Family reunions are truly special occasions that offer people the chance to catch up with family members while capturing these moments at the same time.

Group photos are par for the course at these types of events, so here are a few tips that will ensure you get the best shots.

Tips for Your Large Family Photo

-        Take it early on in the day. If you’re having quite a large family reunion, people are going to leave at different times in the day so rather take your large group photo once everyone is there and before the festivities get going.

-        Use your family history to appeal to reluctant family members. There will always be one or two people who don’t want to be photographed and sometimes there is nothing you can do about that. One approach that you can try is to push the importance of your family history and creating memories for future generations to convince them to pose for at last one shot.

-        Bring in the chairs. To make sure that everyone is in the shot and older family members can be comfortable, bring in a few chairs for them to sit on and get younger children to sit on the ground in front of the chairs. Risers also come in handy if you need to boost a few people in the back in order for their faces to be visible.

-        Check the viewfinder. If you will be taking your photos yourself, make sure to look through the viewfinder to make sure that you can see everyone’s face before you set the timer to take the shot.

Besides taking a shot of your entire family, here are a few other ideas that make for great family photos:

-        Immediate family units

-        All grandparents and their grandchildren

-        The newest additions to the family

-        Generational shots

Bonus Family Reunion Photo Tips

-        Don’t get too upset if every child isn’t looking at the camera, sometimes this is just impossible to control and it could end up causing additional stress

-        Keep your camera handy for candid shots such as a grandparent playing with a grandchild or mom cooking in the kitchen

-        Try not to take photos of people while they’re eating, they hardly ever look flattering. Feel free to take shots of any impressive dishes that make their way out of the kitchen though

-        Take as many photos as you can – you can always sort through them and narrow your selection down later on

-        Don’t forget to be in some of the photos yourself

-        Remember that this is a family reunion so don’t overthink the photos and take the time to make memories with the people you love