An open field in the last hour of light
Tall grass or a harvested field catches low sun and hides uneven ground. Shoot with the sun behind your shoulders, never behind the faces.
Photoshoot ideas
Start with who is
in the frame.
A photoshoot plan is really three decisions: the light, the place, and what everyone does with their hands. Pick the situation below, then borrow the twelve setups that work in real light.
Skip to the twelve setups
Pick your situation
Six guides, by who is in the photo.
Each one covers the light, the timing and the arrangement for that group.
Two people
Couple photo ideas
Two separate selfies, one portrait, and the poses that stop a couple shoot looking stiff. Read the guide → The whole familyFamily portrait ideas
Generations, nap schedules, and how to arrange a family so nobody is hidden. Read the guide → Friends and teamsGroup photo ideas
The group photo that never happens because nobody is ever in the same place at once. Read the guide → Just engagedEngagement photo ideas
Twelve scenes with the light and outfit notes that make them work. Read the guide → The wedding dayWedding photo ideas
A shot list in the order the day happens, from getting ready to the last dance. Read the guide → GraduationGraduation photo ideas
Where to stand on a busy campus and when to shoot before the light goes. Read the guide →Twelve setups
Ideas that work in the light you actually have.
A porch or a front step
A porch gives you shade, a frame and somewhere to sit. Stagger people across two levels instead of lining them up on one row.
One window, indoors
Turn off the ceiling lights and sit side on to a single window. This is the most reliable option on a rainy day and the most flattering light in most homes.
Walking somewhere you go anyway
A trail, a canal path, the route to school. Walking hides awkward hands, keeps children moving, and rarely looks staged.
A kitchen table
Give everyone something to do with their hands. Baking, cards or a shared meal produce better photographs than a posed line up.
A rooftop or car park at blue hour
The ten minutes after sunset even out the sky and let city lights fill the shadows. Keep the skyline behind you and stand close together.
Water at low tide or dusk
A lake, a dock or a quiet shoreline doubles your light. Calm water works far better than crashing surf for portraits.
Old town streets in shade
Narrow streets bounce soft light between the walls. Shoot in the shade and let the colour of the buildings be the backdrop.
A forest trail when the sun is hard
Trees filter harsh midday light into something even. If the only time you have is one o'clock, this is where to spend it.
A place that holds the story
The bridge, the stadium, the shop sign, the corner where you met. These age far better than whatever is trending this year.
Rain and wet reflections
A wet street doubles every light source. A clear umbrella keeps faces readable instead of turning everyone into a silhouette.
Recreating an old photograph
Find a photo from twenty years ago and rebuild the arrangement with whoever is still around. The differences are the point.
Four rules
What decides whether a photoshoot works.
- Choose the light before the place. Two hours after sunrise and two before sunset. Indoors, one window beats every lamp in the room.
- Decide the shape of the session. Thirty focused minutes in one spot beats three rushed locations, because travel eats the light.
- Give hands something to do. Hold a cup, hold a hand, hold a child, walk somewhere. Nothing looks more stiff than two empty hands.
- Keep the wardrobe quiet. Two or three tones that sit together, no large logos, no matching the whole group top to toe.
When everyone is not in one place
The photoshoot where nobody had to travel.
If the friend moved abroad, the grandparent cannot make the flight, or the group simply never managed a date, TogetherLens composes one new picture from a single clear portrait of each person. Keep the real photographs for anything official, and label an AI-composed image when you share it.Common questions
Plan the useful parts first.
Where should we take photos if we only have one location?
Pick a place with shade and something to sit on, such as a porch, a tree line or a wall. Change what people do rather than where they stand, and you get variety without losing the light.
What is the best time of day for a photoshoot?
The first two hours after sunrise and the last two before sunset give soft, warm light. If midday is your only option, shoot in open shade or under trees and keep the bright sky out of the frame.
What should everyone wear?
Two or three tones that sit well together, no large logos or fine patterns, and not everyone in the same outfit. Bring a second layer, because the temperature drops quickly after sunset.
How long should a photoshoot take?
Thirty focused minutes in one good spot beats three rushed locations. Add roughly thirty minutes per extra location, because travel usually costs more light than people expect.
How do you photograph a group without it looking stiff?
Stagger two or three rows instead of one straight line, put the tallest people at the outer edges, and give everyone something to do with their hands. Take one formal frame, then let the group talk for a second one.
What if the people you want are not in the same place?
You can still end up with one photo. Add a clear portrait of each person in TogetherLens, choose a scene, and the app composes a single picture with everyone in it.