There is nothing quite as rewarding, yet difficult to do, as taking family portraits. Last year was a difficult year for many of us as we were not able to see our loved ones as much as we would have liked to. With the weather outside warming up, taking family photos is no longer out of the question. Why not plan a family reunion, get everyone together, and snap a few photos?
Family photographs are a timeless keepsake for your future family members to look at. It’s also an incredible way to remember those who are no longer with us. While everybody loves having them, the experience of taking them can be a different story. Oftentimes, I hear people getting talked out of taking family portraits because the planning can be a real nightmare. “You mean I have to coordinate everybody’s schedule AND outfits?” I get it! I’ve worked with enough families to know that the planning and coordinating process can be daunting and can lead to these photos getting pushed to the back burner. But I don’t want you to miss out!
There is usually a lot to consider when it comes to a family photoshoot since there are members of all ages, which means that there is some extra coordination involved. A lot of my clients ask me how often family portraits should be taken, and while it varies for each family, my general rule of thumb is that they should be done every 1-2 years (or more frequently when your children are still young!). Again, this may not be realistic for all families, but it seems that families who take photos more often are not only more successful at getting the photos done, but also enjoy doing so.
Here are some reasons why I recommend a family session every 1-2 years:
You’ll Capture the Growth of Your Family
Kids grow like weeds, and many parents tell me they wish they took family portraits more often when the kids were young so the changes they go through would have been documented. With young ones, a session every 6 months to 1 year will ensure we capture every cute milestone your children go through. You’ll want to capture it all from learning to walk to braces and the teenage years. My best advice to parents is to book a session right after your first child, then every year or so after each additional child. Bring your dogs, your parents, your siblings and whoever else to the photoshoot. The more the merrier!
Every 1 to 2 Years Creates a Solid Pattern
We all thrive on patterns and routines, as they help us know what to expect. If you start the photoshoots when the children are young, they will grow up knowing family photos are simply a thing to expect and will look forward to it. This expectation and pattern makes the process more familiar and easier for you and your family. There will be no arguments on when the photos will be taken because you’ll have it prewritten in your calendar! You can even book your next session in a year to the date if I am your photographer. Uncle Steve can’t make up an excuse not to be there a year or two in advance… just saying!
It Makes Coordination Easier
Setting a standard of family portraits every one to two years means you and your family can plan accordingly. For example, you can choose to have your family portraits taken every other year, so choosing all odd-numbered or all even-numbered years can be an easy way to remember when it’s time to take them again. This also makes it easier to coordinate for extended family members, much like a family reunion every certain amount of years. If we learned anything last year it was to soak up time with family. Why not have family photos be the reason behind the visit? There you go, you automatically get to see your family every one to two years for the sole purpose of taking photos! The rest of the precious time spent together is just extra!
Although taking photos can feel like a hectic experience, I have never heard any of my clients say they regretted having family portraits. If anything, they regret not taking them more often! Whether two years works for your family or not, I definitely suggest setting aside planned out times to get these done. Once it is in the schedule, you are good to go! I promise you, you will be grateful to have beautiful memories from every stage of you and your family’s life captured.
When was the last time you took family photos? I have some slots open this spring and would love to assist in your family portraits if the time’s right! Click here to get a hold of me!
