I think sometimes, brides and parents of the brides forget (or may not even realize) that the lighting inside most churches is very dim and that they would have much more flattering images if they walked a few steps and allowed me to shoot family portraits outdoors! I realize that sometimes this isn’t even possible – sometimes the weather doesn’t cooperate or there is no shaded area to really make this happen! However, in my opinion, if you have an area that could work, why not shoot these portraits outside and make them as natural as possible! So, here are 4 reasons why I think outdoor family formal portraits are a great idea!!

1. You can start them immediately! Instead of waiting 15-20 minutes for all of the guest to leave the ceremony location, you can gather the family after they recess out of the ceremony and immediately jump into portraits and save time! (Of course I let the bride and groom have a few moments of “Oh my gosh we’re MARRIED!!!” … then we get to work!)

2. Better lighting! I’m a natural light photographer which means I LOVE shooting outdoors. The light indoors can often be dim and a bit yellowed, depending on the ceremony venue. By shooting family portraits outdoors, you are guaranteed to have better coloring in your images and better light to work with! You’ll see this in the examples below!

3. The Backdrop! Most couples pick their ceremony site because they love the look and feel of the area.  However, when it comes time for family formals, most people don’t realize that the only thing that is going to show up in a family formal, are the people. I don’t shoot family formals with a large wide angle lens to capture the curving staircases or the arches at the top of the ceiling. Family formals are shot close and cropped in to the subjects. No one wants family shots that are so far away that you can’t tell who anyone is! So even though it’s a beautiful venue, you will see that architectural beauty captured throughout the ceremony shots, not the family formals.

4. More Room! There is always more room outside which allows for more flexibility with the portraits!

Have an amazing Wednesday!