Why should you take family portraits outdoors? Besides having a beautiful and fun background, photographing outside provides the chance to use natural lighting. If you are a professional photographer or a serious enthusiast then you know that studio lights, reflectors and the external flash all try to copy the beauty of natural light.

If you are a beginner or the designated family photographer with a digital compact and built in flash, then taking your family portraits outdoors is the easiest way to get professional quality portraits, the type you’ll want to display in picture frames.

The Best Natural Lighting for Taking Family Portraits Outdoors

Not all outdoor lighting is good. The worst time of day to take family portraits outdoors is mid-day. The best times of day are what many photographers refer to as the “Golden Hours,” the hour before sunset and after dawn when the light is softest and the shadows least harsh. The closer to these time frames you can take the portrait, the better.

Another good option is to wait for an overcast day when there’s a high overcast, also called bright overcast. This provides enough brightness but with the kind of softness the pros spend money on soft boxes to get. If the timing doesn’t work out for any of the above, find shade that isn’t too dark.

Outdoor Portrait Settings

The obvious choice and perhaps the best choice is the family’s backyard. Or you could take your family portraits outdoors at a place the family enjoys like a park. If you go away from home, look for locations and times of the day when the area is the least crowded.

You should also consider using a family activity or a hobby as a potential setting. If the entire family is into horses, a pretty pasture with horses nibbling on the grass with the family posed on and in front of a nice white fence could work quite well. If the family sails think about using the boat’s deck as a setting.

Speaking of boats, a word of caution. If you decide to take outdoor family portraits on a beach, on water or in the snow, select the beach mode on a digital compact or if you use a DSLR or SLR, use a polarizing filter. This will help decrease the glare. Set the flash to “on” instead of “automatic” to help minimize shadows on the family. Don’t face the family towards the sun or they’ll be squinting.

As with any photo, be sure to remove or hide clutter. Do you want to use the natural lighting of outdoors but want a plain background? Take a piece of material and tack it to something like a fence. Check for things like lawn sprinklers or anything behind the family that may be distracting like a lamp post.

If you want to minimize the overall background, use the Portrait mode or set your Aperture Priority for a smaller depth of field.

On the other hand, you may want to have outdoor features as part of the picture by posing the family in front of a beautiful tree. Just be sure to take the picture with the focus on the family. And, whatever background you choose, select a picture frame that complements your portrait. For example, if you setting is at the Museum of Modern Art, you probably want to go with a more modern metal picture frame than an old fashioned antique looking frame.

Whether you are taking family portraits outdoors for others or your own family, use these portrait tips and you’ll be sure to take a portrait that will be proudly displayed in a wood picture frame on the family wall.