This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

If you are looking for Tips for family photo shoots ~ I hope that these will be helpful to you! 

Our family recently had their pictures taken and I wanted to share some tips on getting great pictures:

1- Let the kids do what they will!  
Our photographer, JA Photography, told us to let the kids play and run around and just be themselves.  Letting them do this can make for some GREAT pictures!

Small children lying in the grass posing for a picture with text above them.

 

 

2- Photograph the youngest one FIRST, because they have the shortest attention span and can get a little fussy towards the end:
A  baby sitting on the floor.A little girl that is sitting in the grass having her picture taken.

 

 

3).  TICKLES!  When our 2 year old wouldn’t smile, my husband would tickle him.  (notice our little guy with the yellow shirt and the big silly laugh on his face… it works!  My husband is tickling his leg.)your modern family

 

 

4.  Crop out what doesn’t work.
You can’t tell, but in this picture, our two year old was LITERALLY hanging on us!  Our photographer, Jill, just cropped out his little body.
tips for family photo shoots3

 

 

Here is another example of this.  Our newborn photographer, Jessica Schooch, took my hands right out of this picture (below)!  I was holding our baby’s head up, with my hands on her head!  She took so many great pictures and was able to make each one more amazing and beautiful than the next with just some cropping (and a LOT of talent!)

A  baby sleeping while having her picture taken.

 

 

5. Be silly and have fun!   The best pictures come when you aren’t expecting one to be taken!

tips for family photo shoot

For a FREE VIDEO TUTORIAL, stop by Craftsy and check out this free video on how to photograph kids and family members! 

Hi there!

I’m Becky, a former elementary school teacher turned certified child development therapist and blogger. I work at home with my husband and together we are raising (and partially homeschooling) our four children in the Carolinas. I love diet coke, ice cream, and spending time with my family.

You May Also Like

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

7 Comments

  1. I like how you point out that you can tickle your kids to get them to smile like your husband did in your picture. My husband and I want to get a family photo done with us and our two year old, and she does not like to smile on cue at all. Your tip will really help us once we find someone who can take the pictures for us.