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Family photo ideas are a great way to preserve memories. Isn’t it? Photos capture the essence of a moment. Whether growing up children, parents’ affection, or a fun event, every picture reminds you of the happy times spent together. Although in recent times, taking pictures is no big deal. They capture the most genuine feelings of people. And, candid or unposed photography is indeed the best.
A planned family photoshoot is a great idea once in a while. While having a few images you love and want to recreate is great, your photographer should be able to help you with adjustable poses and guide you through your family photo session to capture your memories. In this post, we share some of the most creative photoshoot ideas that can bring the entire family together in a single frame.
Outdoor Family Photoshoot Ideas
Outdoor shoots are always fun. Shooting in scenic locations adds to the beauty of the picture. You have several things to use as props and backdrops for any family picture. Here are a few ideas for you.
- Walk in the park: Natural light, natural space, and a refreshingtime with family. This picture perfect moment can be captured at a park or in the woods or at any other outdoor space where there is greenery. Clicked at the right time, the pictures will be no less than stunning.
- Beach fun: When a family is on the beach, everything is so exciting. And one should not miss capturing those moments. Also, you can have mixed images, some in water, and some on the land to complete the family album.
- Architecture around:A good family portrait with siblings, grandparents, and even cousins could be one with a spectacular background.Find a monument or a museum in your city and have an excellent photoshoot with your close ones.
- City lights: Every city looks so bright and nice at night. You can stand in front of any of your favorite locations or landmarks withyour loved onesand get sweet selfies.
Quick tip- Near the mountains: If you’re the family that loves going on adventure treks for a vacation together, aphotoshootnear the hills or the mountains can be a wonderful idea.Start clicking pictures right from the journey until the destination. Group shots or images full of laughter would serve as a lovely memory for life.
- Swimming pool:Water time is always fun and can create a lot of happy faces.Another cool family photoshoot idea is at the pool, where you could just be swimming, orplaying games, or having fun. Get an outdoor family photoshoot done in and around a swimming pool and see how happy you will be with the final pictures.
- Neighborhood: A family spends so many beautiful moments in the neighborhood. A major part of childhood is spent playing around the neighborhood. Why not freeze those lovely times and remember the happy times always? Remember to take your pet along for the photoshoot.
- Playground: Do you play sports with your children? Then don’t ignore those special learning moments of your life. They may seem trivial, but when you take a closer look, they are worthy of being captured by the camera.
- Garden: Flowers, leaves, and natural surroundings can be refreshing and make the perfect settings for a pleasant family photoshoot. Visit a botanical garden in your city and plan a photoshoot amidst natural surroundings.
- Restaurant: Most families celebrate special moments such as birthdays, anniversaries, graduation, and promotions at restaurants, where a few fun and happy moments can be captured. Try clicking a few nice pictures together every time you go to a restaurant with the family, and you could find one that can be framed.
Indoor Family Shoot Ideas
A family spends most of the time at home or indoors. They laugh together, eat together, and play together, creating moments that can be captured on camera. Here, we have a few indoor setting ideas for a traditional family photo shoot.
- Backyard: Do you often have barbeque parties or barbequeget-togethersin your backyard? Surely, you might have some moments then, which you recall again and again. Then why not try and capture them with the camera as well?
- Dining room: A family that eats together, stays together. Do capture your special mealtime moments and treasure them later in your life, when you miss living with your family. Decorate the room with candles to make the images look more magical.
- Bookstore or library: If you are a family of book lovers and enjoy storytelling, then a photo shoot in a library or a bookstore, surrounded by books, can be a unique idea. Plan the poses in a way that every image conveys a story.
- Photo studio: If you want a big family portrait, then you can have a professional photoshoot done at the nearest photo studio. They have a variety of backdrops and settings, bright lights, and everything else to make your photoshoot a glamorous one.
- Relative or friend’s home: Do you have a relative or a friend who you like to hang out with most? If yes, why not take a few pics at their place? If you are family friends, then you could gather all thefamily membersand have a photo session together.
- Cafe: Families often go out to cafes in the evenings, for a coffee or an ice cream. Those are such happy times and can be ideal for an indoor photoshoot for your family. Pick a café, grab your camera, and start capturing the special moments.
- Theater or museum: These places are unique and can make wonderful spaces for a family portrait. There is a charm in such places, which makes the pictures come out well.
- Kitchen: A family cooking together would be a delight to watch. Not to forget the fun and exciting moments that are made when you cook together. You can plan an indoor photoshoot in your kitchen, baking a cake or cooking a meal.
- Bedroom: It is not just couples who take pictures in the bedroom. A family can have a photoshoot done in the bedrooms too, with the children jumping, baby playing, and the parents laughing. That and many such great moments full of warm hugs could be good to be captured in a photograph.
- Patio: This is a simplistic backdrop in your home, where you can have nice pictures with your family. So, plan an indoor photo shoot on your patio while you have coffee and cupcakes, along with a big smile on your face. You can call your close friends and family for a quick reunion and have a fun-filled photoshoot.
Family Photo Outfit Ideas
When someone says let’s take a picture, the first thing you check is if you’re dressed right. And if there’s a family photoshoot, then the question of‘what to wear?’ definitely arises. Should you wear matching clothes or the same colors or some unique costumes? We have some ideas for you on that.
- Whites and blues: For simplistic photo portraits, the combination of white and blue looks no less than perfect. All the family members can wear white shirts or t-shirts with blue bottoms or any other dress in the color combination to look elegant.
- Complementary colors with the background: Keep the location in mind and plan the outfits accordingly. For instance, if it is a natural location, then greens, browns, and blues would be a perfect choice. If the setting is outdoors, then bright colors would look good.
- Coordinated outfits: Every family member should wear something that coordinates with the other’s outfit. For instance, if one is wearing a scarf, the other can wear a sweater or similar clothing. And not something too casual. This way, there is no mismatch.
- Accessories: To brighten up or highlight any family photo, you can add accessories. Hats, necklaces, belts, or scarves can be an interesting addition to any family photo.
- Theme-based outfits:Having a theme for a family photo can be a brilliant idea. However, every person who is going to be in the picture should stick to the theme. Some wonderful ideas can be Halloween, Christmas, western party, and country theme.
Image: Shutterstock
- Avoid one color: Make sure that not everyone is wearing the same color from top to bottom. There should be two or more colors in the outfits. For instance, white, grey, and black is one combination. Red, white, and blue is another combination.
- Weather in mind: Make sure you are dressing up according to the weather. If it is winter, wear warm clothes. And if it is summer, you can wear casual clothes. That helps you be comfortable and tell when the photo was taken.
- Comfy clothes: Outfits chosen should be comfortable as well. Otherwise, the person wearing would have discomfort on their faces. Avoid forcing the kids to wear something they do not like. Let them pick their outfits, something decent for a photograph, and pose as they like.
Prop Ideas For Photos
Props can add a unique appeal to the pictures, while the family can have fun using them during the photo shoot. Here are some good ideas for props.
- Chalkboard: If you want to remember the day when the photo was being taken or write a special message for the family, you can write it down on the chalkboard and hang it in a corner.
- Picture frame: There are many varieties of picture frames that you may use for a family portrait. You may keep the children in the frame, and elders can stand outside. You can get as creative as you can with the frames to make the family photo memorable.
- Vehicle: A car or a bike or a bicycle in the background could add a distinctive effect to the family picture. It can be your old vehicle or a rented one.
Quick tip- Letter prop: You can find big wooden letters, which can be used as props for the family picture. A person can hold a letter of their name. Or they can hold the letters ‘F,’ ‘A,’ ‘M,’ ‘I,’ ‘L,’ and ‘Y’ if there are enough people. You can come up with creative ideas.
- Umbrella: If it is winter or the monsoons, and you are shooting outdoors, then you can use colorful umbrellas as props. It would be a one-of-a-kind idea.
- Flowers:Bright flowers add a refreshing and positive touch to any family photo.Either one person can hold a bunch of flowers in hand, or all of them can hold a flower or bunch each. The photo will surely come out well.
- Food: Ice creams, cupcakes, and doughnuts. These can bring an instant smile to anyone’s face. And then, the family photo would be nothing but a perfect snap.
- Balloons and bubbles: To add a fun element to a family photo, the use of balloons and bubbles can be a good idea. This works well when there are little kids in the family.
Image: Shutterstock
Unique Family Photo Ideas
Instead of having simple portraits or capturing the candid pictures of a family get-together, you can have some unique family photographs too.
- Tribute to the legends: Who is your family’s favorite legend? You can dress up as that person or character or just wear t-shirts of that person and pose for a unique family picture.
- Family outing: Go for an adventure or have a picnic or enjoy a road trip. Take some candid pictures of your family on the go and make a family collage.
- Work mode:Parents doing their work and children studying; this can be one idea of a ‘family in action’ photograph. Or all the family members can dress up in one uniform of their parent’s profession. For instance, if a parent is a doctor, then everyone can dress up as doctors and nurses and get a picture.
- Rainy picture: Why not have a picture in which the entire family is dancing and enjoying the rain? That sounds interesting, right?
- Sporty family: Do you all enjoy a family sport together? Then wear the jerseys of your favorite team, with your names printed on them, and get a snap.
- Silhouette: A family silhouette holding each other’s hands could be another unique idea for a family photograph. It could be framed and kept as a lovely memory.
Fun-filled Family Photo Ideas
Do you want a funny family photo? One that makes everyone laugh when they see it?
- Upside down: The elders of the family can hold the children upside down. That would be a funny snap of a family. But be careful when doing so.
- Funny costume and makeup: All the family members can dress up in a funny way and get a family portrait. This picture would serve as a funny memory for a lifetime.
- Giggles: The parents can be kissing, and the children can be giggling watching them. This would be a cute and funny picture of a family.
- One over other: The family members can stack on one another and freeze that in an image. It would be fun to see family members on one another.
- Teasing: A snap of the family members walking in line or marching could be an interesting photo idea. And if they tease each other while doing so, then such candid moments could turn out to be funny snaps.
- Silly poses and expressions: The easiest and funny family photo would be when the family members pose as they want. They can stare, make faces, dance, and do anything so that the photographer can freeze those moments for a funny family photo.
- Twisted poses: Standing not in line or a specific pattern, but in weird and twisted poses would make a funny picture of the family. Examples of such patterns could be an exclamation mark or a question mark.
- Superhero costumes: Family members wearing superman, batman, and other superhero costumes can pose for a family picture. That would be a fun photo idea. You could choose Marvel or DC or mix them all and have your own team of heroes.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What should I wear for family pictures?
You can wear clothes in neutral colors and coordinating (but not matching) patterns. If you are going for a matching pattern theme, you can opt for different pieces of clothing. The clothes and shoes should complement the location of your shoot. When at home, you can wear light clothes and casual shoes. For outdoor shoots, go for boots and thicker clothes.
2. When should I get a family photo?
You can get family pictures done during any major event in your family, it could be birthdays or special occasions. You can also opt for yearly festival photos when all your family members are together.
3. Is it better to hold a family photoshoot in the morning or the afternoon?
Most photographers prefer early morning and late afternoon for taking pictures. The first two hours after sunrise and sunset are preferred. If you are an early bird, you can get your photos clicked in the morning. If you have young children, late afternoons can be a good time. Remember that all your family members must be well-fed and well-rested before a photos
Pick the best idea from the list to capture a memorable moment. You may go for photography in the lap of nature or a neighborhood park or restaurant. You can also have great clicks indoors. Ensure the lighting is correct, and the smiles on your faces come from within. You can plan if you have a theme in mind and pose with props for unique effects. So get several pictures clicked, and get the best framed and hung on the wall. The entire event should be a relaxing and enjoyable one for the family.
Infographic: Family Photo Shoot Ideas
Photo shoots present one with the opportunity to capture precious moments and free them for life. We have a list of ideas prepared in the following infographic to help you set up an exciting photoshoot that you can enjoy with your family. So, choose the one that you think will be the best.
Illustration: Momjunction Design Team
Get high-quality PDF version by clicking below.
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Key Pointers
- Family photos help capture the essence of togetherness and happy moments.
- Outdoor family photoshoots in the park, beach or nightlights allow capturing beautiful moments and also provide bonding time.
- Choosing coordinated outfits and theme-based photoshoots to get the perfect family photo.
