Hard to believe, but Christmas is not too far away. Of course, Christmas means family and family means photographs. To improve your family photos this Christmas, think triangles.
Why triangles? Bill Hurter, editor of Rangefinder magazine states it best in his book, The Portrait Photographer’s Guide to Posing (Amherst 2004). The triangle is one of the most pleasing and dynamic forms in all of photography. Because the triangle is a series of three lines, two of which are diagonal (diagonal lines are powerful in photos), it has the result of providing direction and visual movement in a portrait. Creating triangles and exploiting natural triangles in posing is one of the most basic skills of a good composition.”
How do we achieve triangles?
Although these are wedding group shots, the same can be applied to any family shots. Here I have used the difference in heights as well as steps to produce a ton of triangles.
In both these photos, the photographer has used the arms to create triangles with the head and within the arms themselves.
This photo was taken from the book Your Child in Pictures by Me Ra Koh. She has formed a lovely triangle with the head of the child and her arms.
You know you’re going to be taking some shots during the holidays. Think about how many people will be “at the party” and draw out a plan for a photo. Be sure to include triangles – it’s actually pretty easy when you’re aware that’s what you want. Before any wedding that we have photographed, I’ve spent hours planning poses for each and every shot. It saves time and ensures you will have the most visually pleasing photographs. These are your memories – make them memorable!
