5 Great Rochester Spots For Family Pictures Saturday (Photos)

Get our free mobile app

Saturday's forecast is sunny and 80! Get some great family pictures at these locations. Some are dressy, some are laid back...all of them will look fresh and green and gorgeously lush this weekend.

1) Plummer House - The favorite of many...and there are so many locations on the property. Especially if you have big groups, the stairways leading into the gardens are perfect. Make sure you bring a flash.

Scroll down for photo tips.

2) Just Behind the Peace Plaza In Downtown Rochester - You'll probably need to enter from the old Michaels parking lot. Great brick wall, faded painted sign, cool for a slightly edgy look.

3) Mayo Civic Center / Rochester Art Center - So many great photo spots!

4) Essex Park - You want a bunch of green grass and pretty trees? This is the place!

5) Parking Ramp Elevator Across from Half Barrell - Take it to the 8th floor, great view!

BONUS - Bridge At Silver Lake

PHOTO TIPS

• Long, large groups are hard to shoot, but if you make sure they're all close together, each in a 3/4 pose, it'll look a lot better (have the half on the right turn slightly to the left, and the left side turn slightly toward the right).
• If mom is taking the pictures, bring a tripod (you can get inexpensive ones with phone adaptors at Target). Make sure she gets in the pictures!
• Unless you're posing them with their hands on something, hands at their sides. Not clasped in front of them. Hands together in front of you bows their shoulders and they don't look confident. And kids dressed up so nice have everything to be confident about.

• Also, if the group is facing the camera, encourage them to get super close to each other, and lean in a tiny bit. Not a lot, just enough so they're slightly advancing toward the camera. The "action" gives the picture energy. (Arms around each other is good, but be careful the dresses and jackets still look good). 
• "If it doesn't look great, get closer," is what my brother always told me. Take the traditional shots, but, like the pic up top, getting close can give you a great shot. I often move around looking at the image on my camera until I find IT.
• Catch those moments when they're not quite ready for the picture. The adjusting, the fixing, the primping. Don't move them, move YOU. Don't zoom, move closer to capture expressions. Some of the most lovely shots are these off-guard moments.

As always, if you have a comment, complaint, or concern about something I wrote here, please let me know: james.rabe@townsquaremedia.com

Listen to James Rabe and Jessica Williams 6a to 10a on Y-105 FM's Early Morning Show.

Need a "lets get together for pictures" incentive? Desserts !