8 Creative Ideas When Taking Family Portraits
/Props! - Let your little ones express their personality with some toys and props laid out on a blanket.
There are no "must-have" shots - Yes, they're cute, and yes, everyone wants to have them, but I can guarantee they're not going to be your favorite. So have them taken at the beginning and then just let go and have fun with your kid. These candid shots are the ones you're going to appreciate later on.
Activity Photos - Think of a fun activity for your shoot to share with your kids. It can be building a sand castle, collecting autumn leaves, building a snowman, or whatever else you wish.
Include the kids - Since they're participating, they can also make the rules...for a little while. Let them choose the poses for a couple of pictures or dress up in their favorite costume - you'd be surprised of how creative they can be!
Consider their interests - Toddler, child, or teen - I know not all of them love the camera. So to let them feel more included, let's take a couple of pictures of their interests - their favorite instruments, hobbies, and so on.
Rep the school colors - Do you have someone in college? Or a kid that's part of their school's sports team? Or a husband that loves his favorite basketball team, just a little too much? Have all of them bring out their gear and rep their colors!
There are levels to this - Do you have an extended family? Include your grandparents, let your older children bring their children, and have fun with the generational levels. Sit in order, from youngest to oldest, the oldest one holding the youngest one, the possibilities are endless!
Share an experience - Realistically speaking, how many pictures of standing around and smiling do we really need? Let's have fun with something different. Let's have you show the children how to cook something together, or the whole family cleaning the yard of autumn leaves, or the dad showing them how to fix something.
