Cheesy, clichéd family portrait styles...

[uid15]

I've observed something rather cringe inducing over the years... how "average" people have their family portraits taken - all on a boring white background, and in these awkward poses:

"OK everyone - be a choo choo train, but Donald, you don't join in - it doesn't look manly..."





And then, the pose where they are laying face down on a white background...

Is it just me, or is there something inherently BORING and unimaginative about these "templated" poses? They seem to be a current trend, and make me cringe with every creative atom of my being.

 

[kenoh]

I agree. The ones we liked were when we took our too daughters to a photographer and she emptied a bag of leaves onto the floor, then we played with them for 10 minutes to the point where they were playing together. We then retreated and the photographer then did her thing. Much more natural and the natural view of the cheeky monkeys came through. I would like to be able to do it myself...

 

[100Teraflops]

I agree that the choo choo train is not 'the shot' anymore! My family had a few of these back in the 1980's! The prone position composition isn't bad. Saying the family is comfortable being prone etc...

 

[Apple fanboy]

I'd just be happy if my daughter agreed to any photos. She's 13 now, and apart from the odd snap I took while she wasn't looking, I have no photos of her since she was 8 or 9.
Her mums not much better.
As for family pictures, I much prefer candids to poses in a studio. Getting the subject relaxed is the key to a good photo in my uneducated opinion.

 

[steveash]

He he. I think most studios are on such a tight budget that they just knock out a few standard poses against a white seamless as a time saving. Most people aren't willing to pay for anything more. Things are very different in Asia where the local studio will usually have multiple rooms with backdrops, props, costumes, hair and make-up etc. My engagement pictures taken in China are quite fabulous. They even had their own park - there are pictures of me holding a white horse by a lake... Their family portraits were equally as impressive and extravagantly styled. For the average Chinese the price would have been several months wages but they value these once in a lifetime shots.

 

[sim667]

The problem is with studios is the photographer also often has to sell the image...... Often the photography is second to their sales ability.

I went for an interview with venture photography probably nearly a decade ago now, and within seconds it was clear they weren't interested in my photography portfolio, but only what sales background I had..... I hadn't just done a photography degree to work spending a few mins a day taking formulaic photographs, and then a few hours a trying to sell them, or getting people into the studio by basically conning them with "a free studio shoot"

If you want family portraits done, as an independent photographer who's portfolio you like..... don't go to some trite family portrait studio.