Is The Backyard A Good Location For Family Portraits?

Frequently Asked Questions: Is The Backyard A Good Location For Family Portraits?

One of the many things to consider when preparing for family portraits is where to take them. If you have never taken family portraits or if you’ve taken them at many different locations, the backyard may be a place to consider. But there are a few things to take into account before finalizing the session. Here are three things to consider when figuring out is the backyard a good location for family portraits.

Make Sure The Lighting Is OK For The Session

is the backyard a good location for family portraits

One of the most important things to consider when having family portraits in your backyard is the lighting. The ideal time for the session will definitely be in the evening or the early morning. But if the session is scheduled in the afternoon, your backyard will need some shade. Shade provides soft and flattering lighting for your images.

I recommend taking a look at the backyard, around the same time your session is scheduled. If there is a lot of shade at the time of the session, the backyard will be a good place. If you’re able to schedule the session in the evening, this will be ideal. A great tool to see when the sun will be setting is a sunset calendar. Take a look at when the sun will be setting and try and schedule the session about an hour before sunset 😉

The Backyard Can Be Distracting For Smaller Children

Another thing to consider is that your home can be a little distracting for younger children. Since it is at your home, their toys and other things are close by. And children may be less interested in taking pictures than playing with their toys 🙂

In my experience with taking family portraits in your backyard, with small children – limiting the session to around 30 minutes is recommended. This is more than enough time to get a bunch of great pictures. And it may also be the longest amount of time we can keep everyone’s attention 🙂

I also recommend providing some type of incentive before the start of the session. This can be a special treat or even a trip to the toy store!

Consider The Amount of Space And The Different Backgrounds

These days, having a backyard is a luxury! Most newer homes do not even have them and there is typically not a lot of space if your home does. When taking pictures, the more space – the better. In my experience, people are most comfortable when there is a little bit of space between them and the Photographer. Especially children.

You may also want to consider that your background may have just one or two good locations for portraits. This is a little different than a park – where there may be four or five different places we will visit during the session.

If you are pondering the question of is the backyard a good location for family portraits, hopefully this short article has been helpful. Thanks!