This is the last post in the series “How to Plan a Truly Great Family Photo Session” (click here to start it from the beginning). Unless I think of something else to say about it of course! Today we’re talking about what may seem like the most obvious aspect of a great family photo session… the interactions between family members.
It’s one thing to spend time hanging out together in private in your home but it’s another thing to do it when someone pulls out a camera since that simple action is likely to make at least one of your family members (if not all of them) freeze up and instantly feel awkward. Plus there are different stages throughout your children’s lives and sometimes it’s hard to find an activity that everyone can participate in and have fun with. Some families interact very naturally together without any outside help and others need something to prompt them, or to do together, to help them interact naturally. You know your family and if you are the kind that might need a little extra push in this area (especially when there’s a camera around). Either way, I hope the Cottrell’s example might get some wheels turning for you….
(Somehow the kids kept losing important clothing items throughout the session so this picture cracks me up… and reminds me about Nicole’s relaxed, non-stressed attitude! See post 3 for more on that!).
The Cottrells have family snuggle time in bed on Saturday mornings. This means, dad’s home from work and the kids crawl into their parents’ bed to hang out and start off their weekend together. What an AMAZING and special time to share in together every week! And since this is a regular thing they do together that everyone in the family loves, I can think of nothing better to capture on picture day.
When the Cottrell kids grow up and think of good times with their parents, I have no doubt they’ll think of Saturday mornings in bed together, so those are the kind of memories we want to preserve in photos. Especially because it will make it that much more amazing when the kids grow up and keep the same tradition with their own kids and have a photographer capture the same memories with their family. How cool would that be?!?
So why on earth would you rather have pictures of everyone sitting and smiling together in a park than family snuggle time photos?!
Because for some reason, family photo time has become the exact opposite of family snuggle time in many ways. It has become so much colder. Why is that?! We have digital now, we can take thousands of pictures and it costs us nothing! So we can afford to sacrifice a few blurry photos due to the kids jumping on the bed too much or a couple of dark pictures as we get the indoor lighting just right. Posy- posy type of pictures come from back in the day when a single picture cost a ton of money to take and you couldn’t risk one not being perfect! We can risk it now so lets make the most of it!
So while you’re trying to think of what backgrounds make your family look best (because that’s important too), make sure you take the time to think about what activities make your family the most YOU. Think about what each of your kids like to do to showcase their personalities. The Cottrells’ little boy loves to sit at the piano and play (he seriously can play specific notes in specific order… I guess that’s called a song!) so they planned some of that time into the session.
Their little girl loves to entertain and tell dramatic stories (while jumping on the bed apparently!) so they let her go ahead and do that while they all sat attentively!
A major factor in the Cottrell family session is that the parents were very active participants.
Don’t forget, it’s not all about the kids. I don’t care if you don’t like how you look right now, your kids will want pictures of you playing with them when they grow up whether you’re 100 lbs overweight with adult acne or not!
Family picture time is about so much more than looks and these pictures are for everyone so don’t get obsessed with yourself and how YOU look. Get in there and be great parents who really play with their kids and participates in their interests!
(Even if that means getting your head stepped on every once in awhile).
That’s the way people will remember you, rather than as someone who’s missing in all the photos because they were sadly insecure.
So be thinking of things your family does together. How do you interact together? I don’t just mean playing kids games either. Do you hold your child while they stir the brownie batter? Lets get a picture of that. Do they imitate you getting ready in the morning or while you clean house? Lets get a picture of that. Do you play dress up together, have dance parties, work in the garden, make meals together…. any of that is GREAT for pictures! Just make sure you chose something that keeps you close, touching, and happy and your pictures will look amazing.
So let’s review what you’ve learned so far…
When you are planning a family photo session make sure you consider the right timing for the session, the style (pick 1 item to build your wardrobe, location, and props from), your attitude and expectations about the session, and what activities show your family as they really are at this stage in life.
Well that’s it! Now you know how to do it, how to have a truly great family photo session! You know how to have the right style, attitude, and interactions. But even with all that great info, the most important thing is that you don’t think of this as picture day. Think of it as a visual representation of the kind of love you have for one another and most of all… think of it as a great day you’ll have with your family that you want to remember forever. That will make it a truly great family photo session.
(Click to read the series from the beginning.)
Truly amazing and inspired me!