When I ask families what they are looking for in their pictures, they usually tell me they want to look natural with real, genuine expressions. I love to hear this because that’s my goal, too! The best way to get natural expressions with kids is to have fun! Here are a few fun family photo ideas we can try at our next session together:

A great way to get the laughs and break up any seriousness is to act like you are in a photo booth. Start with silly faces. Keep it going for several shots, then I’ll let the kids take a look at them. It will make them laugh and feel more relaxed for the next section of the shoot.

Another funny family photo to try is having the parents kiss while the kids have silly reactions. While the parents are kissing, the kids are running around, covering their eyes or giving their best gross face. You would not believe how much the kids like to ham it up during this pose!

Jump-shots are a family favorite! The game is: “Who can jump the highest?”

A sure way to get a smile in family photos is to have the kids or family running together. Kids love to run. It always makes them smile, and when parents join in, it makes everyone laugh! These photos create a connection that you can not get in static poses. 

There is nothing like letting kids do something silly to get those authentic smiles out of them but the adults reactions are usually pretty great, too!

So at your next family photo session, if you want to incorporate some silly photos, just let me know. I’d be happy to lead you some different ideas.