About Me
Hello – I am Melinda from @Melindamaephotography. I am a family photographer, and I mainly end up documenting my own family due to the fact that we move so often and I tend to interact with a very small group of people while living overseas. I have been an expat for the past 10 years living in three different countries and getting ready to move again in June of this next year. As we move so often (which is extremely stressful!), I am finding self-portraiture as a way to handle the challenges and get through tough times. I enjoy doing two different types of self-portraits – solo ones (to help me process my emotions) – and storytelling family self-portraits. For this tutorial I will cover some tips on my family self-portraits, specifically how to find inspiration and focus for your ideas, even if you’re stuck at home, and then how to turn those ideas into reality to beautifully capture your story.
ISO400 -14-24 @ 22mm f4 1/60s
Inspiration
I have been asked where I get my inspiration. One of the main things that inspires me is light. I really love pockets of light and try to embrace them as much as possible. I know that using the pockets can make things more difficult as I deal with the shadows, but those little compact sections of light add so much more to a photo. I watch the light in our house through the day, and as light hits certain areas I envision our family routines in those spaces. My images are all things we do as a family – maybe not always at the same time, but they are taken from our everyday. I think that by capturing our life in this way it allows for people to be more connected to the images. Every time I catch myself looking at the light in any room, I try to envision what we could all be doing in that specific area.
ISO200 14-24@14 f3.51/1600s
ISO250 14-24@14mm f3.5 1/125s
Another place I turn to for inspiration is, no surprise, Instagram. When I am on Instagram and see an image that has an element I like, sometimes I will think about how I would incorporate my whole family into that scene. Sheets are fun – how can I incorporate the whole family? Holding a mirror looks neat with the framing – how can I make it something we can do as a family? I do not copy another artist or their setup – but I do become inspired by details and I love to push myself to try something that makes it relevant to my family.
ISO500 24-70@24 – F4 1/80s
I also keep asking what if? My children are always asking me questions, to the point that I end up getting annoyed. But I realized that I do the same thing all the time. What if I move this mirror here? What if I stand in this spot – what can I see? What if I try to have just the children’s shadows, or just mine? I have so many what if’s running through my head, so I tend to write them down – noting the time of day, what the weather is doing, what colors I want to incorporate, all the details I will need. That way when the whole family is around and the light is right, I can call us all together and try something new. In my family self-portraits I like to implement a different technique or multiple techniques into each new session. This means I need to be questioning and pushing myself each time I try to set up a scene.
ISO400 24-70@24mm f/4 1/60s
I am constantly looking at our house, our routines, our simple everyday life, and thinking about how I can portray them in one image, or even a series. When I am trying to come up with ideas on what to photograph, I will think through things that the kids are doing that I want to remember. I will think about what room we still haven’t photographed yet. I will see the light hitting someplace new due to the changing season and figure out a way for all of us to get in the frame! Sitting down and thinking through the process or talking it out with someone else helps the process go much smoother.
ISO 250 14-24@14 f/6.3 1/15s
Execution of Setup
When it comes time to move from concept to execution, I am going to say I do recognize that my family is extremely patient with me. My husband will willingly get into the frame if I ask him, and the kids are used to having their pictures taken. This has made the process much easier. This isn’t to say that my children are always excited about it, but they are used to it and know what to expect when it comes to my family images. I try to explain what I am looking for, and my daughter – who is a rule follower – typically does what I ask. My son can be more challenging to keep engaged, so I usually tell him that it will only take a few minutes and I just let him do what he does… I have also found that letting the kids interact together and just be makes them both happier and gets much more genuine reactions. If there is something specific that I need my son to do, like hold a mirror, I try to make it as quick and painless as possible. If he is annoyed about it, I let him know that he is helping me out, and that he can go play as soon as we are done. Sometimes this does mean we have to wait until he is in a better mood – but generally we push through and, in the end, sanity is saved and I get my image.
ISO320 24-70@24 f/4 1/15s
Once I have an idea in mind for the shot I will set up the camera and see what I can include in the shot. I have a 14-24 lens that I generally use – it allows for so much to be in the frame, but does warp horribly, so I take that into consideration. Generally, the wider angle the better, especially if you are working in a small or tight spot. After I get the camera in place I have my husband stand where I want him to be to make sure everything is the right height. I also use him as a stand-in, depending on where I want the focus to be. Once I have my framing and focus ready, I will call the kids in. Having everything set up before they get “on scene” helps keep them happy. I always try to keep things short and sweet, which sometimes can limit what I can accomplish in the moment, but if it helps everybody stay in good attitudes, I know that will go a long way for future cooperation. Sometimes I do not get what I am looking for and it takes a bit longer, and sometimes I don’t realize I didn’t get what I was going for until after I upload the images to my computer. Looking over things on the bigger screen helps me see what I might have missed, or if the focus didn’t hit right, or anything else that needed to be tweaked. This is when keeping everyone in good spirits really pays dividends – I’m pretty sure at this point the kids expect to do retakes, so keeping these sessions quick and upbeat not only prevents everybody from getting frustrated, it means I get a second chance if I need it.
Full family self-portraits aren’t for everyone, and that is fine. If you can tell your story with just you, or with a child, your significant other, or your pet, then do so. The point is getting in the frame and telling your story in a way that is fun for you.
Exercise for you!
What do you do as a family that you want to remember?
Do you do your daughter’s hair every day? Does your son roll around on the floor while he is supposed to be getting dressed? Do you share chores, or prepare meals together? Does your husband get to go to work while you are home with the kids? Write a list of some of your favorite things that you want to remember now write down ways that you could document them – just like you are setting up a scene for a movie. Make sure you add yourself to the shot!
ISO250 14-24 @14mm f2.8 1/8s
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