Family photography posing that doesn't look posed

Start with a shape, then break it

Bring the family close so shoulders overlap, then give one instruction: look at whoever is being silliest. A triangle of heights, the tallest slightly behind, reads as a group rather than a line-up. Once the frame is made, I ask for something small (a squeeze, a whisper, a walk) and photograph what happens next.

Hands and feet

Hands hold something or someone: a shoulder, a small hand, a jacket pocket, a blanket edge. Weight goes onto one leg, never both evenly. Sitting families lean in toward the centre; standing families angle slightly toward each other.

Prompts that work

• Walk toward me and talk about what you are having for dinner.
• Everyone squeeze the person next to you as tight as you can.
• Parents, look at each other; kids, look at me.
• Tell your youngest a secret.
• Pick her up and spin, once, slowly.

Toddlers, teenagers and grandparents

Toddlers set the pace: we photograph in bursts, at their height, with a parent within arm's reach. Teenagers relax when they are given a role, such as holding a sibling's hand or leading the walk, rather than being told to smile. Grandparents get a seat and the family gathers around them; those frames are the ones people print largest.