Here are some important factors to consider before setting out to capture your first wedding sparkler photos.

1. Ensure You’re Using the “Big” Sparklers

There are two distinctly different types of sparklers. The larger, longer lasting 36-inch sparklers will give you much better sparkler photography results than the shorter 10-inch sparklers. For group activities like wedding sparkler exits, the longer sparklers give everyone participating enough time to get into position and light their sparklers.

Also, for static sparkler art (see the image above), also known as shutter drags, the longer sparklers give photographers enough time to get multiple long exposures for just the right effect. This technique complements both wedding and engagement portraits.

In case you’re interested, you can purchase a variety of sparklers here.

2. Understand Sparkler Safety

The main ingredient that makes sparkler photos great — the one that creates a twinkling catchlight in everyone’s eye — also poses the biggest threat: fire. Before the guests ignite their sparkly sticks, be sure to take the following safety precautions:

2a. Keep a Bucket of Water Nearby

When the fun is done and the sparklers have served their purpose, you’ll need a safe place to put them. That is, at least until the fire’s out and they’re no longer hot. The solution is simple — keep a bucket of water nearby (see the image above).

Although a variety of buckets will work, they should be tall enough so that the 36-inch sparklers don’t fall out. You can find buckets similar to the one in the image above here. The buckets (without water) can also be used to hold the sparklers until they’re handed out to the guests.

2b. Remind Guests To Keep Their Distance with Photos of Sparkler

It might be tempting to ask the guests to crowd in and create a wall of light around the couple, but you (and the guests) should exercise caution. To help avoid any potential injuries in your sparkler photography, remind the guests to hold the sparklers a safe distance from the couple, as well as everyone else. More often than not, brides tend to wear a fair share of hairspray on their wedding day, and mixing hairspray and fire will not end well.

3. Crank Up The ISO And Use Wide-Open Apertures

Whether your subjects are moving or static will play a significant role in determining your exposure, especially in low light. Regardless, it’s safe to assume that you’re going to need to bump up your ISO and set your aperture to wide-open.

For moving subjects, your camera settings will likely be as follows: ISO 3200, Aperture: F2.8, Shutter Speed: 1/125. If you have access to a wider aperture lens, such as F1.4, you can increase your shutter speed to 1/200 to better freeze the action.

If your subjects are static, however, you have much more freedom, especially if you’re using a tripod. You can drop your shutter speeds lower and adjust your other settings accordingly to get the look you’re after.

4. Lighting for Sparkler Photos

There are some basic guidelines when it comes to lighting couples that will almost always be applicable, even when it comes to lighting sparkler exits. For instance, when adding light to the couple, light into the bride’s side so that the bride’s face is better lit for a more flattering look. Ideally, both subjects will bask in flattering light, but priority pretty much always goes to the bride.

4a. Natural Light Sparkler Exits

On their own, sparklers do not produce much light. To capture sparkler photos with natural light, you will need a fast prime lens with a wide aperture (F1.4) to let in more light. A camera with great low-light focusing abilities and facial tracking will also help when trying to capture an image like this as nailing the focus is one of the hardest aspects.

We discuss this in more detail in Wedding Workshop Eight – Photographing the Reception.

4b. Constant Light (If Needed) for Sparkler Photos

As an alternative to using flash for taking sparkler pictures, you might want to consider using a constant light. There are several options available across a wide range of budgets, from Yongnuo’s Light Wand to Westcott’s Ice Light (among others). The benefits of using a constant light include instantly seeing your actual exposure in the viewfinder as well as never missing a moment because the flash didn’t fire.

4c. Snoots or Grids For Flash (if needed)

When you want to shift the focus solely to your couple, use a snoot or grid on your flash to isolate your subjects and make them stand out in a crowd. These tools make it easy to shape and direct light in a very specific way.

4d. Backlighting for Sparkler Photography

In addition to the flickering light of the sparklers, backlights work well to help carve your couple out of a dark environment. Simply place a flash on a light stand approximately 10-20 feet behind the couple, zoom the flash to 200mm, and aim it directly at the top half of the couple. You can also use a grid (see the previous tip above) for a more focused backlight.

4e. Multiple lighting Setups for Two Photographers

One of the benefits of having multiple photographers capture sparkler photos includes having the ability to simultaneously capture images using different lighting setups. In the images above, two shooters captured a kiss under the sparkler tunnel. One used natural light and the other used a flash.

5. Try And Try Again in Sparkler Photography

Sparkler exits seem to end almost as quickly as they begin. In order to make the most of the brief period of time you have while taking sparkler photos, always capture multiple images. If you only click the shutter a couple times and capture one or two images of the sparkler exit, you may have to deliver a less-than-stellar image. Instead, challenge yourself to capture multiple keepers.  And if you don’t get the shot you want,  don’t be afraid to ask the couple to go back one more time.

Pro Tip: When using a flash to light your subjects, it is imperative that you adjust your settings to keep the flash power and the recycle time low so that you can capture multiple images. For pocket strobes with 50-60ws (watt seconds) of power, keep the flash power at 1/16th to 1/32nd for a single flash or even lower power settings when using multiple flash units. External battery packs can also help minimize your recycle time.

6. Direct the Couple to Vary Their Poses

Once you’ve dialed in your settings and captured the standard shot of your subjects walking through a tunnel of sparklers, you can make micro-adjustments to make the most of the light show. One of the easiest adjustments to make is directing your couple to lean in for a kiss or go for the classic dip. If possible, discuss some of these variations with the couple before photographing sparklers for the exit. Letting them know what to expect in advance will improve your chances of capturing multiple poses in less time.

7. Consider Creating Composites in Photoshop

After the sparkler photography exit (or during an engagement session), grab an assistant and an extra sparkler or two and capture a long exposure image that you can use to create a composite in Photoshop. You can learn more about how to create a shutter drag composite image in the Lighting 101 workshop.

8. Add Some Sparkle with Photoshop Overlays When Necessary

Occasionally, venues prohibit the use of sparklers on their grounds, despite the couple’s desire to capture a sparkler picture. If you’re unable to change locations in time to capture the sparklers yourself, don’t worry; you still have options. You can always purchase a set of overlays and add the sparklers to the images in Photoshop during post-production. Overlays work better for couples portraits than grand entrances or exits.

Sparkler Photos | Conclusion

Although it’s the couple and their guests who bask in the dancing light during sparkler entrances or exits, these pictures truly give photographers a chance to shine. With a minimal investment of time spent learning how to take sparkler photos, you will be able to capture and deliver a unique set of images that your clients will treasure… and hopefully share in their social networks.

You can find additional information on this topic in Photographing the Reception, a comprehensive course in our wedding photography education series that covers everything you need to know about covering wedding receptions inside of SLR Lounge Premium.

What are the foreground, middle ground, and background?

• The foreground refers to the part of the image that is closest to the camera.
• The middle ground is intermediary layer that connects the foreground to the background. It is often where the primary subject of the photo resides.
• The background is the furthest section from the camera. It helps to provide context and can either be in sharp focus or blurred, depending on the desired effect.

The effect of compositions with all three layers

Utilizing the foreground, middle ground, and background can add depth and dimension to your images. This three-layered approach ensures your photographs are rich and captivating, engaging the viewer’s eye from the front to the back of the image. Furthermore, the layers can assist in directing the viewer’s attention to the primary subject or focal point.

How to Use Foreground, Middle Ground, and Background in an Image?

For beautiful, interesting imagery, capture a  foreground, middle ground, and background in conjunction with other composition techniques.

Use The 3 Layers With the Rule of Thirds

By positioning your foreground, middle ground, and background along the lines and intersections of the grid in the rule of thirds, you can create a harmonious composition. For instance, place a rock formation in the foreground on the left third line, your main subject in the middle ground on the central intersection, and a distant mountain in the background on the right third line.   In the example below, notice how the foreground elements are in the bottom third, the middle ground elements are in the middle third and the background is in the top third of the photograph.

Use The 3 Layers With Leading Lines

Leading lines draw the viewer’s attention directly to the subject. An example would be a winding road in the foreground leading to a car in the middle ground, with the horizon visible in the background.  In the example below, see how the railing in the foreground creates a line that draws and viewer’s attention to the couple in the middle ground.  Then, right above the couple, is the line of the bridge that leads the eyes away and off into the distance of the background.

Use The 3 Layers With Negative Space

Negative space offers a serene and uncluttered look to your images. You can emphasize a subject in the middle ground by using a vast empty sky as the background and a simple, clean foreground like a stretch of sand. The negative space amplifies the significance of the subject.

Use The 3 Layers With the Symmetry

Symmetry can bring a sense of balance and harmony to an image. The foreground can mirror elements in the background, while the middle ground acts as the focal point or bridge between the symmetrical elements. For example, a reflection of a couple in a lake can act as the foreground and background, with the horizon in the middle ground.

Use The 3 Layers with Frames Within Frames

Foreground elements can act as natural frames for your main subject. Overhanging branches, archways, or windows can encapsulate your middle ground, with the background providing additional context.

Settings for Foreground, Background, and Middle Ground Photography

When composing your photo with a foreground, middle ground and a background, the main setting to focus on is the aperture.  Of course ISO, shutter speed and white balance are always important in any photograph, but aperture is the setting that most directly impacts the three layers.

Wide Apertures

Use a wide aperture (like f/2.8 or lower) to isolate the middle ground subject and blur the foreground and background.  This is more common in portrait photography, when you want your subjects to stand out, with the foreground and background out of focus.

Narrow Apertures

Utilize a narrow aperture (like f/16) if you want all three layers are in sharp focus.  This is a common setting for landscape photography and real estate photography.

Photo Editing Tips When Using The 3 Layers

Post-production tools like Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop allow you to emphasize the layered effect.  For example, you can adjust the sharpness and clarity for each layer separately. For example, you could add additional blur or sharpness to any of the layers.  You could also use gradient filters to modify exposure levels across the foreground, middle ground, and background.  Or you can dodge and burn to spotlight or hide specific parts of the image.

Conclusion

Mastering the use of foreground, middle ground, and background layers in photography is vital for producing compelling and depth-rich images. It not only adds aesthetic appeal but can also guide the viewer’s attention. Take your time to experiment, practice, and remember: the more layers you effectively use, the deeper your story becomes.

It is no exaggeration to say that this Godox LED light solves more lighting problems than we’ve had any other new lighting equipment solve in many years. It’s ultra-compact, and yet incredibly bright. Also, despite its compact form factor, it offers a highly professional accessory mount that lets you control and shape your light. It’s as if you had a whole studio of lighting equipment at your fingertips!

Check out the current pricing and availability for the Godox ML40R and ML40Bi

Lastly, we’ve often talked about various LED lighting solutions and how they can be annoying to power and/or to charge up. The Godox ML40R resolves literally every issue we’ve had with power-related concerns: The built-in lithium battery lasts quite a long time, even without any external power added. When it does run low on power, you get the massive convenience of USB-C power, including the possibility of keeping the light on while plugged into your (Anker, etc) USB battery. Gone are the days of panic and swapping out a Sony NP-F style battery, worrying about how fast you can charge a dead NP-F battery, etc. All you need is a 20,000 mAh or 30,000 mAh battery, which are universal and relatively affordable.

There is still a ton to talk about, so let’s dive deeper into this Godox ML40R review and talk about exactly who should consider investing in one, (or two or three!) and exactly how we envision it being a total game-changer for your work as a professional photographer, videographer, or any type of content creator…

Godox ML40R & Godox ML40Bi | Specifications & Features

Power / Lumens: 781 Lux @ 3.3 ft & 5600K
Power Increments: 1-100%, plus 0% (off)
Modifier Attachment: Godox ML style; 17 available modifier accessories; ML-L10 included
User Interface: Power on/off button, Enter/Return button, selector dial+button, LED display
Cooling System: Built-in silent fan w/ side & rear vents
Battery Type: 4800 mAh built-in Lithium battery, USB-C charging
Battery Life: ~42 minutes @ 100% brightness
Weight: 0.93 lb (422g)
Size: 3.82×1.813.58 in (97x46x91mm)
Wireless Control: Yes, Bluetooth, Godox Mobile App
Check Current Price: $119 (R = RGB color light), $99 (Bi = bi-color, 2800-6500K CCT light)

Godox ML40R Review | Lighting Perfection for Hybrid Shooters & Content Creators

The Godox ML40R and Godox ML40Bi are incredibly compact, surprisingly powerful, and professionally capable. What I like about it the most is the hybrid capability for those of us who create both photo and video content, often at the same time.

As a professional wedding photographer, I never liked having to set up a bunch of strobe flashes, only for the wedding video team to ask me if I could refrain from using flash as they filmed. This situation is a very impractical use of my time and energy, and it’s an unnecessary waste of the client’s time, too!

In the past, when I had to work alongside a video team, I would just grab a fast f/1.4 prime lens, or at least an f/2.8 zoom, and work with their constant video lights. This was definitely an imperfect solution, however, because the video light would often change before I could get a good still photo.

If you unify the lighting system entirely, using a constant light such as the Godox ML40R, then both photo and video work can be done at the same time, or interchangeably. If you’re a one-person team and you’re creating content that requires both photo and video, you can seamlessly switch back and forth all day long. If you’re working alongside other professionals, you can at least agree upon a lighting position, intensity, and other controls, so that you can both work in similar conditions.

The final reason why I consider this particular light to be perfect for “hybrid” work is that the ML40 series is bright enough for almost any lighting condition. This means you can reach for the same lighting setup whether you’re out working in broad daylight or in a dimly lit indoor setting. 

Godox ML40R Review | Performance & Limitations

For such a portable LED light, its performance is honestly equally as impressive as a large, heavy, expensive studio light. Obviously, it’s not as bright as a strobe flash, or a large constant lighting panel or other “hot light”.

Honestly, though? That’s not why you’re here right now. You’re probably a content creator or other type of professional who is working with a mobile setup, and maybe even without an assistant. Your whole goal is to be agile, versatile, and yet still create high-quality professional results.

Framed that way, you can see the performance of the Godox LM40R for what it is: one of the best choices on the market.

Godox ML40R Review | Design, Durability, & Features

I’ve grown to like how Godox has designed their user interface, but I think it is a bit difficult for my large, clumsy fingers. Simply put, with a dial that is also a button, it can be easy to do the wrong thing. Sometimes when I’m trying to turn the dial, I can accidentally hit the button, and vice versa.

This is a minor complaint about the user interface, and the more it becomes second nature to operate the light, the less this happens. The long-term benefit is that most of the time it feels effortless to control the light; dialing the brightness up and down, switching to the color temperature or the RGB hue, it’s all very easy.

Other than that, the design and interface is great. It is very intuitive to understand how to adjust the brightness and the color temperature, or how to switch over to a full range of RGB color, and/or add special lighting effects.

Another feature I appreciate is the Godox Lighting app for mobile phones; it just works elegantly well. Keeping with our theme of both versatile content creation and serious professional results, the mobile app is straightforward and easy to understand, yet also capable of the advanced, complex lighting setup diagrams of a high-end studio production.

There’s one other design aspect that comes to mind, though it’s not an actual complaint: The ML40R  does not have an umbrella socket. I’m not bothered by that fact because it’s an ultra-portable light and I have light stands with umbrella sockets anyway. Also, honestly, the main point of this type of light head is to use the proprietary lighting modifiers.

Lastly, a minor design note I want to mention is this: even though the whole battery & power situation is fantastic for the ML40 lights, I do wish it had a 0-100% battery power indicator, instead of the common 4-bar solution. For example, I’m used to seeing “73%” battery on Sony cameras. I like the reassurance such precision offers me, even if it’s overkill. This is definitely not a big deal; the important thing is that the battery lasts an impressively long time for its compactness (42 min at full brightness!) …and charging/powering is incredibly easy.

Godox ML40R Review | Pros & Cons

Pros

• Incredibly lightweight and compact
• Exceptional value at $119
• Versatile, professional quality lighting results
• Impressive battery life
• Ubiquitous USB-C charging and power
• Host of affordable, compact light modifiers
• Mobile app offers integration into a whole lighting system

Cons

• Not as powerful as (bigger, heavier) LED lights
• Minor learning curve with button+dial interface; extra dexterity is useful
• Accessories are minimal (you’ll need a USB charging adapter and a light stand)

Who Is It Best For?

• Mobile content creators
• Hybrid photo & video shooters
• Wedding photographers (& videographers)
• Solo filmmakers

Overall, I’ve basically covered everything already. Yes, it’s true that in its default “in the box” form, you’ll have only one lighting modifier and a short USB cable for charging. This means you’ll need to have your own USB wall adapter, but those are “a dime a dozen” in our digital era. You’ll also need a light stand, but again, the diverse array of options is plentiful. In other words, these aren’t disadvantages; they’re simply things to keep in mind when making your investment in lighting equipment.

Godox ML40R Review | Competitors & Alternatives

There are innumerable LED lighting options on the market, and we cannot possibly describe them all here. Instead, what I will do is categorize the basic reasons why you might choose something else, or why you might prefer the Godox ML40R.

First and foremost, we must talk about light output. While ML40R is stated as having an output brightness of 781 Lux, (at 3.3 ft, 5600K)  it’s obvious based on the names alone that a Godox ML80 or Godox ML150 would be much brighter. (The ML80 is listed as 29600 Lux output, and the ML150 offers 61054 Lux. They are priced at $229 and $259, respectively.) We are not sure how many EVs brighter this is, but suffice it to say, it’s likely more than 1-2 EVs brighter.

Or, if you want to maintain the form factor and lighting color versatility of the ML40R, a brighter option is the Godox ML100R, the price of which jumps to $249. As you can see, the Godox ML40R is an incredible value at $119.

So, what if you really do need that brighter light? Well, even in that instance, I’m still going to recommend ALSO owning the ML40R, for two reasons: You can never have “too many” lights, and you will always appreciate having one that is this ultra-compact.

In other words, even if you eventually upgrade to something bigger and brighter (and more expensive) …you would keep this useful little light in your bag. Therefore, purchasing it in the first place becomes a “no-brainer” to me.

Alternatively, the same thought process applies to photographers instead of videographers. What if you need an extremely bright studio strobe? Even for on-location work where you are still concerned about portability, something like a Godox AD300 is going to be far more capable at illuminating a large family portrait in bright sun. If you’re a wedding photographer, for example, you should probably own such a powerful strobe.

Yet, once again, this portable, versatile little LED light has its use, and I would personally want to own both such lights. In fact, I am certain that I’ll reach for the Godox ML40R many times more often, because for every one big family portrait outdoors, I am photographing five or ten or more intimate, candid moments indoors where I’d prefer to be as discreet as possible. Whether it’s a private tea ceremony with parents and immediate family, or the tearful reading of vows by a bride or groom, I would rather just toss the ML40R in a corner of the room, fill the room with soft, warm light, and also throw my camera in silent shutter mode too!

All in all, that is my main conclusion here. It doesn’t matter if I’m doing high-end video cinematography or high-end studio portrait work. Whatever other lighting equipment I might add to my gear arsenal, I’m still going to carry this ultra-portable little light in my bag almost everywhere I go.

Godox ML40R Review | Final Verdict

For content creators and working professionals alike, if you want a compact, powerful lighting system that gives maximum versatility for both photo and video productions, the Godox ML40R (as well as the Godox ML40Bi) is/are nearly perfect solutions.

Few other choices on the market offer such compact portability, yet also offer access to a serious lighting modifier system. To be able to go from a bare-bones simple reflector such as the Godox ML-L10 to a “luxurious”, large octagonal or square softbox, in such a small package, is relatively unprecedented even in a packed market. In short, it’s a win-win investment, and the more types of content creation or other professional image-making work you do, the more you’ll see the value of the Godox ML40R.

You can check out the latest Godox ML40 prices and availability here. Pricing starts at $119 for the light, the compact reflector, and a USB charging cable. Lighting modifiers such as square and octagonal soft boxes are priced at ~$40 and $50, respectively, and most of the other lighting accessories, from barn doors to light stands, are priced similarly.

6 Beach Maternity Tips Outline

Here’s what we’ll be covering in this article.  For more a comprehensive workshop, see the Maternity Photography Workshop in Premium:

1. Prepare the Subjects for Beach Maternity Photoshoots
2. Location Selection and Timing
3. Incorporate Wardrobe into Photos
4. Include Props for More Interest
5. Limit session to 30-45 Minutes
6. Photograph a Variety of Expressions & Groupings
7. Master maternity photoshoot posing
8. Choose the right time
9. Technical Considerations

Prepare the Subjects for Beach Maternity Photoshoots

Before the shoot, communicate with your clients to discuss their preferences and needs. This includes what type of clothing they would like to wear and what poses they are comfortable with. Provide them with some guidance on what clothing to wear or bring that will complement the beach setting, such as flowy maxi dresses or simple cotton shirts.

Consider having your clients put a moodboard together to help communicate their preferences.

Location Selection and Timing

One of the most important factors to consider when planning a beach maternity shoot is the location. Choose a beach that has a picturesque scenery, clear skies, and minimal crowds. Research the weather forecast and pick a time that offers soft natural light, such as the golden hour before sunset. Early mornings can also provide a great opportunity for soft, diffused light.

The beach can be an unpredictable environment to shoot in. Crashing waves, rocky tidepools, and cold temperatures are just a few of the scenarios to watch out for. Be mindful of the spot you select for your beach maternity photos as you don’t want to stress out your clients and make them uncomfortable throughout the session. Once you find a safe spot use the storytelling tips above to work the scene without moving the clients around too much.

Incorporate Wardrobe into Beach Maternity Photos

A fun way to get stunning shots is to find a dress with a train. With a backdrop like the ocean, this will yield some incredible beach maternity photos. This is a great option for more of a dramatic shot. You can find some beautiful dress options at SewTrendy or even a quick search on Amazon.

Include Props for More Interest

Beach maternity shoots provide the opportunity to use natural elements to your advantage. Utilize the beach’s surroundings to make the photo shoot more appealing. Some good props to use would be flower crowns, beach hats, and blankets to help them feel more comfortable on the sand.

A fun idea for beach maternity photos is to include personalized props during the shoot. Have the couple bring their sonogram, a “coming soon” sign, or even baby clothes/shoes to celebrate the new addition to the family. Don’t let the props overshadow the portraits, use them instead to drive the narrative.

Limit Session to 30-45 Minutes

Having a pregnant woman be on her feet, posing, and smiling can be uncomfortable. Find opportunities during the session to give her breaks, make sure she’s hydrated and feeling comfortable. If she feels uncomfortable it will likely be seen in the images.

Photograph a Variety of Expressions & Groupings

If your beach maternity photos include a family adding a new member to the team then this is a great opportunity to get individual portraits with each parent and some solos of the child. Oftentimes, kids are well aware of the situation and feel insecure or threatened that a new child is coming into the family. This is the perfect chance to get individual portraits with each parent and then grab some portraits of the child for the parents to cherish.

Master Maternity Photoshoot Posing

When it comes to posing, aim for a natural look that highlights the mother’s beauty and the love and anticipation that they feel for their child. Consider using poses that incorporate the mother’s belly, such as holding it gently or cradling it. Keep in mind that the mother may be uncomfortable if the poses are too strenuous or difficult, so encourage them to take breaks when needed. Finally, be sure to capture candid moments as well, such as laughing or enjoying the scenery.  For more information on maternity photography posing, see our articles on Foundation Tips for Maternity Posing and Couple Maternity Photoshoot Ideas.

Choose the right timeframe

It’s important to consider your client’s safety and schedule the shoot no later than the 7-8 month mark, depending on your client’s comfort.  Of course, you also don’t want to do the photoshoot too early either, as the belly may not be showing enough yet.  The ideal timeframe, for most couples is between 6-7 months into the pregnancy.

Technical Considerations

It’s essential to have the right equipment to get the best results.  Besides the camera, here are a few items to consider bringing to ensure a successful beach maternity photoshoot.

Bring a combination of lenses to your beach maternity photoshoot that allow you to tell a complete story.  Medium range primes and zooms in the 50mm to 85mm range will help you capture beautiful portraits, and wide-angle lenses in the 16-35mm range will enable you to capture the vastness of the beach and create dramatic shots.

Consider using polarizing filters to help reduce glare and create a more vivid sky.  You may also choose to bring a tripod to take capture movement in the waves with long exposure photography.

Conclusion

Beach maternity photography is a fantastic way to capture an unforgettable moment for mothers-to-be. A great photoshoot will require communication and preparation, utilizing the right props and equipment, and a focus on natural poses. By keeping these tips in mind, you can create beautiful and memorable photographs that your clients will treasure for years to come.

The following article focuses on posing for family photography.  For a higher level overview of family photography, see our family photography tips. Also, in separate article, we discuss the best photo editing software for editing your photos, including options like Portrait Pro, Skylum, PhotoDiva, Lightroom, and Photoshop.

Before Your Clients Strike a Pose

While most photographers reach for the camera to start a session, we suggest putting the camera down. Here’s why: Directing is 10 times easier and more personable when you’re not hidden behind a camera. Take this opportunity to connect with your clients and show that they are your complete focus. We start every portrait session by running our clients through the Foundation Posing Framework.

Classic Family Photo Poses

Begin with the classic pose and have your subjects face the camera in order to get them comfortable for the session. The classic pose is one of the easiest family portrait poses for the following reasons:

1. Simple Pose – Your clients have likely posed for photos using some variation of this pose.
2. Quick Pose – Because it is a simple and familiar pose, getting in and out of this pose requires little time.
3. Safe (albeit Boring) Pose – While not very creative, it’s the traditional, must-have shot.

Transition your clients into a V-Up pose and frame them within the scene by creating equal visual weight throughout. In all of our family portrait poses, we want to show connection and familiarity with touch points; the more touch points we create, the more intimate a pose becomes.

This photo is often the one they use for holiday cards or for their wall art, so make sure you’re happy with the results from this pose before moving on!

Affectionate Family Photo Poses

Is there such a thing as too much space between family members? Of course! In order to create more of a connection (literally) between family members, direct them to hug into the middle. Doing so not only creates more intimacy but also ensures we have a focal point in our images.  This is a perfect family portrait pose for a family hugging onto their child, grandparent, or other person of focus.

In family portrait sessions, we want to highlight connection while also keeping the photos as authentic as possible. Utilize multiple touch points and wait for natural reactions. Keep an eye out for distractions like natural pointers and negative or tight framing.

Action Family Photo Poses

Sessions with children typically include a unique set of challenges, most of which leave the photographer working on borrowed time. In these instances, we need to move very quickly, but always remember the family is looking to you for direction, charisma, and warmth – no pressure right?

Incorporate action to engage the entire family and then wait for the right moment to capture natural reactions. We like to refer to this as assisted photojournalism – watch this webinar to see what it’s all about!

Seamlessly transition from the classic pose to something more candid by directing the family to run, jump, or even compete in a posing contest. These less formal poses will help you capture more authentic looking images and, because they’re fun to do, they can help delay any meltdowns. Also, if your clients are actually having fun, there’s a good chance that will be reflected in the imagery you create!

Editorial Family Portrait Poses

We typically get requests for editorial family photos during weddings rather than family portrait sessions. When shooting in an editorial style during a wedding, it’s important to communicate that even though these shots are complex, time-consuming and risky, they often stand out (in a good way) as the most memorable photos.

Don’t be intimidated by group editorial posing. It takes practice, research and time to fine-tune due to the nuances and focus needed for every subject in the image. By asking the family to smile with just the lips, for example, we can capture a serious but soft gaze.

Be sure to understand your client’s vision before attempting editorial family formals.  This style of photography is a departure from traditional family photos and should only be used when you know that the clients wants it.

Family Photo Poses with Tight Crops

As photographers, we’re aware of the importance of being in the right place at the right time. However, with a bit of directing, we can take a more active role and convincingly recreate candid moments.

In large family portraits, space changes the presence in the photo and creates a mood and sense of symmetry, even with an odd number of people. Reducing the amount of space in the frame has the same effect. To make a moment more intimate, we suggest reframing for a tight crop. By limiting distractions, the focus is on emotion and body language. To reinforce familial relationships, focus on hand placement to establish a connection.

6 Common Mistakes Made when Posing Families

1. Shooting by a tree.  The best spot in a location isn’t always by the base of a tree.  The biggest problem with shooting by a tree is that unless you are capturing the entire tree when you shoot – which will then make your subjects small, you might crop tight and all you see are family members and the base of a tree trunk.  Find a location without a tree stump, if you need shade, use the tree shade, minus the trunk.
2. Putting male family members in an awkward pose.  Men don’t sit cross-legged.  In fact, no adult really has since grade school unless they are doing yoga.  A leg bent with a leg crossed under is fine – but avoid the soles of shoes.  Men should always be embracing the woman.
3. Not putting the parents or grandparents in the middle.  If it’s a huge family portrait, your eye needs to be drawn to the main subject(s).  Is it the parents, or  grandparents?  Depending on the set up, you should make it obvious where the main subjects are – the parents can still be the side, but don’t shuffle them so they get lost in the mix, it’s typically the middle.  If it’s a daughter, mother, grandmother shoot, the oldest women are always in the middle, they are the most important subjects, never put them on the edge.
4. Not coupling properly.  Stagger family members if you must, but keep them clumped so it is obvious who is single, who is a family, and who are siblings. Pay attention to avoid coupling siblings in a sense that make them look like they are a couple.  Make sure couples touch, and single siblings if there are two, flock both sides of the parents and if there are more than two, they angle away from each other to show independence.  I like having the taller members of the family on the outside if possible.
5. Forgetting to capture them in a natural state. Even if you are more of a traditional portrait photographer, don’t forget the moments when a family looks at a child or laughs at a child’s reaction.  Sometimes you’ll get some great shots when they aren’t looking but enjoying the moment or interacting with one another, so don’t stop photographing them!
6. Expecting young children to pose.  You can’t have the entire family stand if the little kids are too short, the parents either have to hold them, or sit and the kids are on the parent’s lap. 
7.  

Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed this quick overview of 5 easy family photo poses. Group posing can be a tricky task for photographers who lack the experience, confidence, or knowledge to guide and communicate with their clients to get the perfect shot.  For some, especially those who consider themselves to be introverts, it’s the most challenging aspect of portrait photography.

See more tips from The Complete Posing Workshop to perfect your family portrait sessions! Or start streaming the workshop as a Premium member right now!

What is golden hour in photography?

Golden hour is the period just after sunrise or just before sunset when the sun sits low on the horizon. Because the light travels through more atmosphere at that angle, it scatters, softens, and shifts toward warm amber and orange tones. The result is directional light with reduced contrast, which flatters skin, creates natural rim lighting on hair, and gives landscapes a depth that overhead midday sun simply cannot produce. Most photographers mean the pre-sunset window when they say “golden hour,” though the post-sunrise version offers the same quality of light with far fewer people around.

That said, the name is a bit generous. On a clear day with an unobstructed horizon, you may get a full 30 to 45 minutes of usable warm light. In a canyon, near tall buildings, or with cloud cover rolling in, you might have 10. The practical implication: scout first, shoot second.

Overview of the golden hour photography tips

Here are the concepts we’ll be covering in this article.

1. Be patient with timing and plan ahead
2. Shoot against the light (with the sun as backlight)
3. Don’t forget to also shoot with the light
4. Work with sun flares
5. Capture the full scene and story (wide/medium/tight)
6. Use manual white balance
7. Use a lower (wider) aperture
8. Capture silhouettes in the sunset
9. Recreate your own with flash if necessary
10. Avoid common golden hour mistakes

Be patient with timing and plan ahead

The most important tip for shooting during golden hour is to be patient and plan ahead. By planning ahead, you can ensure that you’ll have the time to set up your shot and won’t miss the perfect light. In your planning, be sure to know the following:

• What time the sun sets
• Where exactly the sun sets (using the Sun Seeker app)
• Whether there are any mountains or buildings that could obstruct your view of the sunset

It’s also important to be patient as the light changes throughout the golden hour. The best light often occurs right before the sun dips below the horizon — not 20 minutes earlier when most photographers are still working through their pose list. If you’re on a client shoot, it’s easy to panic or rush the session and burn through all of your poses and locations before the light reaches its peak. Hold something back for those final minutes.

Shoot against the light (using the sun as backlight)

One of the most flattering and interesting lighting scenarios for portrait photographers is to shoot with the golden hour sun behind your subject. This creates a beautiful halo or rim light around your subject’s hair, which can really make them pop in the photo.

For backlit golden hour portraits, expose for the subject’s face rather than the bright background. You’ll likely need to open up 1 to 1.5 stops from what the meter suggests, or use a small amount of fill flash to lift the shadows without killing the mood. Our lighting guide covers the exact fill flash ratios we use for this setup.

Don’t forget to also shoot with the light

While the gorgeous backlight on your subject will likely be the best choice for most of your golden hour portraits, don’t forget to turn around and get a few images with the sun as well. This soft, warm front light is flattering in its own way, and the slightly squinting expressions it produces can actually read as natural and relaxed rather than forced.

Work with sun flares

Shooting into the sun can create some beautiful lens flares. These can either be avoided or embraced as part of the image. Avoid the flares by shooting from a shaded area where there is no direct light entering the lens. Embrace them by letting the light flow into the lens, making sure to adjust the overall exposure as you see in the image above.

Honestly, the decision to embrace or avoid flares is largely a stylistic one — but the execution matters. If you’re going for a flare, position the sun at the edge of the frame or partially behind your subject’s head. A flare dead-center with nothing else going on just reads as an exposure mistake. Use it as an accent, not the whole story.

Capture the full scene and story (wide/medium/tight)

As with all of your photography, remember to shoot for the story. This means getting a variety of wide, medium and tight photos that bring cohesiveness and context to the set of images. It may even mean getting images of just the scene without any subjects in the photo — a wide establishing shot of the landscape bathed in golden light tells the story of the moment before you ever show the couple.

Use manual white balance

Golden hour lighting can often trick your camera’s auto white balance, resulting in an image that is either too blue (the camera tries to neutralize the warm tones) or too orange (it overcorrects the other way). By setting your white balance manually, you stay in control of the mood. Start with a white balance of around 6000K–6500K — roughly the Kelvin range of the cloudy or shade preset on your camera — and adjust from there based on how the light actually looks on your LCD. Shooting RAW gives you the flexibility to fine-tune in post, but starting close in-camera saves time and gives you a more accurate exposure histogram to work from.

Use a lower aperture and maximize bokeh

When shooting portraits during golden hour, a low, wide open aperture of f/2.8 or lower — ideally f/2.0 and below — creates a shallow depth of field that turns those warm background tones into soft, creamy bokeh. The dreamy quality of the light already sets a mood; the wide aperture intensifies it. We’ll typically shoot the majority of our golden hour portrait sets at f/1.8 or f/2.0, stepping down to f/2.8 only for wider environmental shots where we want more of the scene sharp.

Capture silhouettes in the sunset

At some point in the golden hour session, there should be an opportunity to capture a silhouette of the subject. Position the subject so that the sun is behind them, then expose for the sky rather than the subjects — no fill light, no exposure compensation up. All you’ll retain is the shapes of their bodies against the color of the sky, which is often the single most dramatic image from the entire session.

Recreate your own golden hour if needed

If the weather is not cooperating or you can’t make the golden hour window, there are ways to create your own. We cover this extensively in the following articles:

• How to recreate golden hour
• How to use flash to create golden hour

With the right knowledge and tools, you can get a convincing golden hour look regardless of the time of day. If you want to go deeper on the flash setups, power ratios, and gel choices that make this work on real shoots, our Photography 101 training covers the full workflow from natural light fundamentals through off-camera flash techniques.

Avoid common golden hour mistakes

Here are a few common golden hour photography mistakes:

• Not location scouting properly — With timing being so important, it’s critical to scout the location. Golden hour could be much earlier or non-existent if something obstructs the view of the sunset, like a mountain or a building you didn’t account for.
• Being too hasty — Slow down. Focus on getting a series of great images with a variety of poses, expressions, and compositions in a single location rather than sprinting from spot to spot. Movement kills golden hour sessions faster than bad weather does.
• Overexposing the sky — Let some of your golden hour imagery sit a little darker and moodier. Blown-out skies lose the color that makes golden hour worth shooting for in the first place.
• Relying entirely on auto white balance — As covered above, AWB will often strip the warmth right out of the scene. Set it manually at 6000K–6500K and adjust from there.

For more portrait photography education and technique guides, explore our full Flash & Lighting Photography Guide or visit SLR Lounge Premium for complete course access.

Frequently asked questions about golden hour photography

What is golden hour in photography?

Golden hour is the short window of time just after sunrise or just before sunset when the sun is low on the horizon. The light during this period is softer, more directional, and warmer in tone than midday light, making it especially flattering for portraits, landscapes, and wedding photography. The actual duration varies by location and season — anywhere from 10 minutes to nearly an hour.

What is the best white balance for golden hour?

A manual white balance setting of 6000K to 6500K is a reliable starting point for golden hour photography. This roughly matches the cloudy or shade preset on most cameras and preserves the warm tones rather than letting auto white balance neutralize them. Shoot RAW and adjust in post if needed, but starting close in-camera gives you a more usable histogram and a truer preview of the final image.

What aperture should I use for golden hour portraits?

For golden hour portraits, shooting at f/1.8 to f/2.8 gives you the shallow depth of field that turns warm background tones into soft bokeh. Most portrait photographers prefer f/1.8 or f/2.0 for tighter shots of one or two subjects, stepping up to f/2.8 for slightly wider frames or small groups where you need more depth in focus.

How do I recreate golden hour lighting with flash?

To recreate golden hour with flash, use a CTO gel on a strobe or speedlight positioned low and to the side of your subject to mimic the angle and warmth of setting sun. Set your camera’s white balance to tungsten or a low Kelvin value so the ambient background goes cool while the gelled flash renders warm. The contrast between the cool background and warm subject light is what sells the effect.

This education is from our Headshot Photography 101 workshop in SLR Lounge Premium.

Watch The Posture and The Spine in Headshot Photography

Although headshots don’t include much of the subject’s body, it is still important that subjects stand with good posture. Bad posture will reduce the subject’s presence in the frame. If you notice that your subject is slouching, make these three adjustments:

1. Push in the lumbar (lower) spine so that the spine resembles a smiley face from the side
2. Straighten the thoracic (middle) spine
3. Straighten cervical (upper/neck) spine

A simple way to direct your subject into standing up straight is to tell them to imagine they are being pulled up by a “puppet string.” More often than not, this cue will help you get the posture you’re looking for.

Understand Broad Vs. Narrow Shoulders

The angle of your subject’s shoulders in relation to the camera will affect the subject’s appearance and presence in the frame. To increase your subject’s presence, position the shoulders so that they square up with or directly face the camera. Broader shoulders add a sense of strength to the subject. This rings true and works for both men and women. To soften or decrease your subject’s presence, angle the shoulders. Angled shoulders tend to slim down and soften subjects.

Work the Jawline

Angling your client’s face and tilting his or her head will help you accentuate your client’s jawline. To do this effectively, give subtle guidance and specifically say “tilt” in relation to tilting the head up and down and “turn” in relation to turning the neck left and right. It also helps to demonstrate what you mean as you direct your clients.

Ask the Subject to Extend the Neck

Extending your client’s neck for headshot posing can yield multiple benefits and eliminating extra time spent editing images in Photoshop. Some benefits include the following:

• Smooths skin
• Reduces/removes double chin
• Elongates neck
• Enhances jawline

Make sure the subject isn’t extending the neck too far though, as that can start to look unnatural in your posing.  Demonstrate for him or her and experiment to get the best results.

Know When To Use Straight Vs. Angled Faces/Heads

There are several factors to consider when deciding whether to shoot your client’s headshots straight on or at an angle. As previously mentioned, turning a client’s face toward one side or the other creates a slimming effect and is generally more flattering. Shooting headshots straight on, however, tends to exaggerate the symmetry or dissymmetry in a face and can broaden a subject’s appearance.

Learn How to Find Their Side

Because headshots draw so much attention to a subject’s face, we want to be sure to capture the face from the best angle. In order to find your client’s side, we suggest you do the following:

• Ask, “Do you have a preferred side?”
• Look for the part in the hairline
• Do the finger test: Without telling the client why you’re doing it, ask the client to follow your finger with their chin as you move it from left to right and look for their most flattering angle.

Another way to find your client’s side is to view the headshot upside down. Viewing the image this way draws attention to exaggerated or asymmetrical features, such as uneven eyes or jawlines.

Find Their Confident Eyes – The “Peter Hurley” Squinch

Peter Hurley’s famous “squinch” (squint + pinch) involves subtly squinting the eyes to create a confident facial expression. Be sure to watch for forehead wrinkles when directing your clients to squinch. All other tips regarding angles and extending the neck still apply.

Direct into the Expression

Play into your personality when directing your clients into an expression. Avoid the usual cues like “Say cheese,” “Smile,” or “Act natural.” Instead, customize a traditional cue and complete the sentence, “Smile as if,” based again on your personality as well as that of the client. The best reactions will happen with more natural interaction.

Here are some ways to interact with your clients:

• Ask them to act
• Ask them to scream out loud
• Be goofy
• “Smile as if…”

Do what you can to get their mind off the shoot so that they can start feeling comfortable! If your interaction with the client seems to fall flat and chemistry is minimal, you might consider having music playing in the background to fill in the silent moments, or try to get to know them a little more.

Conclusion

Posing for any genre of photography is all about minding the details and practicing enough so that you start identifying and solving issues as they come up.  Clients often don’t know how to achieve their desired look, so it’s your job to coach them into it.  Hopefully this article helps you understand how to pose for a headshot with a solid foundation.

For more information, see our Headshot Photography 101 workshop in SLR Lounge Premium.

Backlit Natural Light Sunset Photo

The most common way to photograph sunset portraits is shooting into the sunset with the subjects backlit by the sun.  However, straight out of the camera in such a high dynamic range scene, the subjects will likely look too dark.  So achieving a good backlit natural light sunset photo requires some knowledge of photo editing and and understanding of dynamic range.  Let’s review an example.

The Final Photo

The Equipment and Settings

• Nikon D700
• Nikon 50mm f/1.4 AFS-G
• 1/3000 sec @ f/1.4 & ISO 400
• Manual Exposure, Manual WB, RAW

The Shooting Conditions

Shooting portraits at sunset can be a a difficult situation.  You want to capture the beautiful warm sunset, and maybe even put the sun in your frame, and yet you don’t want to underexpose your subjects’ faces. The original, un-edited image looked like this:

The highlights are almost blown out, and the faces are getting pretty shadow-y.  However neither are totally “clipped”, so the image has potential.  Could I have used flash to illuminate their faces?  Maybe, but it would have taken time to set up, and in these kinds of situations I like to shoot as freely as possible.  With flash I would have had to concern myself with setup, recycle speed, and since the subjects were moving I would have had to coordinate flash distance, angle, etc…

The bottom line is that I felt more comfortable relying on my camera’s dynamic range, and just going with the soft natural light that was on their faces.  As the sun gets closer to the horizon it dims and softens, so I knew I could “fit it” (the scene) into a single RAW exposure.

The Post-Processing

Remember, you are not using RAW as a “crutch” because you’re sloppy with exposure, or because you’re too in-experienced or lazy to use off-camera lighting.  It is a calculated decision that you make based on time, practicality, and what you know you can get out of your images in post-production.

To process the original image, I started with one of the “HDR natural” presets from our Lightroom Presets. Next, I used a vintage fade preset that affects the RGB curves only, (so as not to mess up my exposure, shadows, and highlights) and finished the image off with a faint amount of burning & dodging.

Direct Light Natural Light Sunset Candid Couples Photo

Of course, you can also shoot with the sunlight, which will give you more even lighting across the entire scene.  Let’s review an example.

The Final Photo

The Equipment and Settings

• Nikon D300
• Sigma 50-150mm f/2.8 @ 150mm (The old one, not the newer stabilized Sigma 50-150 2.8 OS)
• 1/750 sec @ f/2.8 & ISO 200
• Manual exposure, Kelvin WB @ ~5000K, RAW

The Shooting Conditions

Here’s a good example of when to “turn the whole thing around” and use the sun as your light source. Usually, photographers fear direct sun on their subjects as if it’s the plague.  Entire photo shoots can go on with the sun at a subject’s back, for that flare-y, backlit look.  While this can of course be beautiful as well, and it’s a very good idea for times of day when the sunlight is harsh, the “golden hour” just before sunset changes that rule in my opinion. Sunlight on a subject can be a beautiful thing, so keep an eye open in all directions and consider your options.

Especially when the weather is a little more dramatic than usual, you never know where light and color might appear! Here are a couple additional images from the scene, as the light changed and faded:

The Post-Processing

This image is another SOOC image. (Straight Out Of Camera)  Even though I shoot 90% of my photos in RAW, I still browse and sort my images in Nikon’s View NX 2 file browser, because of it’s blazing fast speed at viewing RAW files.  (Similarly to Photomechanic, and in my opinion even better!) Usually I just cull my images in View NX 2 and then import them into Lightroom or use Bridge’s ACR to do actual color corrections, however sometimes an image just looks great in View NX 2 so I export it exactly the way it is!

If you look closely you can see a faint bit of color shifting around the edges of the frame; this is simply due to the in-camera saturation and contrast I applied.  It goes away once you open the RAW file in Lightroom etc.

Sunset Portrait Photography with Flash

Lastly, you can use flash photography with your sunset portraits.  This technique can bring out all of the colors of the sunset while properly exposing for the subject.  Let’s review an example.

The Final Photo

Step 1: Dial in Camera Settings

Set your shutter speed to 1/200th of a second and dial in the proper aperture and ISO setting that retains the detail and dynamic range of your sunset portrait. In our scene we arrived at an ambient exposure of 1/200th of a second, f/5.6, and ISO 100, and you can see from the image above, that our subject is extremely underexposed but our background has the perfect balance of brightness.

Step 2: Set your In-Camera White Balance

Throw your temperature into a deep blue by setting your in-camera temperature setting to 3600K. This is just a starting point so gauge whether or not your sunset’s color can handle more or less of a temperature adjustment. Now, with this adjustment we need to make sure that the off-camera flash color helps us retain our subject’s natural skin color and therefore we use a CTO (Color Temperature Orange) gel to balance between the ambient light and in-camera temperature throw.

Step 3: Add In Your Light

Now that you have the appropriate settings add in your hot-shoe flash to illuminate your subject. We don’t want to use direct flash in a scenario like this because it will cause extreme highlights on our subject’s face, so what do we do to create a hard, specular light that still has a diffused quality?

There is only one option to get the aforementioned quality of light: bounce. Bring out your reflector (we love using the Westcott 5-in-1) and bounce your on-camera flash onto the silver side of the reflector to create a specular light source while still softening the light so that it doesn’t create harsh highlights.

To master foundational lighting techniques, check out our Lighting 101 workshop, or stream it along with a myriad of photography and post-production education as an SLRL Premium member.

Video Tutorial

Watch the full video tutorial for the process below.