Updated October 13, 2026
One of the easiest things to do to take better group photos is to have people get really close and put their arms around each other. The physical contact brings warmth into the photo. I’m Katie Donnelly, a Paris photographer, and I use this in every family session.
What You’ll Find in This Blog:
Get Handsy
Hey get your mind out of the gutter! Not that kind of handsy.
1/800 sec at f / 2.0, ISO 400
So grab your friends arm or put your arm around them. Get cosy and close! It always makes for a better photo!
5 Quick Ways to Take Better Group Photos
- Close the gaps. If you can see daylight between people, bring them closer.
- Give hands a job. Around a shoulder, holding a hand, on a child’s back.
- Put heads at different heights. Some sitting, some standing, a child on a hip.
- Make them laugh, then keep shooting. The photo just after the posed one is usually the best.
- Find soft light. Shade, or the sun behind the group, so nobody squints.
This lesson is part of The Authentic Portrait: A Parent’s Guide to Documenting Childhood, my photography guide for parents who want to learn the basics and take better photos of their kids, without spending hours and hours taking classes. I am working on a new edition of the guide. Until it is ready, you can read every lesson in The Authentic Portrait series.
Next lessons: get closer for more intimate photos, how to pose families naturally, and how to look good in photos.
Always the one behind the camera?
Hand it over for a morning. Our English-speaking team photographs families in Paris, so you are in the photos too. Sessions start at €150, and you see your photos the same day in our Saint-Germain studio.
Or first see how a Paris photoshoot with us works.
Group Photo Questions
Have everyone get really close and put their arms around each other. Physical contact brings warmth into the photo.
Close together, touching, with no gaps between them. Grab an arm or put your arm around the person next to you.
Make them laugh instead of asking them to smile, and take several photos in a row.
About the author
Katie Donnelly, Paris Photographer
Katie Donnelly is an American photographer who opened her Paris studio in 2013 and was voted Best Portrait Photographer in Paris in 2017. She and her English-speaking team photograph families, couples and solo travelers at sunrise, so visitors go home with relaxed, real portraits instead of rushed selfies. Meet Katie and the team.
Ready to Book Your Paris Photoshoot?
Get cosy and close. We will take it from there.
- When: Mornings, just after sunrise, when the city is quiet
- Who: Families, couples, engagements and proposals, and solo travelers, with an English-speaking team
- Your photos: Viewed the same day at our studio in Saint-Germain-des-Prés
- Session fee: From €150. Inquire for our full price list.
Tell us your dates and we will help you plan the rest.
Or first see how a Paris photoshoot with us works.
