Do’s and Don’ts for Family Photos

A few years ago Britt and Sam did a “Do’s and Don’ts for Couple Photos” post and it has been seen more than 20 million times since then! You guys loved seeing the comparisons and side-by-side poses.

Time to share our tips for the best family photos

So… we decided it was time for Do’s and Don’ts for Family Photos! In this post, we are going to show you the good and the bad examples side-by-side for comparison.

Follow these tips for Christmas card photos

The talented Ali Anderson Photography had some fun with us during our session and we were able to come up with some pretty bad poses. Whether you are trying to get the perfect snap for Christmas cards or to frame on the wall we hope these tips help!

The Prom Pose

Lila’s face shows exactly how I feel about the prom pose. You only see it in high school dance photos for a reason! It looks formal, but not in a good way. You can get the same feeling of closeness by putting your tiny human between the two of you. The YES photo looks more balanced and much less forced.

The Laying Down Chin In Your Hands Pose

Now, I know this one can be tempting… but you end up looking a little contrived. If you want to switch things up and get down on the level of your kids go with a casual pose that looks NATURAL! Ali is great at putting her subjects in every day poses that help showcase the family instead of the pose.

An outdoor blanket is a helpful prop to bring to a photo shoot. Try to choose one that is a neutral color so that it will not distract from your outfits. You also want to make sure that you bring along a blanket that you don’t mind getting a little dirty. (Thank goodness for washing machines!) The blanket will allow your family to experiment with some unique poses rather than just standing together. Plus, a blanket can be really helpful if you have younger kids that are not quite walking yet.

Squishy Cheeks Kissing Pose

Now, before you get upset about this one. Listen, I totally get it! Baby cheeks are the most kissable things in the world. However, when both of you kiss your baby’s cheeks, your faces can no longer be seen. And the purpose of family photos is to show the entire family, not just the back of the parent’s heads.

If you all are glancing at each other in a photo you still show a sense of closeness and love without hiding everyone’s face.

Piggy Back Pose

Let’s go ahead and make a general rule that if you are older than two-years-old you keep your feet on the ground! Haha, we see the piggyback pose a lot in engagement photos. No matter how fun you are, this pose is not the way to show it. Instead, put your little one on the ground between you and let them hold both of your hands. You still get movement and something a little different than everyone standing and looking at the camera.

As you can see from the photos, Lila did not like the piggy-back pose! It is really awkward for little ones and they don’t feel very steady. She felt like she was getting squished and not held tight enough. By switching the pose to holding hands you create balance for your little one, especially if they are a toddler and still learning how to walk like Lila was at this point in time.

Stick to your own style

There you have it – the do’s and don’ts of family photos! I hope this is helpful. Family photos are incredibly stressful and seeing some tried-and-true poses can help ease the worries. No matter what you do, stick to your own style.

Don’t take my word for it, do what YOU want to

Now, here is my disclaimer. If piggy-backs or the prom pose is your family’s thing – don’t let this post hold you back! These are general suggestions that have worked in the past for family photo shoots. However, each family is different and has their own unique style.

What to wear in your photos

As for picking out outfits for family photos you can check out this post all about it. As a general rule, you should start with one main outfit whether it is you or your child’s and build everyone else’s off of that. I think it is really helpful to flat-lay all outfits next to each other before the photo shoot to make sure that everything looks cohesive.

Make sure you gel with your photographer

Don’t forget to find a photographer that you trust that has your same vision for photos. Check out their previous work and make sure it is what you want. There are so many different styles out there that you are likely to find one you love!

A few more photo resources to check out

• We did this post about how to look good in photos with tips from one of our mega fab photographer friends that is hugely successful.
• If you have any young children you definitely want to check out Britt’s post about getting your kids to smile in family photos!
• Check out more of our photographer, Ali’s work here.
• And of course our most popular post of all time, Tips for Couple Photos. Happy photo-taking!

Tis the season for family photos

The holiday season is around the corner and everyone will be wanting the same thing – family photos for their holiday cards! Make sure to plan ahead and contact your photographer in advance. We have also found it is helpful to have a venue in mind and make sure it is available when you schedule your photo session.

Have fun!

Last of all, don’t forget to have fun! Try to follow our tips for family photos but remember that it will show in the photos if you are stressed out about every little detail. Try to enjoy being together as a family and remember the photos don’t have to be perfect to be wonderful!