Check out these 5 tips to make your family pictures more fun!
2. Be willing to have fun. Let’s face it, Husbands are not always excited about family pictures every year. I am a photographer and even my husband is less than thrilled to do it. The moms usually show up and they are completely stressed. Either little Susie dropped grape juice on her dress on the car ride over, or hubby is irritated from taking his Sunday away from football or little Johnny tried to trim his own hair with the clippers the day before. I get it, we want to look great in our family portraits. But families that come and say, “whatever happens, happens” usually have much better images. If you show up just to have fun, I promise you will have awesome images.
3. Bring props. I started a few years ago bringing some props to my shoots to encourage families to play around. I bring everything from bubbles to hula hoops to open picture frames to signs. Anything I can bring that will add a little fun and character to their images. It also really helps with the kids to give them something to do, especially when they might be having a melt down.
4. Appreciate this time. Your kids may be wonderful in the car ride over and the minute we start shooting, they have a melt down. It really happens all the time. It’s not just your kids. The trick is finding a really patient photographer. I have been in the same situation with my kids. A few years ago we had pictures taken at the beach in San Diego. 10 minutes after we started, Hunter ran full blast into the ocean in his jeans. I really just threw my hands up in the air and his pants were soaked the rest of the shoot but it gave us a memory to look back at. One I won’t ever forget. Appreciate your kids at this stage and just accept that is who they are for the moment. Your kiddos will probably not always throw a fit during pictures. It actually does get easier each year they get older, I promise. But if one year your Christmas card shows you and your husband smiling and your kids is crying…eehhh, well it’s a great conversation starter.
5. Be willing to laugh at yourself. Kids love to see funny things that mom and dad do. Sure I can act silly and make funny noises which believe me I do the entire shoot. But if dad can get up behind me and play peek-a-boo or chase the kids, we get a genuine laughter that is so beautiful. Be ready to run around with the kids and sing their favorite song. Tickle them and laugh with them. Don’t be surprised if we talk about Dad’s smelly feet or Mommy’s snoring. It’s all in good fun and the goal is to make them laugh. If it’s at the expense of Mom and Dad so be it. It’s supposed to be.
I really hope these helpful photography tips will help you. Just remember being real as a family is more beautiful than trying to be perfect as a family. Have fun, be willing to think outside the box and throw all expectations out the window.
Okay these ARE fun!! Love these tips, Mandy! Thank you!!
Aren’t these photos and tips awesome?!? 🙂
Love the pictures!! Two weeks ago, we spent the day as a family going about the town doing things we had never done. I brought my camera along but…..my husband took over and we took the normal posed pictures. I tried to get him break out of the mold, but he didn’t have the vision. I need to really take charge of the camera and start taking the pics myself. Thanks for the great ideas!!
It can be so hard to communicate your vision to someone else…I feel your pain, Crystal! Maybe show him some examples beforehand? 🙂 it might help him “get it”!
I love these tips! YOU are exactly what I think a family photographer should be. I love candid images vs staged portraits. It’s so hard to find a photographer that agrees with that and it isn’t easy to set my camera up on a tripod and get “candid” images with me in them too. I would love any tips you have on how you get great photos of your own family, that also include you!