Of all memories you can hold onto, the ones you never let go of are those of your loved ones. These are the people who have been with you all your life, and they have been by your side through all your triumphs and trials. However, there comes a day when you have to be independent, stand on your own, and probably move out of that family nest, either for work, studies, or start your own family.

Before you leave, it’s essential to make a great family portrait that will always remind everyone that they will always be in your heart. Although regular family portraits are good enough, you may want to do something entirely out of the ordinary, a portrait that will always crack a smile whenever your loved ones look at it. Or one that Nana will be happy to show off to all her bingo buddies. Here are five family portrait ideas from 3D Crystal you can try.

1. Group the portrait subjects into triangles

Family photos shouldn’t be like formal team photos. Rather than having rows, try triangles or diagonals. That’s a classic family portrait idea, and you easily adjust it to accommodate nearly all your family members. To create excellent diagonals, consider every family member’s height when setting the pose. Kneeling, standing, or sitting — you can use props or chairs. These can help you configure a great pose that can put your entire family on various heights.

2. Experiment with foreground and background

You probably want every family member in the photograph to be equally sharp. What most people don’t know is that by playing the field depth, you can successfully add better and more creative poses to your family portrait. Also, you can use a wide aperture and place the family members at different distances from your lenses. This can help highlight one or more family members or simply emphasize your family dynamic.

3. Include family pets

Your four-legged friends and ones with feathers are essentia"