Okay, so I wanted to get some nice family photos, but I didn’t want the same old boring stuff. I started by, you know, just thinking about what kind of vibe I wanted. Did I want something super formal? Nah, not really us. Something more casual and fun? Yeah, that’s more like it.

Then I brainstormed some locations. Our house? Too messy. The local park? Been there, done that. I thought about maybe a cool, colorful wall downtown, or even a field of wildflowers if the season was right. I even looked at my friend’s place, coz their place’s got a cozy backyard, but it would be too troublesome for them.
The Prep Work
- Outfits: I did NOT want everyone in matching outfits. Ugh, so cheesy. Instead, I just told everyone to wear something they felt good in, but maybe stick to a similar color palette. Think blues and greens, or maybe warm tones like oranges and browns.
- Props: I grabbed a few things we could use, like a blanket to sit on, some bubbles for the kids, and even our dog’s favorite toy. Just little things to make it more natural and fun.
- Timing: Everyone knows about “golden hour,” right? That time right after sunrise or before sunset when the light is all soft and pretty? Yeah, I aimed for that.
Then the day, wo went to the park. It was a bit chaotic, to be honest! Getting everyone to cooperate at the same time was like herding cats. The little ones were running around, the dog was chasing squirrels. But, I just went with it.
I snapped tons of photos. Some posed, some candid. I told everyone to just be themselves, make silly faces, play around. And that, that made a whole lot of difference!
Afterward, I went through all the photos(Oh gosh there were tons!). Picked out the best ones. Did a little editing, you know, just to brighten them up and fix any weird shadows.
And, boom! We had some awesome family photos that actually felt like us. Not stiff or staged, just real and fun. It was a bit of work, sure, but totally worth it. I printed some of my favorites and put them on the wall, just seeing them on the wall makes me so happy!
