Mastering Family Photos

Photography

September 6, 2018

It was such a treat to get to meet the Morrissey family before they took off for Arizona! Talk about a photogenic family! Their darling little girl wasn’t camera shy at all!

But family photo shoots were often dreaded by my own family growing up. What do we wear?? Where do we go?? How do we get everyone to smile and still have everyone’s eyes open?? It was often referred to as “forced family fun,” although I’m not sure “fun” ever made it in with all 10 of us, especially because we always found a last minute photographer we didn’t know about!

Here’s some advice for taking some of the stress off of those days:

Check out Pinterest for color schemes and location ideas. Type in a color that coordinates with your home or seasonal decor and add “family photo color scheme” to the end!
Another clothing option is to stay with the neutral colors. Creams, whites, tans, blacks, blues, and blush pinks are popular options right now. Just try to avoid everyone wearing the same color shirt or matching outfits as this also makes the experience uncomfortable and feel forced.
Where does your family spend a lot of time or have favorite memories? My family has a cabin in Idaho that would instantly relax everyone and would be a beautiful place for pictures. Maybe it’s at a local park or train depot or orchard or soccer field. If nothing is coming to mind, ask your photographer for locations and have a family picnic there beforehand! When in doubt, trust your photographer to find a place!
Who is the family clown? Who can always get everyone to smile? Is it with a family memory? Embarrassing story? Funny dance? Now is their time to shine and smiles are sure to come!
Last but not least, get to know a good photographer who will ensure everyone has their eyes open and having fun! That’s their job;)

Fall is my favorite time of year because of all the colors in the mountains and the temperature drops just enough to wear some of my favorite sweaters and boots! Likewise, it is the best season (in my opinion;) to update family photos! If you would like to get on our schedule, click the contact page!