Family Photographs: what’s the point?

So many times I have heard many people say family photographs are a waste of time. When I ask them why they think so, I usually here 3 answers all the time.

First one I hear is, “My family would never do them! If they did they would be miserable and they would show in the pictures.”

I bet many people dislike getting their pictures taken for many reasons! Some people see getting their picture taken as a waste of time and many of the time I have seen people come to family sessions with that attitude. They are usually the ones with their sun glasses on, arms crossed and when it comes time to actually smiling I see the fakest “smile”. I understand for anyone who is paying to get their photographs done professionally would be worried of having and photographs. Luckily, you (the client) have only one job; maybe two, it is just to get your family too the location at the exact time set up. For some, that’s the hardest job. The good news is how your photographs come out is not your job to worry...it’s mine! It’s my job to put your family in “poses” that feel comfortable and make everyone look good! Additionally, it is always my pleasure to trick those fake smiling family members into realizing this process is not as pointless as they may think and get them to have the best photographs taken of themselves they have ever seen before.

Secondly I hear, “I don’t see the point in them.” I can see how some people would not see a point to them. To take time out of your busy life to stand in front of a complete stranger and smile a complete natural smile is hard for some to do. What if that one smile in that one photograph makes someone you love, like your mother or grandparents or best friend, happier than you could ever imagine. Would it be worth it then? Or one day when you’re older and you look back on those photographs to remember those times in your life. I believe those are the moments when you see the “point” of family photographs.

Lastly, this is majority of the time the number 1 reason. “It’s way too expensive!” Honestly, it is very expensive. That’s because it is an investment you are making. You are not just buying a piece of candy that will satisfy your sweet tooth for a moment; which I am not judging since I do this way too many times! You are investing in the camera that is capturing all the photographs being taken of your family in the outfits you picked out specifically for the session at the specific location chosen at the right time for everything to fall into place. Also, you are investing the time and energy in the photographer who has loved what they do as a career and has learned how to pose your family in ways for everyone to look amazing at a certain spot with certain lighting so everything can fall into place to capture this one specific photograph you will cherish for years to come.

For me, I always want to freeze time in moments so I never forget. Luckily, with photography we can. We can literally freeze a memory and keep it in our pockets for as long as we want. Why wouldn’t you want to capture a memories that will last a lifetime?