Do you want your family photos to reflect your family’s style? Today’s families are using custom photography to tell a story with their family photos. Families are trending away from the chain photography studio shots and opting for more casual, documentary style photos. These photos can often show off your family’s personality and allow everyone to feel more at ease during the session. Check out these top trends in today’s modern family photos.
Urban Environments
Urban settings can provide a great backdrop for family photos. You can typically find an urban style location almost anywhere, but you’re most likely to find them in a downtown or historic area near you. Urban environments often contain brick walls, interesting stairways, train tracks, and walkways. Jeans and casual clothing typically work best in this environment.
Urban Environments
Open Fields
You’ve probably passed that big empty field every day on your way home but never thought of it as a location for family photos. Open fields can often provide a great location for child, family, and engagement photos. The emptiness and repetition of elements let you be the star of your photos in this environment. You’ll want to have these sessions close to sunrise or sunset to get great lighting in your photos. Little girls in dresses are typically great for this location.
Open Fields
Your Home
Sometimes you don’t have to go anywhere at all. What better way to show your family in their “element” than to have photos taken in your home? You don’t have to have a million dollar home to have a great environment for family photos. Sometimes it can be something as simple as a favorite sofa, room, or wall in your house. If you have a room with great window light, that can be a great area for family photos. You can also move the family outdoors to your backyard for some family fun. Plan outdoor activities that the entire family can participate in to capture great family moments.
Family Photo in the Home
Candid Interaction
Gone are the days of stiff posing for the camera. We all remember those photos that mom made us take with everyone smiling, while posing on the person’s shoulder in front of them. Bleh. These days families are opting for candid style photos that show genuine interaction between them. Sometimes it just takes something as simple as telling a joke or playing tag to capture those candid moments on camera. Those photos are often the ones that are treasured for years.
Candid Interaction
Jeans/Casual Clothing
Everyone remembers dressing up in your best dress or suit for “picture day” back in the day. Today, family photos are often taken in casual clothing. You definitely don’t want your family to look like they just hopped out of bed but jeans and a nice casual shirt can sometimes make your family members feel at ease during your photo session. To get that polished look, try coordinating your family’s clothing color scheme. Come up with one color scheme or style that will determine what everyone in the family will wear. You don’t have to all dress alike, but coordinating your family’s clothing makes a more compelling photo in the end.
Jeans/Casual Clothing
Unique Photo Gifts
While prints are certainly classic and timeless, today’s families are finding more unique ways to show off their photos. Custom coffee table books make great gifts and are the perfect alternative to the traditional photo album. Canvas gallery wraps can turn your family photo into a work of art that can be displayed almost anywhere in your home. Before starting your session, think about what you would like to do with your photos. Maybe you want something to help cover that empty wall, or perhaps a photo gift that you can send to grandma. Whatever the occasion, unique photo gifts can provide treasured memories for your family.
Modern family photography simply means capturing your family as they are. No frills or special tricks needed. Find a photographer that reflects your family’s style.
About the Author
For more information on modern family photography, visit www.creativesoulphoto.com.
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Biggest question I get from my portrait client’s is what should we wear? I’m not into the matching white shirt and blue jeans, nobody dresses that way! I ask my clients what would you were if invited to a party and wanted to wear something not too casual and kinda trendy and cool?
Dress the entire family in the same tones and color schemes but not the exact shirt or outfit. I encourage layers… (shirt, vest, coat, sweater, scarf ) look at how the department stores dress and accessorize the window mannequins. I ask my clients to mimic that look.
Don’t put mom in all white and dad in black jeans and Navy sweater. Same color family and tone.
I strongly recommend NOT TO WEAR Logo or novelty t-shirts, horizontal stripes, and large stripes.
Don’t put mom in all white and dad in black jeans and Navy sweater. Same color family and tone.