How Often Should I Take Family Pictures?

Getting family pictures is often on everyone’s mind, but gets left off the to-do list often. We always want to take the time and money to get our family all in the same shot, dressed nicely, everyone smiling for the camera, but we also come up with excuses. “My kids are too wild, they’d never sit still for a picture.” “We can do it next year, no harm in skipping it again this year.” “My kids haven’t changed that much.” “I’d love to have them, but it’s too complicated to find a time, schedule and locate a photographer.”

I get it! Being the photographer of the family means that I’m more often behind the camera than in front of it. Which means that I miss out on a lot of family images. It’s so hard to find a day when the weather is cooperating, the photographer has an open slot, and finding coordinating outfits that are pinterest worthy without spending an arm and a leg!

Can I let you in on a little secret? This season is fleeting. Whatever season you are in, whether its baby, toddler, elementary, or your littles are bigs and in high school. The days are long, but the years seem to fly by.

All the images I have of my son from his birth to his first birthday are all I am going to have of him! He’s a big kid now at almost 4 and he will never be 1 again. Here’s another secret, I’ve changed too! I’m not the same mama that I was almost four years ago and I celebrate that! Seeing myself back then in pictures brings back all sorts of feelings and emotions that I would never want to forget. I’m so glad I got in front of the camera for family pictures while my first born was little. He will be glad for it too! I love looking back on images from when my husband and I were children. Thinking about what our parents were like back then and how they are now. Those images are a treasure!

Do you know what I don’t think about when I look at our family images from the last 5-6 years (even pre-kids!)? How well our outfits went together. Or that we were stressed that morning or running late that day. I remember how much I loved the season of fall and seeing our Bradford pear tree turn colors the first year we lived in this house. I remember how big my first borns head seemed in proportion to his body and how much he looked like his great grandfather when he was 4 months old the next year we had pictures taken.

All that to say, it’s worth it mama. It’s worth it to make the effort at least once a year or at important milestones to get family pictures. To sit there, beside your husband and your littles, smiling so big, so that your children when they are older can remember how much you loved them during that season. It’s worth it to print out that image, as big as your walls will allow, and walk past it everyday with a reminder of your sweet family. Yes, your family will change over time, but it’s so important to capture as many of those seasons as possible.

So here’s to getting in the picture with your kids, taking a little time to plan outfits, and contacting a photographer who is skilled and has the experience to make this an easy process for your busy life!