3 Easy Tips for Posing for Family Photos
Posing for family photos can feel like a daunting task. At least 75% of my family clients tell me they are awkward and don’t know what to do with themselves in photos. So if you’ve ever felt this way, you’re not alone! You don’t have to worry though, I have all the tricks up my sleeve, and I’m going to share a few tips so you can feel prepared for your family photos.
1. Be in the moment
Instead of standing there and saying "cheese," I encourage you to chase natural interactions and be in the moment with your favorite humans. This will evoke authentic expressions and result in genuine photos
2. Have FUN!
Help create more candid shots by interacting with your kiddos. No need to coax them into fake smiles! Run around, laugh, play, tickle, and snuggle. This is how to capture the REAL moments while also creating precious memories.
3. Connect
Stand close together. Actually, as close as possible! I encourage you to let go of expectations and the pressure of perfection. Enjoy this time to be present with your family. If a kiddo gets fussy, that's okay! Just embrace the chaos, and beautiful images will be captured.
I have found that the biggest worry is moms are concerned that their little ones won’t listen or cooperate and will just be a hot mess. I’ll always aim to get a few posed and smiling traditional photos, but I find the magic comes in just observing them being a family and interacting. This is why I focus on prompting families instead of posing them. A few prompts you can use are:
Play ring around the rosie
Have a tickle fight (My little one is really into the movie Trolls right now, so we often sing "get tickled, get tickled, get tickled by spiders" and then break into a tickle fight!)
Make your silliest face in the whole world
Listen to your mom’s heartbeat… Can you hear it?
On the count of 3, everyone look at the smelliest person in the house
Whisper to the kids to run up to their parents for a sneak attack
As a family photographer, I like to snap away while a family is interacting for the emotive, storytelling photos. So when you’re getting ready for your photoshoot and you’re thinking about posing for family photos, remember my three tips: be in the moment, connect, and have fun!