special moments.
Now it does not as easily as it seems. Location photography poses special challenges. The lighting is the worse of the lot. If you see the photograph below, you see the family is standing in the shade of the trees. They are lit up properly. To do that you will need a generator and lots of lighting equipment. We did that in Karlstad, MN. Then there are the weather and other unexpected things. But that is how life it.
I have written two blogs about finding a headshot photographer and a high school senior photographer. Look at them. All the suggestions that I have made in both these blogs will be apply to family photography as well.
There is one extra suggestion. You can talk with the photographer on the phone initially. But once you are seriously considering a certain photographer, take your children with you for the consultation. A good photographer will like to meet them. He may play with them. If he gets to know the children, he can build a trust with them.
When the families come for complimentary consultation, I always ask them to bring the children with them. I play with them. I get to know all about them. I build a trust with them. And when they come for the photography session, they are very cooperative. We end up with beautiful memories. You can see one of my videos where I play with the child. She is hardly aware of the fact that I am photographing here.
With four masters’ degrees in photography, Inna has achieved photographic excellence.. She is a trained photography judge with over 20 years of experience as a full-time photographer. Her work has been shown on the cover of PPA Magazine (Professional Photographers of America) and featured in the PPA Magazine. Her role in teaching photography varies from being a keynote speaker in Louisiana to teaching in Minnesota photography conventions. She has won dozens of national and international awards. You can her awards and recognitions by clicking here.
You can contact Inna by clicking here.
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