There are lots of great reasons why you should loearn how to take family portraits and you don't even have to embark on a photography career to do so. Having portraits taken professionally can sometimes be too expensive for many families. And sometimes, it can be impossible to get everyone to the studio at the appointed time.

Every family deserves to have at least one good family portrait together but it's nice to have additional portraits as the family grows and ages. If you want to learn how to take portraits, learn by taking a portrait of your family or someone you know who would love to have a family portrait! If you are taking a portrait of your family, you have to be in it too! So be sure to use a camera with a remote shutter button release and a timer.

If you are new to photography learning how to take family portraits will also give you the opportunity to learn and practice other skills, such as taking that group picture at Thanksgiving or a team picture after the game.

Without further ado, here are some tips to help you get started taking memorable family portraits, whether formal or informal.

1) Avoid the "Police Line Up" Portrait – Instead of having them all line up shoulder to shoulder, try something more natural looking and that also makes it easier to get a big family into the picture.

Staggering is one such technique. For example, you may want to stagger family members on the front steps of a porch or around a group of boulders so some family members are standing and others sitting. If in a park, you could sit everyone on the lawn clustered together or have them sit on a bench. Show family closeness by spacing members close together.

2) Show Relationships – You can do this by the way in which you have people pose in the portrait. For example, Grandma and Grandpa might stand next to each, a toddler could be in Mother's arms, two siblings might have arms slung over each others shoulders, etc.

3) Consider Including the Family Pets – assuming they hold still long enough. Even if the pet is sitting still, you may want to raise the Shutter Speed Priority to 1/125 because the flick of a tail or other tiny movement can cause blur. It is much easier to take a portrait of an individual with a pet or a pet separately, but if the family has a mellow dog or cat, try some family portrait poses with and without.

4) Get Creative with Props – depending upon the type of portrait you want. Does the family play community baseball? Each family member could hold a mitt, ball or bat. This is a trend with individual portraiture that can be fun for families too.

5) Get Everyone Smiling – Instead of just saying "cheese," put the family at ease (no rhyme intended) by talking to them: compliment, tell a story joke around, and soon they won't be so nervous about the photographing and their smiles will become more relaxed and real. When you've got the smiles and pose, ask the family to hold them until you give the signal that your camera's got the shot.

Finally, have fun taking lots of pictures so the family can choose their favorite. You're sure to get some great shots where the family will be excited to frame them for all to see.