Tips for Lifestyle Family Photos
Do you ever see photos of families on Instagram and feel like you’ll never have photos like that because your family just isn’t “photogenic”? Perhaps you’ve even hired a professional photographer before, but all you got were forced smiles. Well gone are the days of stiff, heavily posed family photos. The great news is that anyone can get beautiful lifestyle family photos if they have the right approach. Here are my top 3 tips for swoon-worthy family photos, even if you don’t categorize your family as “photogenic.”
1) HAVE FUN!: I know it sounds cheesy, but there’s really something to it! View your photo session as an hour of family fun time. If you focus on having fun with your family, your photos will naturally emit joy. Step 1 is to get your spouse on board. Your kids will feed off the energy of their parents. Step 2 is presenting the photo session to your kids as a fun opportunity for play. Here’s an example:
“Hey! I’m super excited because today we get to go to the park as a family and play together! This will be a little different from other times we’ve gone to the park, but it’s going to be SO fun! My friend Ms Kelsey will be there taking pictures, and she’s super silly. I can’t wait to hang out with you and Daddy, and I’m excited to show you the pictures later. Do you think we should take a picture of you on Daddy’s shoulders?”
2) SKIP THE BRIBES: The belief that photo-taking is a painful experience is a *learned belief*. In my experience, kids have a blast and are often sad for it to end. So instead of offering up bribes at shot number 1, keep them in your back pocket and only bring them out if necessary. Offering bribes signals to your kid that they’re doing something they don’t want to be doing. But remember…if the parents are on board and having fun…kids will feed off of that energy and have fun too!
3) CHOOSE THE RIGHT PHOTOGRAPHER: The photographer you choose MATTERS! If you want all the beautiful in-between moments, dreamy behind-the-scenes type shots, and joyful laughter, you need to hire a photographer that specializes in this. Any photographer you’re considering should have an online gallery full of photos that are aspirational for you. If you don’t want a super posey photographer, don’t hire the photographer that features loads of posey shots in their portfolio. If you want a photographer who is great with young kids, hire a photographer who shows lots of photos with young kids in their portfolio. Don’t assume that we all do everything! For example… I’m absolute garbage at taking inspiring landscape photos. I hate doing it, and it shows! A photographer’s website shows their best work. Don’t assume they specialize in anything other than what they’re showing you.
