Ten Ways to Make Family Photos Personal

Family photo sessions are my favorite. It's a great way to make time stand still, if only for a moment. Any parent can tell you that the old saying "the days are long but the years are short" is the truest of them all.

The best way to get the most out of a family photo session is to make it personal to your family! No two families are alike, so here are some ways to make your photography session personal to yours.

1. Choose a Unique and Meaningful Location

In the above photo, this family loves the Carousel of Happiness. So that's where we shot the photos! When your family shows up at a spot that means something to them, it can bring smiles just thinking about it. This could be somewhere out in public, the wild or even your own home!

2. Color Coordinate, Not Match

Family photos have more interest when the color scheme is similar, as in the above photo. Matching outfits are fine, but choosing a color palette and allowing everyone to interpret that as they want to can help showcase each person's individuality.

3. Make Sure to Capture the Details

Make sure that your photographer gets more than just the group shots. The greatest part of photos is jogging memories of time, place and people. The above photo are the hands of a four-month-old baby and his Great-Grandfather. The grandfather has since passed away and the baby is in the double digits. Without this photo, it would be hard to remember these important details.

4. Include Your Pets

Our pets are members of the family are they not? Then why not include them in your session? Unfortunately pets usually do not outlive their owners (God willing), so making sure that your pets get to be included in a family photo is a precious way to remember how important they are in your lives.

5. Consider an Activity You Love

Family photos don't have to be the standard, one-size-fits-all, basic photos with basic backgrounds and poses. You can get great candid shots when you and your family are engaged in activity together. The above family went out to Hoedown Hill for a family outing and I got to go and watch them all have fun!

6. Let Personalities Shine

This should go without saying but the best photos showcase each member of the family's personality. If the color scheme is blue jeans and a white t-shirt, but your four-year-old insists on wearing her Spiderman cape, maybe let her. You might just be amazed at how the photos turn out and how much easier it will be to get her to smile if she is comfortable and excited about what she is wearing or doing.

7. Bring Something Special

Similarly, if there is a prop or object that helps demonstrate a family member's hobbies or talents, consider bringing a prop like a chef's hat, tennis racket or microscope. If your family are expert hikers, maybe everyone wears hiking boots. If you have a favorite team, consider getting matching jerseys for the shoot. In the above photo, this kiddo had an obsession with Winnie the Pooh, so we got shots of him with his special bear.

8. Consider the Season

Like with hobbies and talents, if there is an event, tradition or holiday that is meaningful for your family, consider getting your photos done during that time. For example, if your family hosts a reunion every September, consider hiring a photographer for the next one while you have everyone gathered together.

9. Go with the Flow

Getting family photos can be stressful, but the photos will turn out better and be a more enjoyable experience if you let go of all the expectations for the session. Don't get me wrong -- be sure to communicate with your photographer certain poses, group photos, backgrounds, etc. that you want to make sure to get. But also if your oldest child's little siblings want to sit on his lap for the photo (as with above), just let them.

10. Relax and HAVE FUN!

The best and most genuine smiles paint the faces of those enjoying time together. Don't let the stress of a photoshoot cause forced smiles!