Cute family photo ideas

Here at ​​Flytographer, we easily connect people with trusted professional photographers for fun photo shoots and have captured over three million memories worldwide. 🌎 Today, we asked our local photographers to share the best cute family photo shoot ideas, and we can’t wait to share some family photo poses with you! 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

Hiring a family photographer is highly recommended to capture beautiful photos of your entire family. 📸 (Together. In one shot. Minus the self-timer or selfie stick. Trust us!) Especially when it comes to holiday cards, grandparent gifts, or a photo for your favourite picture frame, outsourcing the family pics to the pros is wise and stress-relieving. 😅 Since most of us tend to panic when it comes to getting in front of a camera, keep these 10 photography tips in mind the next time you’re getting ready for your very own family shoot. 📝

TLDR

1. Get mom back in the photo—we all know moms are typically the ones wishing for, requesting, and all-around snapping photos into existence, and one of the reasons Flytographer is so passionate about photos is because we want mom back in those pictures!
2. Pick a colour scheme—using one colour scheme, a pattern, or colours of a particular piece you love as the springboard for coordinating the rest of your family’s outfits can be a fun way to create super cute family photos.
3. “Tell a secret!”—a family game is a perfect way to distract from posing confusion for those of us feeling self-conscious, easing our way into fun family photos. We love to play a game of “Tell a secret!”
4. Cozy up under an umbrella—utilizing an umbrella can make for sweet, silly photos, and oftentimes precipitation breaks the seriousness that can hang over a gloomy photo shoot forecast!
5. Make an airplane—connecting everyone together and flying around helps the younger ones feel comfortable and free.
6. Stop for a treat—stopping for a treat towards the end of your shoot is a great chance to rest your feet and to reward little ones (and big ones, let’s be honest) for being so awesome.
7. Find fun murals—including murals is a creative idea to highlight local art and add cool elements to your family photos.
8. Take a seat—utilizing a bench, staircase, ledge, or other sitting-surface is a great way to take a breather for a few moments, as well as to add in some snuggles.
9. “I spy with my little eye”—having everyone face your photographer and look for things behind the camera is a perfect way to have eyeballs looking in the same direction.
10. Turtle speed—moving at a somewhat-obvious animal speed is a great, silly way to get everyone moving at the same speed in a decently controlled fashion!

Photo: Trieu in Hoi An for Flytographer. Dania and family capture memories in Hoi An with a family photoshoot in Hoi An Old Town.

1. Get mom back in the photo

We’re starting with one of our favourite ideas and the most important part of family photography—include mom in the photo! 👩‍👧‍👦 We all know moms are typically the ones wishing for, requesting, and all-around snapping photos into existence. 🙋‍♀️ One of the reasons Flytographer is so passionate about photos is because we want mom back in those pictures! When you book a Flytographer shoot, mom’s responsibility as the “family memory chronicler” is passed onto a pro. Whew! 😌 Now, mom’s only job is to relax and enjoy her time with family, minus the behind-the-camera wrangling. No family photo shoot is complete without at least one photo of mom being loved on by her people—every mom craves hugs from her babies, young or old, and having a photo of her with those babies to remember a time or season forever is sure to be a cherished souvenir. Group hug! 🫂 Get mom back in the photos!

Photo: Kris in Santorini for Flytographer. Cynthia and family capture memories in Santorini with a family photoshoot in Oia Village.

2. Pick a colour scheme

Family photo outfits can be overwhelming, but they don’t have to be! We loooove a good colour scheme, and using one colour, a pattern, or colours of a particular piece you love as the springboard for coordinating the rest of your family’s outfits can be a fun way to create super cute family photos. 👚 Aside from Pinterest, another helpful tip for family photo outfit ideas is to look at Flytographer routes and images taken at your destination; viewing similar sessions gives ideas of locations, backdrops, seasons, timing, tone, and an overall vibe for your family photo location—which can help inspire you to choose a colour palette that best highlights your family photo locale! 👍

Hot tip! Check out this post for even more styling info and the Best Colours for Family Pictures Outside.

Photo: Deborah in Taormina for Flytographer. Laura and family capture memories in Taormina with a family photoshoot in the city centre.

3. “Tell a secret!”

A common stress many of us have going into a photo shoot is not knowing what to do with ourselves (our bodies, our hands…)—suddenly our limbs feel unfamiliar, unruly, and awkward! A family game is a perfect way to distract from posing confusion for those of us feeling self-conscious, easing our way into fun family photos. We love to play a game of “Tell a secret!” 🤫 Having one family member whisper a silly word, phrase, or story into someone else’s ear is sure to cause some laughs (you can also guess what words kids will likely start with #💩). Adding to it, line up and have everyone play the “telephone game” where a word or phrase is passed from one family member to another. 📞 This fun photo idea is awesome for young children, who typically are the best at being entertained by silly words. 🤪

Photo: Darine in Lake Louise for Flytographer. Amy and family capture memories in Lake Louise with a family photoshoot at Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise.

4. Cozy up under an umbrella

A forecast of rain tends to send feelings of dread and heartbreak into the hearts of adults participating in a photo shoot, but it doesn’t need to! Coming from a professional: gloomy skies and forecasts of grey mean beautiful natural light and sparse crowds (particularly in quite touristy areas). ☁️ If showers do threaten to rain on your parade and your photographer is game to continue with your shoot, bring umbrellas! ☂️ Cozying up under an umbrella can make for sweet, silly photos, and oftentimes precipitation breaks the seriousness that can hang over a gloomy photo shoot forecast, letting everyone’s guard down and giving adults and kids the chance to let loose and let go of expectations.

Photo: Coo & Yurika in Kyoto for Flytographer. Deserie and family capture memories in Kyoto with a family photoshoot in Arashiyama.

5. Make an airplane

Getting happy faces from kiddos is a lot easier when they can combine being able to move around and interact with their family members; sometimes introducing a stranger with a camera can leave little ones feeling a little shy, so get them moving! Making an airplane with their arms (and yours!) by connecting everyone together and moving often helps kids feel comfortable and free. ✈ Stretch out your arms to show them how you fly like an airplane, then ask them to follow! You can even have other siblings or adults hold their airplane arms and make a run for it together.

Photo: Katie in Boulder for Flytographer. Blair and family capture memories in Boulder with a family photoshoot in Chautauqua Park.

6. Stop for a treat

Who doesn’t love a treat break? (Literally no one we know. 🍪) Adding a stop for a treat toward the end of your shoot is a great chance to rest your feet and reward little ones (and big ones, let’s be honest) for being so awesome. Treats bring cute smiles, happy moods, and even silly messes sometimes. 🤭

Photo: Natalia in Barcelona for Flytographer. Georgia and family capture memories in Barcelona with a family photoshoot.

7. Find fun murals

Finding fun murals is a creative idea to highlight local art 🎨 and add cool elements to your family photos. Typically, murals have a variety of colours and themes, so utilizing parts or even entire walls in your family photo shoot can add an awesome flair to your family shoot. You can stay still, run, dance, or wiggle around in front of mural walls.

Photo: Livushé in Lima for Flytographer. Karen and family capture memories in Lima with a family photoshoot in the Barranco District.

8. Take a seat

Mom and dad likely are going to want a pit stop during your photo shoot—it’s easy to work up a sweat 😅 chasing small people or playing games while you’re getting candid moments! Utilizing a bench, staircase, ledge, or other sitting-surface 🪑 is a great way to take a breather for a few moments. If kids are antsy, this is an awesome time for mom and dad to refresh themselves, readjust, snuggle, and then pile on loved ones again for family hugs and chats. Some of the best shots are the ones where everyone is feeling at ease, so allowing for moments of rest is a great way to reset. 👍

Photo: Aly in Victoria for Flytographer. Allysa and family capture memories in Victoria with a family photoshoot at Willows Beach.

9. “I spy with my little eye”

Board games aren’t super practical for most family photo sessions, but games like “I spy with my little eye” sure are! 👀 Having everyone face your photographer and look for things behind the camera is a perfect way to have eyes looking in the same direction, followed by cheers when the selected object is found. 🫵

Photo: Goncalo B. in Lisbon for Flytographer. Steven and family capture memories in Lisbon with a family photoshoot through the Alfama Streets.

10. Turtle speed

We’ve said it a few times now that we love movement when it comes to family picture ideas. Whether you have a large family or small, standing in a line together, holding hands, and moving at a somewhat-obvious animal speed is a great, silly way to get everyone moving at the same speed in a decently controlled fashion! “First, everyone move toward the camera at the speed of a… turtle! 🐢 How fast do turtles move?… Great job! Can just the kids do it again at the speed of a… cheetah?” 💨 Getting great photos has a lot to do with having a great time, so the more you lean into enjoying time together with your entire family, the better. 👏

Photo: Olga in Florence for Flytographer. Shea and family capture memories in Florence with a family photoshoot in Duomo & Ponte Vecchio.

You’ve got this!

How are you feeling? 😃 Do you have some new, cute, fun ideas in your pocket for your next family photo shoot? Another friendly reminder for us all: Family photo shoots aren’t going to be perfect! Social media (and even our imaginations) can lead us to believe that beautiful family photos come with ease—and sometimes they do, but not always! Hiring a professional photographer, leaning into your current season of life, and embracing the chaos of this season will help you make awesome photos of your family, now. Even the most magical images come from less-than-ideal shoots. Some of the best pics come after moments of sadness, gloomy skies, or wardrobe frustrations. Every age (grown-ups included!) comes with its own set of challenges, insecurities, and/or anxieties, but we hope to remind you that it shouldn’t stop you from getting photos of your family during this time in your lives. ❣️ No matter if you’re at home or abroad, capturing cute family photos is something you’ll never regret.

For even more inspiration for cute family photos, be sure to check out this post about Outdoor Family Photoshoot Ideas for All Ages, and this one for even more Travel Photoshoot Tips! 📸