Large Family Photos

You’ve decided it is time to get all of your children in one photo, dressed in matching clothes, looking the same direction and smiling.

Good luck with that.

Large family photos aren’t just an exercise in patience and perseverance, they tend toward insanity on a whole new level.  (Herding cats ring a bell? )  It’s time to find a better way!  This post isn’t your typical “what to wear” or “be sure you feed them beforehand” advice.  It’s full of fresh outside-the-box ideas to fit your fun outside-the-box family!

First, let me address the million dollar question –

Should you hire a professional photographer?

The photo above was taken by our bank as a free print (with the option to buy a whole package).  We chose to take our free print and run (thank you very much).  But, I use this photo as an example to help you make a wise decision about what kind of professional photographer to use and if it truly is necessary for your family.

I’m happy we got this photo.  I spent a lot of time choosing clothing and trying not to look fat 2 months after giving birth to our 7th child.  Notice, not everyone is smiling in the photo, and our usually bubbly little girl has a weird look on her face.  Oh, and notice the toddler?  Terrified comes to mind.

Choosing to go with a professional photographer has it’s pros and cons, especially if you are choosing someone who either doesn’t know your family or someone who is in a hurry.  This photographer needed to take the photo in our time slot and move on.  He didn’t know us, and it showed.  It’s also a very “stock” photo with a boring background and the usual “family pose” – ramped up to fit our family size.

Not all professional photos are like this (and some would argue this doesn’t even count as a “professional” photo), but the more frills you want, the more it is going to cost you.  If you have a family friend who does professional photos, then by all means, go for it.  But if you don’t, don’t worry that you will never have anything decent to share with grandparents and friends.  There are ways of getting great shots that are share-worthy!
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How to get great photos of your large family

My first suggestion is to let go of the notion of the average family photo.  I’m going to talk more about this in a moment, but some of my favorite photos of our family would fall into the category of “Lifestyle” photography.  They are shots of us living life, acting naturally, and showing much more of our individual personalities than a stock photo could ever manage.

So, now that you are ready to think outside the box…

Idea #1:  Grouping method

Rather than trying to get ALL of the children in one shot, try grouping a few together at a time to get nice photos that really show their personalities.

Idea #2:  Lifestyle Photos

As I mentioned above, these are my favorites, and they are super popular right now!  Simply put, these are photos of your family living life.  They are candid shots that cannot be duplicated, thus making them signature pieces unique to your family.

Lifestyle photos are particularly beautiful done in black and white, and lend themselves to being used as “art” around your home.

Idea #3:  Take advantage of holidays and special outings

Typically, when we go out for field trips, vacations, or holidays, the kids are dressed in outfits that either match or are well put together (don’t ask me to do this any other day, please!)  Take advantage of those days!

You can use these special outings to capture a set of lifestyle-type photos or to do a more “formal” family photo.  The photo above was taken while on a field trip.  The weather was gorgeous, the lighting just right, and the kids looked presentable!

If you want to get in on the photo as well, ask someone nearby to use your camera to take the photo.  Set the camera up for them (when in doubt, set it to Auto) and ask them to take several shots so you have plenty to choose from.

This Easter, we asked my mom to take a photo of us in her living room after church.  My oldest daughter set the camera up, and handed it to Grandma.  No, it isn’t professional-grade, but it is all of us together!

Idea #4:  Take Individual photos

We have started taking individual photos of all the kids every year.  I feel like this really shows their growth and captures more of their personalities.

These can easily be put into a collage (more on that in a moment), or displayed separately.

Idea #5:  Raise a photographer

There is nothing better than having a photographer in the house!  All of our family memories are preserved on Megan’s external hard drive.  At the end of the year, we pay her to put them into an album to be printed through Walgreens or Mixbook.

The only downside to having a photographer in the family is that she’s not in a lot of the lifestyle type photos because she’s the one taking them!  The best thing to do in this case is either learn to use a timer so your child can jump in on the shots, or have her set the specs for the photo and then hand the camera off to you (as we did in the photo below!).

You can see more of her work here –> Diverse Reflections

How to display your large family photos

Idea #1:  Photo collage

This is something we started doing several years ago.  We would take individual photos of the children and then put them into an 8×10 collage on Walgreens‘ site or via PicMonkey.  I am even able to add in Emily’s photo, making it a collage of ALL of the children.  Daddy keeps one on his desk and we hand out the rest to grandparents.  They are reasonably priced either through Walgreens or by putting it together yourself and printing on your own photo paper at home.  It is also a very compact way to display your photos.

Idea #2:  Photo Wall, Shelf, or Frame

Another great way to display photos for a large family is via a photo wall or shelf.  I especially like this idea for lifestyle photos.  You can mix and match sizes, colors, and frames to create a very unique display that fits the decor of your home.  (Check out this post for more ideas on creating stunning photo walls.)

You can also purchase frames that create a photo wall effect for you.  For Christmas, my mother-in-law bought us a photo frame with plenty of spaces for individual photos.  Here are a couple of examples from Amazon:

You are able to get a lot of photos in a small space.  It is also easy to snap a photo with your phone to share with family and friends like I did on Instagram. (you can follow me here –> @amyraisingarrows)

These are my people! #2to1conf

A photo posted by Amy Roberts (@amyraisingarrows) on Apr 2, 2015 at 9:43pm PDT

Idea #3:  Flip Book or Album

I used to scrapbook, but I simply do not have the time anymore.  I’ve found it to be just as fun and rewarding for the family to have a flip book or family album to look at.  My daughter and I keep our photos catalogued and then at the end of the year, put the photos into an album created on Walgreens or Mixbook.  (I actually pay my daughter to put this together for our family since she is the one with most of the photos.)

A flip book is a great idea for grandparents or to keep in your diaper bag!

Idea #4:  Canvas Print

This is a really fun way to display your family photo!  If you get a good one (be sure the pixels are plenty big!), you can order a canvas print from Walgreens!  This makes for a great focal point for a room!

Hopefully, this gives you some ideas to get started with!  I also have some large family photography ideas on my Large Family Living board on Pinterest, if you’d like to peruse it!