Family Photoshoots
Moms! We’ve talked about it before—it’s time to claim your rightful position in family pictures alongside your kids! Hiring a photographer isn’t just about booking the quickest shoot to avoid upset children. We’re going to tell you why the timing for a photoshoot should be longer than you think and why you’re wise to not think quickest is best. 🤭
Here at Flytographer, we easily connect people with trusted photographers for fun photoshoots and have captured over 4 million memories worldwide. The magic of Flytographer is both the experience of the photoshoot and the photos. Explore the city with a fun, talented photographer and get wall-worthy images to relive your trip, forever. Are you thinking about a family photoshoot? 📸 Read on for reasons why moms choose a longer family photoshoot with kids.
Setbacks of short photoshoots
When we talk to parents, they often want to book the quickest shoot possible—you’ve probably heard or thought of it before: “I only want to book 30 minutes because I am worried that my kids’ attention spans and/or good moods won’t last that long!” Well, the benefits of booking a 60-minute (or longer) shoot might surprise you! Setbacks of a 30-minute mini session with kids include:
- Running late. ⌚️ Being late happens—we get it—but with a super limited timeframe, this is not the time to run fashionably late! If you’re someone who often runs behind schedule, we highly recommend avoiding a 30-minute shoot.
- Feeling rushed. 😓 Feeling rushed feels frantic, especially if you’re late because you got lost or your kids are not cooperating. Avoid this stress by not aiming too high with a tiny timeframe.
- High expectations. 📝 Typically, moms want specific shots and groupings: kids together, separate, with each grown-up, etc. And with a limited timeframe, there’s a good chance you won’t have time to get all the shots you have in mind.
- Tears happen. 😭 We all need breaks, particularly if you’re a tiny human who may need someone to tend to their tears. More time also means less pressure to be perfect the whole time and the more wiggle room for… wiggles!
TLDR
Photo: Haley in Los Angeles for Flytographer. Siti and family capture memories in Los Angeles with a family photoshoot at Griffiths Park.
1. Feeling At Ease
More time with your photographer means more time for kids to get settled and comfortable during your shoot. This also gives the kids an opportunity to get to know your photographer without feeling pressure. 👍
Photo: Stathis and Christina in Santorini for Flytographer. Katherine and family capture memories in Santorini with a family photoshoot at Imerovigli to Fira Village.
“Every time we travel, I love to plan a photoshoot to take the stress out of capturing pictures every other day (and driving my kids crazy, ha) and every time these photos just get more and more breathtaking. Stathis exceeded any expectation I could have ever held, both in the quality of his work and the comfort of working with him (even with two teens!). I am beyond blown away. Immediate tears from the first photo on. From a tired mom with kids who refuse to ever take a picture with her, thank you from my entire heart for making these photos come to life and giving me something so beautiful to cherish forever.”– Katherine
2. Connection
Connection is so important for capturing effortless, beautiful images. The more time your photographer has to facilitate authentic, candid moments of connection, the more natural your photos will feel. Particularly if you have a large family or are including extended family, don’t miss out on moments of connectivity because you’re out of time! 🫂
Photo: Elisenda in Washington DC for Flytographer. Kamille and family capture memories in Washington DCwith a family photoshoot at Tidal Basin.
“Elisenda on the morning of our shoot immediately felt like a friend we had known for years. She was warm, inviting, and put us at ease. Our son enjoyed our time with Elisenda: he had fun with her photo prompts, was delighted to take a turn at snapping photos with her camera, and was thrilled that she encouraged him to play and be silly as she took his photos. My husband and I also loved laughing with Elisenda, learning about DC from her, and receiving recommendations on favourite museums. We always cherish our Flytographer photos, and Elisenda’s photographs are among our favourites. She took care in capturing photos with a variety of backdrops throughout our route, along with a mix of poses and lighting. Even with all the photos she took, the time with Elisenda never felt rushed. It was sincerely such a fun, relaxed morning strolling through Tidal Basin.” – Kamille
3. Play breaks
The time leading up to photos can feel stressful for everyone, between the preparation, timeliness and expectations. It can feel like a lot! Providing a bit more time during your photoshoot means more opportunities to loosen up on everyone’s terms. After family posing, stop to shake up your shoot with play breaks, treats or anything else that feels like a fun pause, allowing everyone to catch their breaths. ⏯ More shoot time also enables a mix of posed shots and candid moments, including photos of action and play, which can better capture kids’ unique energy and spirit.
Photo: Sara in Maui for Flytographer. Joanne and family capture memories in Maui with a family photoshoot at Kapalua Ironwoods.
“Sara is absolutely amazing! She has such a warm and caring demeanour, which instantly makes you feel comfortable in front of the camera. She was extremely patient with our crazy kiddos and had an unending arsenal of games and tricks to try and keep the kids’ photo ready.” – Joanne
4. Variety
More time means variety—different photos, angles and backgrounds to choose from and play with. Also, changing up your location means new areas for kids to explore and enjoy. 🆕
Photo: Mary in Paris for Flytographer. Alexandrea and family capture memories in Paris with a family photoshoot in the Latin Quarter.
“Mary was amazing! Her photography is ART! She picked such cute little spots to take photos. We had a great time and she managed to capture so many beautiful moments for our family. It was so nice to tour a small part of the city and meet her. She had tissues on hand when our toddler daughter unexpectedly got a bloody nose, she shared fun photography tips, recommended many food and coffee shops, and shared some of her fun and relevant life adventures and stories. We are very happy with the photos and highly recommend Mary to capture your family trip.” – Alexandrea
5. Results
More time means your professional photographer has extra opportunities to experiment with different lighting, angles and composition, resulting in lots of diversity in your photos and more artistic shots of you and your loved ones! Remember you’re hiring a pro, so giving them time to really utilize their skills will set your photos apart from the rest. 🏆
Photo: Coo and Yurika in Tokyo for Flytographer. Brenda and family capture memories in Tokyo with a family photoshoot at Shibuya.
“We have nothing but positive things to say about Coo. He was very kind and great with our young kids. He took his time and we never felt rushed. We had a lot of fun and felt relaxed. We absolutely love each and every picture. Our family can’t recommend him enough and we will be telling all our family & friends. Coo, thanks for a great experience and beautiful photos that we will enjoy forever. Taking photographs with young children is tough as is. Then when you add on traveling with it, it makes it even harder. But we really couldn’t have asked for a better experience.” – Brenda
6. FAQs
What are the best colours to wear for a family photoshoot?
Forgiving colours! 🎨 Shades that hide dirt, sweat and whatever else your surroundings may transfer onto your family members during an outdoor family photoshoot!
How should we dress for a family photoshoot?
Comfortably! From colours to layers to smart footwear, be prepared to move around for your outdoor family photos. Grown-ups, you’ll likely sweat as you chase/wrangle/snuggle, so dress accordingly. Family photo outfits don’t have to be formal or feel stuffy—we recommend you wear what makes you each feel your best. 💁♀️
How long should a family photoshoot last?
We recommend an hour for a family photo session—60-minutes seems to be the sweet spot of just enough, but not too much time for kids (and for related adults of said kids, let’s be honest! 😉).
Is family photography worth it?
THE ANSWER TO THIS ONE IS A RESOUNDING YES! 💙 You can never get back those missing teeth, silly grins and tiny hands holding onto mom. Family photography doesn’t have to be perfect. Instead, family portraits should feel special.
Photo: Scheherazade in Dubai for Flytographer. Sonia and family capture memories in Dubai with a family photoshoot in the Dubai Desert.
Capturing Family Memories
Whether they’re fall family photos, Christmas or holiday card photos, images to print for wall art or more, we can’t wait for Flytographer to be your family photographer for your next adventure… especially when it comes to capturing mom. 👩👧 The time of year and time of day aren’t the only important times—remember, the moral of today’s story is to schedule enough time for your family shoot!
Hot tip: if you’re looking for more inspo and family photoshoot ideas, check out these Top 10 Cute Family Photo Ideas, and our Top 10 Summer Family Vacation Ideas. 👩💻
We hope to see you soon (and we mean you, moms!) for your family photoshoot. 🥳
35,000+ 5 Star reviews from across the globe!
“Kim! Thank you so much for the fantastic photos! These were taken on the last day of our family’s 2 week vacation in Europe. The last thing my family wanted to do was a photo session! Ha! You made it such a fun experience that our 10 year old said it was her favorite part of the day! Thank you for your patience, time and quick delivery of our photos. Thank you taking the time to pick the perfect places to shoot our pictures and for the games that put a smile on everyone’s face!”
Shelley
The Royal Mile
“We honestly could not have picked a better photographer for our shoot. Karla knew all of the great places to get shots and even had awesome recommendations of things to do in town. When we receive the photos we couldn’t believe it – it was like only she could see things that we couldn’t see and made us all really shine in the photos. And let me add that we were doing this with two small kids and a baby and she managed the entire family with absolute perfection. Would highly, highly recommend, over and over again!”
Beth
The French Quarter
“Enzo was a phenomenal family photographer. Enzo was excellent at directing all of us, telling us which foot to put forward, where to place our hands, and how to tilt our heads. It is clear he is an expert in his field and knows what he is doing. He is great with children, and my usually shy toddler was immediately having fun and laughing with him. Enzo made us all laugh and was able to capture the best photo of my in-laws looking so happy and in love. Thank you, Enzo— we will definitely use you again if we find ourselves in Honolulu!”
Rhiannon
Waialae Beach Park (South Shore)
