It’s that time of year that families are trying to fit in a family photo session to get that perfect image for their holiday card and that can be stressful in figuring what to wear, finding a good location, and wondering if your family will cooperate and be in a good mood! In my opinion, a HAPPY family on picture day is probably the most important criteria for sure! I am convinced that photos that FEEL happy and/or authentic will be your most cherished photos over time.
I’m Tricia, from Dunlap Portrait in Austin, Texas, and happy to share my thoughts on how you can take family pictures outside of the “norm” with the posed looks, but something that makes you feel happy, doing things with your family.
Photography is an investment in time, energy and money and I understand that some families feel pressure to end up with that perfect image and that is often defined by everyone looking perfectly straight at the camera. Instead of pressuring your family to be “still” and “say cheese” – which often ends in frustration and a not so pleasant photo experience, why not just PLAY? This is a great example of a holiday session where mom decided that they would play at home – make cookies, decorate their tree – wear pajamas! I also love that mom and dad got dressed up to have a “date night” IN – how romantic is that? I cannot take credit for facilitating their activities during the session – mom just had me photograph what they would normally do on a beautiful holiday evening. I think she did a beautiful job allowing me to capture what her family feels like during the holiday season and I am so grateful!