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Capturing The Modern Family Portrait

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Conducting a photo shoot with an entire family requires skills beyond professional camera handling. Join family photographer Tamara Lackey on location and in the studio as she teaches you everything you need to know to conduct a successful family photo session that stands out from the crowd. Tamara leaves no stone unturned as she discusses topics ranging from essential gear to how to prep the family before the shoot, and from choosing the right location to what to do after the family has gone home. Each lesson is full of tips and tricks that are sure to take your abilities to the next level.

  1. Introduction (01:29) Join Tamara as she introduces the topics and concepts covered in this class.
  2. Gear Guide (12:08) Tamara walks through all of the gear she uses in a typical family portrait session.
  3. Finding the Best Location (13:28) Finding the right location for bringing out the best in your family group is an important aspect of a successful session.
  4. Preparing the Family for the Shoot (09:25) The client's mindset can make or break the shoot, so it is important to set the stage for what will happen during the shoot to get them prepared.
  5. Fast Moving Subjects (10:38) Working with kids will inevitably involve trying to photograph fast moving subjects. Tamara walks through how she prepares for capturing the peak of action.
  6. Posing Families (09:19) Remembering all the poses you want to capture during the activity of a shoot can be tricky. Over time, Tamara developed a portable posing playbook to help keep her on track.
  7. Importance of Clothing (08:54) The right clothing choices can make a huge impact on the final look of the photos.
  8. Location Change (11:37) Having a few locations within close proximity can help you add variety in looks and poses in the session.
  9. Managing Family Dynamics (08:31) It is entirely normal for family dynamics, such as fighting siblings, to emerge during the shoot. Learn how Tamara tries to manage and channel that energy to make it a successful shoot.
  10. In the Studio (11:48) Due to the confines of studio space there is a greater need to choreograph the movements and poses of the family members.
  11. Composition Tips (09:10) Here is a series of simple compositions to add to your repertoire.
  12. After the Shoot (06:42) There are a number of important tasks to complete after the family has gone home and before you deliver the images to your client.
Course Time: 01 Hours 53 Minutes
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  1. E. Piercey
    Apr 29 2013
    I love this tutorial and I'm only on the third module. Tamara Lackey is phenomenal. Her energy and rapport both with her clients and the Kelby Training camera crew is engaging and warm. Great tutorial so far.. now back to it.
  2. P. Harati
    Apr 3 2013
    Excellent course! Very clearly and logically presented. Not boring at all!! Very valuable information!!
  3. J. Camacho
    Mar 28 2013
    I love the energy and how she made it fun for everyone. I enjoyed watching this course and even laughed out loud quite a few times. :)
  4. A. Johnstone
    Mar 17 2013
    Excellent course! I love how she covered gear briefly and what lens she uses for either a single person or a family...how she talked about how to deal with the family dynamics, working with kids, how to choose locations...the whole thing! Makes it easy to understand without getting overly technical! Thank you so much! I love these classes that use reflectors outdoors and natural lighting! This is more practical for us who are not able to afford the whole studio set up... more from Tamara please!
  5. D. Schulman
    Mar 13 2013
    LOVED this course. It was truly info-packed on so many levels! You gave so many tips and so much information. I think I'll watch the course again to be sure I caught everything! When you were doing the photo sessions with the families, I actually found myself smiling and laughing at your antics! You have a great rapport with the families and how you handled the children as well as the parents was very enlightening. Excellent course! Hope to see more more from you!!!
  6. I. Ignatenko
    Feb 28 2013
    Thank you very much for this course. So much expression and fun! :) Looking forward to more videos with Tamara.
  7. L. Perrotta
    Feb 26 2013
    Excellent!
  8. P. Wunderle
    Feb 15 2013
    I enjoyed this course very much. It stressed that family portraits are not modeling shoots, they're interactive shoots. It is a real art to be able to bring out the best of people and capture it as a natural and precious moment in time. The pictures we enjoy the most of our chilhood, are the ones we goofed off in and didn't pose right for mom and dad.
  9. L. Gunn
    Feb 7 2013
    This course was exactly what I was looking for. Tamara's explanation and way of working with the families and especially children was a refreshing way of approaching clients. The real life demonstration of pulling together the entire photo session and mix of poses is what I needed. Thank you for adding this course and listening to my suggestion for a course on family portraits. You have exceeded my expectation.
  10. B. Fredrick
    Feb 2 2013
    Fantastic...so much passion and excitement. Love the fact these portraits are posed but candid.
  11. T. Hartson
    Feb 2 2013
    Tamara is fantastic in this. She explains her techniques well has her videos are fun to watch.
  12. R. Turner
    Feb 2 2013
    Very informative training video, providing great insights into how to get the best results by knowing the importance of human interaction in addition to all the technical aspects! All the information was presented in a delightful and engaging way. Thank you very much.
  13. N. Gates
    Jan 31 2013
    Tamara Lackey is a dynamic instructor! Please have her offer more courses in this forum. This was a fantastic class for me, an amateur photographer, who loves to take pictures of families and kids. I really enjoyed watching Tamara connect with the families and the kids. I am always looking for ways to improve my craft. Thanks so much!
  14. M. Kawano
    Jan 31 2013
    This is one of the best training videos I've watched on KelbyTraining (and that is saying a lot)! Tamara has a fantastic energy, is great at explaining things, and clearly is phenomenal with her clients. I am a huge fan and will watch anything else she does for sure. Heading over to her website now!
  15. J. Lua
    Jan 31 2013
    LOVED this course. Tamara's energy, understandable explanation of technique and knowledge makes me want to do family sessions right away! It's one of the best courses on this site for people photography.
  16. L. Campe
    Jan 31 2013
    I LOVED watching this course! Tamara is a great teacher and so easy to understand and relate to. I found myself laughing out loud while I watched this one. Great information and wonderful teacher!
  17. D. Thibodeau
    Jan 29 2013
    This was the best course I have seen yet. Great, great teacher! Thank you!
  18. R. Garrow
    Jan 28 2013
    I would like to thank Tamara for a great video, I like a lot of other folks learned a great deal. I am a Nikon shooter, but I know it does not matter which brand you are shooting with. Your lens selection was also very well presented. I can not say enough about the video, thank you for taking the time to step through each part of the shoot. Great Job!
  19. H. Goessens
    Jan 28 2013
    Excellent!!!! It was very clear, entertaining, full of great advice, easy, and educational. Simply love it!!!
  20. D. Vander Velde
    Jan 27 2013
    Best training video yet! Thanks for the inside and energy.
  21. E. Garcia
    Jan 26 2013
    Bravo Tamra that's so cool I love it
  22. S. Emerick
    Jan 26 2013
    Ms. Lackey is an articulate and talented instructor. More than anything, she shows in this course the importance of the interpersonal element in portraiture and the necessity of genuinely caring for the subjects. This is the best portrait video yet.
  23. J. Lince
    Jan 26 2013
    Oh my gosh!! You are incredible! I am just starting a business and you gave me so much hope and help! I appreciate the knowledge on how to handle different situations seeing as that is a big part of the job. You do an amazing job at it. Thank you for sharing.
  24. I. Johnstone
    Jan 24 2013
    Thank you Tamara, very useful videos. Where do you get your energy from!!
  25. A. Holdsworth
    Jan 24 2013
    Really great course! I can't wait until my next family shoot to try out some of Tamara's techniques.
  26. A. McBride
    Jan 24 2013
    By far the most entertaining and informative course on the site. She's not just a genius on the technical aspect of getting the shot but (and MUCH more importantly) a master of getting the expressions and fun and joy that sell the shot. And she's so cute!
  27. W. Willoughby
    Jan 24 2013
    I learned so much from this tutorial and loved your approach to the session. I too do not like to have everyone looking at the camera and smiling. That is not how we actually interact. It was also wonderful that you used Canon equipment. I do have the 5D mark iii and my next purchase will be the 85 mm prime lens which I will also use for sports. Great job.
  28. S. Stark
    Jan 23 2013
    Loved this presentation. I have been waiting for a good tutorial on family portraits. I like that Tamara makes it fun.
  29. S. Campbell
    Jan 23 2013
    Great energy with good information,A+
  30. P. Grambo
    Jan 23 2013
    A very useful course indeed. Tamara's extremely good with people. Being good with people is the key to the whole thing with this kind of photography, and she demonstrated in a convincing way how it can be done. Very good. Recommended.
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Tamara Lackey

Tamara Lackey

Lifestyle Photographer, Author, and Speaker

Tamara Lackey is a renowned professional photographer, author, speaker and web series host. Her authentic lifestyle photography, from children’s portraits to celebrity portraits, is praised within...VIEW FULL BIO»

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