Family Portraits with Adult Children (Poses?)

[ConstellationX]

I have a photoshoot tomorrow evening with a family of four - two parents and two adult daughters. I'm looking for posing ideas with the four of them. Does anyone have any good recommendations for pose variety??

[Shadowman]

Bodies in side profile, back to back, heads turned toward camera. Have the adult daughters in front kneeling or slightly crouching, again back to back.

[jcuknz]

I saw some attractive family groups shot on a country road with different members spaced at a distance between them ... such as one daughter looking at the second who might be looking at the camera in mid-shot while the parents are together and back a short way and looking at their children. If you are reasonably competant with an editor is should be posssible to take two shots one focused on the children and the other on the parents and edit them together if you cannot quickly organise the required depth of field and be confident you have it. A quicker approach is to let the background people be soft so that attention is concentrated on the foreground person[s] and so on.
In addition to these photos it would be desirable to take more formal shots such as the daughters either side of the parents as one never knows if the client will like the more adventurish staging. varying where different members of the group are looking and how they are standing .... most women should never be permitted to stand in the 'sack of potatoes' stance with feet together directly facing the camera but get them to stand half turned with one foot forward and the other crosswise and behind to help create the flattering hour-glass shape as much as their body permits ... men benefit from this too.
I am sure whole books have been written on the subject but the two suggestions so far should keep you busy for this first session, and the clients may well have some ideas of their own if you involve them.

EDIT ... you mention evening so if indoors you could check out the stairway as a way of getting a compact group photo with some behind .. assuming it is reasonably photogenic a stairway
It could be an idea to look for reasonably plain backgrounds as you have enough 'items in shot' with the four people without a cluttered background. Unless the backgrounds show the character of the mother or father ... a favourite tapestry or military memorability.
EDIT TWO +1 to JPS for link in #4

[JPS]

Hi Cat,
this link might be of interest.
Regards
John
http://digital-photography-school.co...ur-portraiture

[ConstellationX]

Thank you all for the ideas!

Its an evening shoot, but we will be outdoors at a park. I do intend on looking for at least a small stair case that I could stagger them on for some variety and visual intrigue.

Jcuknz, thank you for mentioning more formal and informal poses. I will definitely discuss preference with the family prior to shooting, and we will still get a good mixture.

Thank you all!
Cat