Group siblings shots can be hard, can't they? You have multiple little faces that all need to look happy or at least adorable and somewhat close together.
Generally when I need a group shot of siblings (particularly when one sibling is under 3) I put them in a "baby trap". Basically you look for something that is high enough that the baby won't run away quickly and low enough that if he does manage to get down he won't hurt himself in the process, chairs and benches work excellently.
This also serves to hold them close together for a minute. When the parents are in the picture I make the hold the baby to keep them in the frame, and if the siblings are seated on the ground I make them sit "criss-cross applesauce" which buys me a few seconds of leg untangling before the little one can make run for it.
I generally position the big people and tell them what to expect first, "
I'm about to put the baby in your lap, and I want you guys to look at me and smile for three pictures because after that the baby will be done, ok?" Then I pop the baby into the frame, make goofy noises, shoot and hope for the best. :)
The family below did a great job, the big kids were great at smiling and the parents were a big help. Aren't they cute?
Generally siblings shot quickly become this....which is why we quickly move on to other things.:)
This is Simon, who is such a happy little guy!
I'm trying some new editing and for some reason it's making my resized images for this blog look a little wonky, to view them larger and much better, just click on the image.
I love his bald head! So cute. If my (future, theoretical) babies have hair I swear I'm gonna shave it.
This is Annabelle, who was the star of my favorite picture from this session. I just love the light on her face and her self-possessed expression.
This is the eldest, Max. He thought I was pretty funny.
This is the oldest sister, Reagan, who was in one of my favorite stages...the missing front teeth stage!
The middle-est sister is Catherine, she has a hilarious little personality :)
These last two are my very favorite images of the session. I was done with the formal pictures at this point and was just playing with the backlighting. That is a wooden privacy fence behind them...pretty neat effect, right?
