Family Photo shoot

November 2020: Outdoor, posed but impromptu family (socially distanced) photo shoot: Three families (related), Oare Gunpowder Works, Faversham, Kent. Final edited (Photoshopped) image below:

The Gun Powder Works in Oare, Faversham is always a great setting for taking photos, however, things to factor into a shoot in mid November: weather, mud under foot (in most places), sudden bursts of wind – unforeseen, that caught my flash umbrellas and blew both of my light stands over, more than once!

The weather was atrocious leading up to the agreed time of the shoot, the scene outdoors looked cold, windy and the skies were dark. Plus it was raining heavily! The shoot was set for 12pm, which got moved to 12.30pm in the hope the heavy rain would move on and it would brighten up, and as the time passed noon the rain stopped and it brightened up – perfect timing for the photo shoot.

After trying a couple of locations that didn’t work, we settled on a third location, this was much better. I set the camera on a tripod and once light stands were set in position (after blowing over by a gust of wind), the subjects moved in place. I took a selection of shots –  which were the ones picked for Photoshopping.

Although I’d taken the photos with families at a safe distance from each other, I edited them in post production to digitally reposition the groups together (as shown in examples below).

Image as taken.

Photoshopped image (below) with middle family group cut out, moved / superimposed aside the group on the right. This process involves splitting the original image and edited image into layers, changing the background image transparency and then selecting and moving the family group on the left into a suitable position.

Photoshopped image (below) with family group cut out, moved / superimposed aside the group in middle. I have kept the background images’ transparency low and selected and moved the family group on the left into a suitable position.

Final image (Photoshopped).

Photoshopping an image is one way of dealing with a socially distanced family group shot. The key is to get a group looking connected or natural together.

The shots show the warmth and fun side of the three families. I have included some outtakes below:

The selected / edited image was printed, mounted, framed and then given to a relative as a gift.

Clients’ feedback: Thank you soooooo much for your time and expertise; my sisters and I are thrilled with the results!