Don't ask them to say cheese. Instead, just before shooting, ask them to sing Old Macdonald Had a Farm. Kids know the words and respond well, and even the adults may laugh. You get natural body language and better facial expressions.

Use a symmetrical shape of grouping. Try an inverted triangle with one person in the front middle, place pairs of people beside and behind, three in the next row etc. Photo may look more balanced if everyone gets the same amount of space and each person is showcase… Continue

The metalanguage of paintings was a big deal in the Neo-Classical, Romantic, Renaissance periods -- each person's position and pose in the painting was carefully calculated. The viewer, if able to "read" the painting, was privy to "relative status" information that a casual observer missed.

Body language and poses still make a difference in the feel of the photo -- do the family members touch each other? Do their shoulders overlap to indicate a tight family unit? Do the senior members sit in th… Continue

Don't store the backdrop in a bag, dyes are organic compounds, and you could end up with a smelly backdrop. There are better ways to make an impression on your clients! Let it breathe when in storage, dry shelf in the studio or basement will make it happy. For transportation (especially for oversize backdrops) get a gym or hockey bag or use a construction-grade garbage bag (Home Depot has them).

Don't fold backdrops (you'll see the creases in photos), instead crush pack for transportation. Crea… Continue