Nina mace’s top tips For outdoor Family portraits

1 Help style clients

great outdoor images can be really lifted to that next level with good styling, so let clients know which colours work best depending on what time of year you’re shooting.

2 Work with quality light

Schedule shoots for when the light is at its best. Aim for either first thing in the morning or last thing in the day – the light is naturally softer and warmer at these times.

3 Choose your focal length

Do you like the separation from long lenses or do you prefer the 35mm lifestyle feel? Mixing very different focal lengths makes it hard to create consistent client images, so choose wisely.

4 Consider your backgrounds

I aim to deliver many different backgrounds and setups on a full family shoot, so scout your location ahead of the shoot. Look for different colours, textures and density of foliage to add variety.

5 Look for the light

Probably the most important decision when planning out your shoots is to consider where the light is best. I will often not use a location if I’m not happy with the light.

6 Compose in-camera

Rather than crop in editing, I compose in camera. this is why I like a 2:3 ratio in my prints and frames as its closest to my original composition.

7 Have fun!

When shooting families and children, take time to have fun and don’t be afraid to put your camera down. You want them to feel as if they’ve had a fun couple of hours.

8 Double up

If you can, shoot onto two cards. My camera writes the same image to both my SD and CF cards, in the event that one of them corrupts.

9 Bring samples

If your clients express an interest in products such as frames and books, and you are a location photographer, it’s a great idea to have samples in your car, just in case.

10 Be prepared

You should always assume that things might not go to plan and have a plan B should you need to change locations. I keep blankets, wipes and even bottles of water in my car!