Christian Anderl's tips for capturing natural family portraits

1. Leave your phone in your pocket

"When you pick up your camera, you are more aware of taking pictures," says Christian, an advocate for putting your phone down in order to take more considered images with a camera. "You don't just snap whatever happens with one hand, as you do with a smartphone; you try more, and I think you take better pictures."

In addition, switching to a camera reduces your screen time, something Christian has been focusing on recently with a digital detox. "I don't want to watch a screen all day, and if I take pictures only with smartphones, that just adds to my screen time. I want to put my eye on a viewfinder and be aware of that moment."

There are also technical benefits to using a camera rather than your phone, Christian believes, such as physical controls to change settings including shutter speed and aperture. He also often prefers a viewfinder for composing a picture. "There is a lot of software that tries to simulate the look of a real lens, but it's not the same... you can't beat a big sensor and lens, in my opinion." While entry-level cameras such as the Canon EOS M50 add these physical controls, currently an average smartphone in an equivalent category lacks these.

2. Be ready for the genuine moment

When you're taking pictures of children, you have to be ready for anything. Having a camera with fast autofocus capability and focus tracking, such as the Canon EOS R, the EOS 80D or the EOS M50, means you can anticipate the moment and capture fast action, without worrying that the critical subject is blurred.

"You need quick autofocus for taking pictures of kids," says Christian. "This is what you should be looking for in a camera. Everything else depends on your budget. Everybody always asks me which camera they should buy, but I always say that you first need to think of the lenses. Maybe you'll need a new lens and not a new camera, because the speed and optical quality of the lens is even more important than the camera."

Family photography also requires a degree of pragmatism. "Whenever I feel that someone doesn't like to be photographed any more, I just put my cameras to the side," says Christian. "If someone doesn't want you to take their picture, you will never get a good picture of them. Especially with kids, you can't force kids to have their picture taken, so just accept it and try later."

3. Experiment with different focal lengths

"For family pictures, I think you need at least two different focal lengths," says Christian. "For me, the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM lens is the sweet spot for a portrait. You get a shallow depth of field with the 85mm, so you can separate the face from the background. It's long enough to be 'correct' – if you use a 35mm or a 50mm, you get this distortion and a bigger nose. As a portrait photographer, I need to talk to people while I'm taking pictures of them, so the 85mm is a good mid-range choice – you can't go wrong with it."

While Christian favours the EF 85mm f/1.8 USM lens for portraiture, he also feels you can shoot great images at 35mm. "I think a Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L II USM lens is good for almost everything. Whenever you don't have the answer, just grab a 35mm and you will be able to do something, even a portrait. You have to keep in mind that it will distort the face a little bit but, on the other hand, you get an intimate look because you're getting closer to the face."