Family Photos 2022: Think Outside the Frame

Family photos are so important. They’re priceless in the very moment they’re taken because that moment is gone and your kids will never be so little ever again. But it can be really easy to skip your annual family photos if it’s not an experience the whole family enjoys. Most of us have experienced one (or more!) of those stressful family photo sessions. You know, the ones where it seems to be more about picking outfits or striking the right poses or getting everybody to smile at the same time than about making memories together. Or maybe your family photo sessions just feel like they’re not really you.

The good news is, your family pictures don’t have to be a smile-for-the-camera-in-the-local-park kind of thing. They don’t have to be stressful. They can actually (believe it or not) be fun! This year, for family photos 2022, let’s think outside the frame and come up with some ideas for a relaxed, genuine photoshoot the whole family can get behind.

Ideas for Family Photos 2022

Some of the most successful family photo sessions center around a theme or activity. We like to call it an adventure! Think about your family life and what you guys like to do together. Where are your favorite places? Where do you have the most fun? What are your favorite traditions? What moment and stage of life are you in? Focus your session on those things. Not only are sessions like this way more fun, but they capture your family’s true personality and create wonderful memories in the process. Your family will look their happiest when they’re doing something they love, going on an exciting new adventure, or just doing the everyday things that are a part of your daily life right now.

Here are some ideas, just to get you started.

Picnic

Pumpkin patch

Riding bikes

Outdoor family dinner party

Swimming in the pool

Going for a hike together (bring along Fido!)

Boating at the lake

Getting ice cream

Feeding the baby (yes, this is sometimes an event and adventure all in one. Mamas, you know what I’m talking about!)

Going to the fair

Water balloon or snowball fight

Paint or chalk war

Visiting with an elderly family member

Picking flowers

Going to the berry farm

Baking cookies

Making jam

Horseback riding (particularly if they’re YOUR horses!)

Dance party

Camping

How Choosing a Theme for Family Photos Can Help

Your family photos 2022 (or any year) don’t have to be stressful. Here’s how first choosing an activity or theme can help you think outside the frame and make your session more successful.

1. If your photoshoot centers around a theme, it’s so much easier to choose the appropriate clothes. Deciding on outfits for everyone is even easier with our helpful tools and strategies: like our free client access to Style and Select, our list of preferred vendors to shop from, and (our favorite) our client closet. With dresses sized xs-xxxl (both maternity and postpartum friendly), sweaters and shirts for dad size M-XXL tall, and childrens clothing sizes 0-8 we can get you well on your way to the perfect outfit combo.
2. A photoshoot with an activity makes it easy to get natural photos. Not many kiddos love being shuffled around in order of height and faking a smile for the camera. (Let’s face it, not many grownups love it either.) But with a fun activity, your family will forget about the camera and just have fun, making unforced poses, candid smiles, and beautiful moments come naturally.
3. Considering themes can help you figure out how you want to use your photos. Which brings us to our next point:

What to Do with Family Photos 2022

There’s a reason most family photoshoots happen in the fall. It’s in preparation for the holidays–and all those greeting cards! These are a great way to connect with family and friends, but honestly, you can do more with your precious family memories than use them for an obligatory holiday card. It’s ok to just need one photo. But let’s make that one more meaningful than the holiday card. Let’s put it on the wall where you see it every single day. One of the most meaningful ways you can use your pictures is through wall art.

Family wall art is important because:

• It helps our children find their place within the family tree
• It gives children value, worth, and improved self esteem
• It brings joy to your walls every single day
• It makes your house a home
• It brings back special memories
• It reminds each family member that they belong
• It sends the message that, with everything else life has to offer, family is the most important thing

And all of these things are even more true when your wall art is of truly happy faces, not say-cheese smiles; when your wall art shows your family in environments you love; and when your wall art is grounded in meaningful family traditions.

Walk around your house and look at the empty spaces. What do you want to fill that emptiness with? Love? Laughter? Nostalgia? A sense of tradition or humor? It’s ok to do this even if you’re planning to move in the near future. Everyone does. (On average people move 9 times in their life). Wall art can move with you. It can also be changed around or taken down entirely. Your family photos are there to serve you, and their role may adjust to fit changes in your life and circumstances. The important thing is to embrace each moment, because life does change–faster than you think–and making memories matters.

Are You Ready for a New Kind of Family Photoshoot Experience?

At Glean and Co., we’ve redesigned the session experience to remove the stress and reflect real life and real families in Boise. We focus on the experience, and we’re always up for adventure! Book a consulation and let Glean and Co. help you make this year’s family photos the best yet.