It has been almost 2 years since our last family photo and I’m ready for another one. It’s definitely high time we had a family shot that includes baby June. So I’ve been keeping my eyes open for interesting family photos. This one by Max Wanger is so fun.
What about you? Seen any terrific family photos lately?
I can’t believe that Central Park shoot was wo years ago. Time flies.
I loved the Kennedy family picture that was hanging at the JFK Museum in Boston!
Here’s a picture I took of it: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YCxzNjnMFMU/TM84JK0CbTI/AAAAAAAABzE/FPtftZaqEHs/s1600/IMG_4833.JPG
WOW, what beautiful clothes. Portraits now days are so casual – this is both casual, because it is outside and happy looking, and formal.
I never understood why I bookmarked this photographer’s site a year or so ago, since I’m on the east coast and she’s in the Minneapolis area (and we weren’t even in the market for a family photographer!). Perhaps it was so that I could send you the information when you asked. I thought she did some lovely work: http://www.krystenhalek.com/
Enjoy the search!
That jumping shot is awesome!
Just tweeted you with this, but also wanted to post.
Freshly launched baby/child/family photography site featuring artistic, heirloom photography:
http://sarahsloboda.com
I’d love to hear your thoughts and if you have any favorites from this collection!
My favorite family portrait session was one we did at a commercial chain in a mall, but we all wore jeans and new white t-shirts, and went barefoot. The best photo from that shoot hangs in my living room. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/threedogsandababy/5489325880/)
It’s been almost three years since that photo. Time for us to do something new too.
i think we’re due for one, too! although it is just my husband, pets and i — we’re a family!
I’m loving dress-up photobooths these days. The DIYer photobooth with a theme…
My favorites of my family are ones that aren’t posed. We’re just laughing together or doing what we normally do. Here is a link to my favorite photographer where she posted some various photos she did of my family over a 3 year span. She did some great ones this past October, but hasn’t posted them yet. :) I can’t wait to see what y’all come up with!
http://lifewiththewisners.blogspot.com/2009/03/how-have-i-not-posted-these.html
My personal favorite are us in the bathtub:
http://sharonjohnsonphotography.blogspot.com/2011/01/christmas-baths.html
I have yet to persuade my clients to do anything along these lines but I think the best ideas for family photos go along these lines: early in the AM on a saturday morning, everyone in their pj’s all cuddled up on mom and dads bed snuggling and laughing and playing then off to the kitchen to make breakfast with everyone helping.
For me, I want to have gorgeous, beautifully done photos of every day life. I want to remember those little perfect moments that aren’t that idea of “perfect” at all!
Love the idea of an “every day life” photo shoot. That’s probably how we would get the best pictures of my boys anyway. They are too little to pose.
Stephanie Nielsen on NieNie Dialogues has had some really fantastic ones lately. Blue Lily did them for her at Sundance, UT even though they’re based in CA. ;)
Here is my favorite Seattle Photographer. She takes some nice family shots! http://www.kipperphotography.com/site/#/galleries/families/
My advice for what it’s worth is to stay away from traditional family photographs and look toward editorial work for ideas.
What about juxtaposing the central park shoot? Instead of bright electric colors in NYC go for a more muted tones/ rustic look, with rich wools and plaids and plan an outing out in the country side somewhere with a big castle in the background. Instead of the kids holding cupcakes use chocolate croissants. Instead of reading books on park benches how about some of the family cooking a meal in the kitchen or reading books sprawled out in your family room around the fire place on those great brick floors. And you could get some fantastic shots of the kids playing in the tree house. Sort of a retrospect on what your family life was like then and what it is like now in France. Think of it more like telling your families story for a magazine article than a pretty picture to hang on the wall. What do you want to say about your family right now? Then I’d go from there.
Right before we left NYC the four of us in our little family took a photograph dressed in a sort of Mad Men style (both my boys wore little black skinny suits) each holding a black umbrella on the Brooklyn Bridge together. It’s not traditional at all, I like to think it’s a little Rodney Smithish, and I love it.
brilliant
I love these … maybe for you dont work but with small kids is great
http://blogs.babycenter.com/life_and_home/how-to-take-an-adorable-holiday-card-photo-at-every-age/
oh how I’d love to come to France to photograph your family! Large families are my favorite! I am loving all the photojournalistic photos of families at events, playing at an amuzement park, having a picnic, splashing at the beach, etc. Most of my clients want the posed shots
(which I like, too), but I LOVE capturing a family as they are! I loved Blue Lily’s rendition of the Nielsen family on the bed having a feather pillow fight, and I had a client request that. http://kristendukephotography.com/?p=2740 My last family photo’s, I had us on a quilt, eating popcorn, throwing popcorn, something to get my kids to laugh and enjoy it rather than suffer through it. They are here http://kristendukephotography.com/?p=2571
I keep having the idea of families making paper airplanes and flying them or origami shapes….something to promote action and fun and natural smiles!
Ok, I had another thought for you….can you tell this is a favorite topic of mine? Since you are only in that area for a short time, go to your favorite places (maybe you haven’t discovered them yet). Portraits outside your home on the land with the house in the background, on a tree lined street (France has many) in town walking alone the cobblestone to your favorite bakery…a picnic eating said baked goods (mmm, the pastries!). Capturing the beautiful nature of the town you are living.
That photo is of Nate and Jaclyn Kaiser and their family. They are amazing portrait and wedding photographers out of San Diego. (The Image is Found) The session Max did with them was awesome, but their portrait stuff is really inspiring as well:
http://theblogisfound.com
Just be sure to get your family photos done while in France!! The only problem will be choosing a location… I’m sure there are just too many good ones!
http://www.mollywinnphotography.com :
Wish I was in Paris, I’d happily photograph your brood! xo
(I know you’re not IN Paris, but of course I’d make the drive!) :)
P.S. The family photo thing totally strikes a chord with me. I’m ADDICTED to family photos and we get one done every year! I go all out like I’m planning a magazine photo spread. Here is my favorite from last year and then info on our family photo shoot this year: http://www.supermommoments.com/2010/12/outdone/
A variation of this http://www.storkie.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/family-portraits-3-600×400.jpg where each family member holds his/her own frame would be REALLY cute. OR a very long frame…
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right? ;) I used your Central Park shoot and NieNie’s balloons in the orchard shoot for inspiration for my family’s most recent pictures. See the blog header here:
http://www.tammydeanphotography.com/blog/
http://www.bobbiandmike.com/blog/index.php/2010-annual-top-50-family/
My favorite photographers is this couple:
http://lemairephoto.com/index2.php
They do amazing work and are such great people! Click on the gallery then family to see the family pictures, I can’t post a link directly to it. They are FABULOUS!
I wonder if you could depict some famous french painting? I guess Delacroix’s “Liberty Leading the People” wouldn’t work, but I bet your readers might have some ideas. There are just SO many wonderful french artists!
can’t you just picture your little girls dressed up like Degas ballet dancers? ah-DOR-able.
I’m a big fan of art history, and now I’m thinking…What about your family being in a French park for a modern day version of Georges Seurat’s “Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte”?
Totally love this idea Carrie!
Love this, too! could be great.
I get a family photo done every year…but never know what to do with it. I’m not a big fan of the photo wall. So I’m always looking for creative things beyond photographs …family portaits. I love what you can have created with family sillouettes by Karl Johnson at http://www.cutarts.com/catalog.php?category=4
I LOVE any photo ideas I can get especially those that are unique and original. This year we stepped out-of-the box BIG TIME, I’m overly thrilled with the results!
http://vangass.blogspot.com/2011/01/7-11-slurpees-snow.html
These photographers do great family photos! Bobbi & Mike photography.
http://www.bobbiandmike.com/blog/index.php/2010-annual-top-50-family/
I like seeing all the ideas posted – our family photos aren’t super glamorous but I only wanted one thing out of them. I wanted to show where we lived at this time in our life. So we embraced the cold weather, mountains & bundled up for outside family shots. Where ever we have lived we do outside shots at our favorite spot in town or most recently the landscape , it helps remember where we were at each age.
Good luck – I am sure they will be fantastic just like the NYC pics.
Haha – I see my favorite photogs have been mentioned twice already – Bobbi & Mike. They’re in Indiana, but they do Uh.may.zing work. And I think they fit your style.
I would love to have family photos taken every year, but my hubby doesn’t “get” it.
I’m loving the France posts! So fun.
A friend of mine did a post about her family’s “before and after” family pics here:
http://everydayreading.blogspot.com/2011/02/before-and-after.html
Fun pictures, good story!
I remember looking at your post about how you went about creating a Hollenben-inspired Christmas card. Loved it! I also enjoy doing creative Christmas card/family pictures when I find the time. Check out what we did this year…
http://erinwilkesphotography.blogspot.com/2011/03/merry-christmas-from-wilkes.html
i love all the ideas that really embrace your being in France this year. I immediately think of the tree house, the textures of the stone floors, the cows. A color palette from the mural in the girls’ room. if you’ve been inspired enough by something to share it here, maybe those same things are what you want to capture as part of a portrait of the year.
I would fly Justin Hackworth to France. He is doing our family photos this summer in our garden (with our new chickens!) and I can hardly wait. I adore his work and have you to thank for finding him.
http://www.aricortes.com/2010/12/14/christmas-card-photo-shoot/
coincidence! Just came across Carla Coulson’s blog yesterday – she is an Australian who lives in Paris who does beautiful work! Check it out here: http://www.carlalovesphotography.blogspot.com/
x
I’m not a huge Nie Nie fan, but I loooved her family photos. Especially this one: http://pinterest.com/pin/6918226/.
I really love a couple of shots that I took for my clients/friends this past year.
One where the two little daughters are gazing up at their parents kissing on the beach:
http://www.daynadueck.com/blog/?p=391
Another of a blended family with six unique kids — I think their personalities just jump out of the photo:
http://www.daynadueck.com/blog/?p=484
You are so lucky to be living in such a gorgeous location. Can’t wait to see more photos!!
My favorite family pictures:
– Forever family – all in white, with the little boys wearing white undershirts and pillowcases (creased between their legs so they looked like pants)
– Our best sides – a formal posing with everyone turned around backwards so you can only see backs and backs of heads
– All strung out – like the Kennedy portrait mentioned earlier, but with more space between each person, and your home or a beautiful place in the background (Sound of Music-ish)
– Hobbies – everyone wearing and/or holding something that tells about themselves (holding golf club, wearing BBQ apron and favorite team’s baseball cap)
I think I’d like to get one of the Saturday morning getting ready for brunch shots. We all like to cook, so it would be a good slice of our lives. Love your blog!
I love this portrait session my friend Whitney Loibner did with our friends the Jones family. http://whitneyloibner.blogspot.com/2010/09/j-o-n-e-s.html
She gave everyone in the family a blank slate, a piece of chalk, and asked them to write their word, then snapped them holding it up. Brilliant!
Hold on… We will be there in 4 months to provide you with awesomeness.
You have the perfect backdrops right in your own backyard. I always wanted one in a field w/all those cows. Or on the beaches of Normandy, the elephant rock (gosh, I can’t remember names now…), Honfleur is a lovely fishing town. Or just in your backyard fort!
We took some at the Salt Flats. I love these kind of shots that out of the ordinary. Totally worth dragging furniture out for.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2228466&id=17822028&l=5a4e1f5f3d
I didn’t realize the link didn’t work…sorry about that….try this. :)
http://erinwilkesphotography.blogspot.com/2010/12/chandler-infant-photographer-mini-mini.html
My best friend had http://www.dannyweissphoto.com do their family pics last summer and when she sent me the slideshow that Danny had made for them it brought tears to my eyes. It captured every one of them perfectly. Danny has a talent for catching you at your best and telling a story with the pictures. I would send a link to the slideshow but they are not my pictures to share. Check out his site and you will see what I mean.
I do look forward to seeing your family pics, especially if they are taken in France! My son is 10 months old and we have yet to get our family pic taken. We only have candids of the baby but they are precious just the same.
Tara Whitney and Bobbi+Mike!!! Best family photographers ever!!
Well, it will be hard to top your Central Park pictures- those were amazing! Though you have a few more kids than I’ve had experience photographing, (we have a fantastic camera, but are totally amateurs), maybe you’d enjoy the few we recently took.
My husband and I took holiday photos of our niece and nephew last year, and they turned out pretty adorable. The kids actually had fun the whole time (they might have been bribed..), and out of about 600 pictures, we ended up with 20 or so that we loved. The top 2 we had printed on poster sized canvases for my husband’s sister and mom for Christmas, and they loved them. I posted the best ones and wrote a little blog on photographing kids here:
http://www.babiesbytheseaboutique.com/blog/photographing-kids-holidays
Reams Photo in San Diego has been taking family portraits of our family for the past nine months — once a month since our daughter, Charlotte James, was born on May 25, 2010.
We have so many favorite portraits since Paul and Amy are so amazing at capturing our daughter’s developing personality, and our crazy love for her, but our favorite session of all has to be the seven month shoot, which was one of Charlotte’s first feedings.
Check it out at: http://reamsphoto.com/family-portrait/charlotte-7-months-old-a-feeding/
And poke around the great family portraits they’ve shot of other families!
I like taking family photos but I stress so much about the old “what to wear”. You dont want to be to machy matchy. But you dont want to look like a bunch of strangers either. How do you figure out outfits for the whole fam? Any suggestions?
I love taking photographs of my daughter. She will be 4 in May. Time sure does fly by. I have wanted to start blogging but dont have the time with school at the moment. Your blog was the first blog that I ever stumbled across. I love your taste in design and the choices that you are making with your family. I look forward to seeing whatever you do when you do your family’s portraits this year. Pictures always should tell a story. One day you will look back and realize it was only yesterday that you were in France, and your pictures will always bring you back. :)
…Tara Marie….
Oh I haven’t really been looking at family pics, but I do love outdoors photographs and pictures that aren’t too posey. I hope that helps. I will definately keep an eye out and let you know if anything inspires me.