our other FAVORITE subjects :: babies | maternity | children | HS Seniors | commercial | couples | individuals
Family Photography is an Orchestration
Although many of us recognize the value of a great family photo, making it look effortless can be a lot of work. As you lug a suitcase filled with clothing to the family picture photographer's door, you may ask "is this worth it?" Well, just consider that a home filled with family pictures sets a tone of togetherness; at a glance family is reminded of their tribe.
As time passes, professional family portraits become historical documents that can be passed between generations, and let's us see how much we've grown and changed as a family. Choosing the right family portrait studio for your tribe is key in creating the right artful and emotional statement on your walls.
Your Choices for Perfect Family Portraits
Our family photographers know that families don't all fit in the same box. They like choices. With our line-up of custom photography family portraits we offer not only in studio but on-location options as well.
For family pictures taken at our Sellwood studio choose our Original Portraits™ line. We'll focus on taking interactive, imaginative and playful family studio photography inside as well as our natural light outdoor studio.
While our Vignettes™ - Visual Tales of Home and Family takes family portrait photography on-location with a photo-documentary approach to your personal environment. Your photographer soaks up your families' favorite activities from cuddling on the couch, baking cookies, playing with the kids to jumping on the bed. In our approach to modern family portraits we'll make sure your family narrative is told from start to finish.
Sitting fees range from $150 - $400 for the Original Portraits™ and Vignettes™ line respectively. Visit our FAQ pricing section for more details.
Designing a Family Picture Wall
As families grow so does their picture collection. What to do with professional family photos is a question we are frequently asked. Our suggestion is to build your wall over the years to capture the many milestones of your family. Creating dynamic groupings on stairwells or hallways can be a great starting point. Our dynamic multi-media presentation showcases imaginative and classic wall grouping ideas - designed by your family portraits photographers - on your very own wall or our sample one.
We can even show you our entire frame library with each photo on the screen. Did you know you had such high tech family photographers in Portland Oregon?
The Logistics of Large Professional Family Portraits
In the rainy season we have limits to how large a group we can accommodate in our photo studio. Twelve seems to be the largest group we can photograph indoors unless you are game for trying composite photography for your family portraits. Ask us for details or visit this image as a composite family portrait example. From Spring to Fall, we propose outdoor family portraits for groups up to 20 in our natural light outdoor studio.
To ensure the highest quality experience families with seven or more people will have an Original Portraits™ - Signature extended family sitting fee ($299) and do not qualify for the Light sittings.
Gathering your clan takes time and effort and we promise to make it worth your while. Many families additionally opt for extra groupings including individual families, cousin photos, brothers and sisters, grandparents with grandkids. Virtually any combination you come up with our professional family photographers are happy to compose and snap.
Including Your Pet in Studio Family Portraits
We are often asked whether "Sparky" can be included in the family photo. Of course! Working with pets is something we enjoy and know is important to families. After all, they are part of the family - right?
We've found it best for the whole family to focus on Fido once the non-furry family portraits are out of the way. Just do us a favor and let us know in advanced when bringing in a pet so we can plan for indoor or outdoor family portraits.
Whether it's a bird, a cat, a dog or a rat we'll make sure they are remembered for all time. Check out some of the critters our families have brought along in our blog here.
How to Choose a Family Photographer
Professional family photography is an investment of time, love and money. Choosing the right photographer is no small matter. Here are some things to consider when selecting family portraits photographers.
- Experience — How long has the photographer worked with children and babies? A seasoned photographer should be adept at handling tantrums with playful distractions.
- The Look —Reviewing portfolios is a great way to start the process. Look for images that really sing to you. Do you prefer something formal or casual? Looking at a portfolio will be a great reflection of how the photographer will approach your family.
- The Convenience Factor — Full-service studios like Campbell Salgado will offer printing and framing. Some photographers prefer to hand off the images for you to print. If you are handy with design and framing, DIY production may make sense. But, convenience isn't always a substitute for expertise: you want lasting quality.
- The Experience — The Experience - Campbell Salgado views your experience as part of our relationship. Visit the photo studio or meet with the photographer to get a feel for the fit. Some family photography studios offer complimentary planning sessions to ensure a successful photo session. By visiting us, you get a chance to relax, which translates to a more natural "you" in front of the camera.
- The Kudos — Ask your friends for recommendations, or whether they've heard of the family photographer you are interested in hiring. Check online reviews and social networking sites for fan pages in your community.