Community

Written by Ritchie Gregory

Everyone loves a Beach Portrait: the experience feels like a vacation, and it’s a beautiful way to share images of your family in the most spectacular of local scenes. Even people who normally don’t like having their picture taken relax and get into the beach spirit of things, because it’s hard to resist the soft breeze at sunset and the feeling of warm sand under your feet. This happy, laid back environment ensures that your family’s expressions are natural and complimentary. As residents of Hampton Roads, the beach is an important element in our lives, and a portrait at the ocean shore places you and your family in a gorgeous scene. The beach culture is such a huge part of who we are, even if we can’t always go to the beach as often as we’d like! The finished portrait is a great way to share your family’s relationship and style when you entertain guests in your home. The beautiful fine art landscape sets the stage for authentic interactions between those who are near and dear to you. Beach Portraits invite conversation about your family members, and you have the opportunity to share stories of your experience at the beach and what was going on in everyone’s lives at the time.
 
There are some easy steps to find a photographer who will be a perfect fit for your family. Before you choose a photographer, look at examples of family portraiture on their website and give them a call to get a sense of their personality and manner. A portrait requires a partnership of working together, and you should make sure you’re both on the same page. One way of guaranteeing that you and your family have a thoroughly terrific experience is to look for photographers who belong to Professional Photographers of America (PPA), and Virginia Professional Photographers Association (VPPA). These organizations require photographers to adhere to professional standards and ethics, and offer continuing education for their members. Membership requires a sincere commitment to excellence, and will ensure that your photographer has a fine sense of craft and integrity.

When you research photographers, pay close attention to how they tend to light and position their subjects. These are two very important qualities that separate a skilled professional photographer from an owner of a fancy camera who “does it on the side.” Look for a natural, warm tone on everyone’s face, and make sure the shadows are handled carefully. To create illuminated eyes without harsh shadows, photographers should have a free-standing light source; not a flash that sits on top of their camera. The positions of family members should also showcase close relationships, and the whole composition of the group should have a complimentary flow with the environment. Do the women in the photographs look phenomenal? They absolutely should! Proper placement and posing in a group can add or subtract weight to a figure, so note how the photographer has arranged their subjects within a group.

Another aspect of choosing a photographer is to look at how much they re-touch their subjects. In everyday life with the people we love, we don’t focus on the natural aspects (wrinkles, age spots or pimples) that make us all human. 

A camera and flash can highlight these features, calling attention to flaws instead of the expression you know and love. There’s a fine line between an artful adjustment that smoothes imperfections, and a heavy-handed approach that looks over done. Think about how you’d like to be represented in the portrait, and choose a photographer who has a gift for a beautiful and effortlessly natural look.

Many photographers have a planning session with families to talk about the important details they’ll be sure to include in the image. For example, at R. Gregory Photography, we ask questions about the relationships between family members (ie. grandparents, in-laws, step-children, etc.), ages of children, and family units, to ensure that important groupings and interactions are captured in the portraits. We also learn about the personalities involved and each individual’s signature expressions. Here is some additional information you may consider sharing with your photographer:

Are you most interested in a formal style grouping, or a more candid and casual portrait?
Where will you display the portrait in your home and what style of décor do you lean towards: traditional, contemporary or modern?
What kind of portrait style and size best matches your space, and what color/style of frame will best complement your home?
Are any of the portraits going to be used as gifts for family members?
When was your last family portrait, and what changes and new additions have there been?
If you’ve had a family portrait taken some time ago, would you like for your new family portrait to match the same tone and colors, or would you like a different style?
At R. Gregory Photography, planning sessions typically last about 30 – 45 minutes, and are done in person at our Little Neck or Sandbridge location. We like to really get to know our clients during our planning session to help meet their interests because portraiture is essentially about collaboration.

Talk with your family to get them ready for the experience. Generally, the best way to prepare younger children for the experience is to be low-key and matter of fact about it. Try not to pre-condition your son or daughter to “smile pretty.” Lots of kids will over-do it in an attempt to please their parents (or just the opposite!) This often results in an over-the-top or unnatural expression in the portrait. Casually informing them that the whole family is going to the beach together, and there will be a photographer there taking pictures is a great start. Add that it’ll be lots of FUN; which is absolutely true, of course!

Family portraits are most of all, so important for your children. What, you thought you’d just get a portrait of the kids, and not include yourselves? A portrait of the entire family gives your child a visual sense of belonging with their family. They are your legacy, and this heirloom represents a point in all of your lives together that will be remembered always.