11 Creative Family Photo Ideas to Liven up Your Timeline

 Whether there’s a new addition to the family, an exciting event, or a holiday, capturing beautiful family photos should be at the top of your to-do list.

Although it can be overwhelming to try and squeeze them in if you’re the family or to try new poses if you’re the photographer, these family photo poses will have you smiling for years to come!

Keep reading to discover 11 of the most unique family photo ideas. 

1. Piggy Back Rides

It’s something that happens so often in the everyday lives of families but that is very rarely captured! Piggyback rides are ever so sweet and are really a great way to get the whole family warmed up for the rest of the photoshoot. 

2. Airplane

While posed photos are nice, candid shots can really capture the essence of a family. Have mom or dad lay on their backs holding their child up with their feet and hands in the traditionally fun airplane mode!

This type of shot is a great way to get kids to warm up to you through giggles and a bit of adrenaline as they experience flying.

3. Ring Around the Rosie

If you’re working with camera-shy kids, try having them play a game. Something as simple as ring around the Rosie can liven everyone up. Adding a bit of movement in the shots will add an entirely new life to them as well.

4. Story Time

For a quiet moment, have the parents read sit on the bed and read a book with their little one. You can have everyone lay on their stomachs on the bed while reading and shoot straight on, or have the parents sit on the floor with the kids lay on their stomachs on the bed. 

These precious moments are especially beautiful when converted into black and white for a memory that really will be cherished for years to come. 

5. Caught in the Moment

If the house that you’re shooting in has an overlook from the floor above, try having the family sit down to read a book or play a board game. This type of action shot can really capture the beauty of the family as they engage together. 

6. Cooking Together

For a unique in-home shoot, have everyone head to the kitchen and make a batch of cookies. This is the perfect opportunity to capture those moments parents will someday miss, like little hands sneaking up to taste some cookie dough or licking the spoon and getting chocolate on the nose. 

Shoot from both the child and the adult’s perspectives and don’t be afraid to tell everyone to get messy! Nothing is quite as cute as a little one all floured up. Just make sure that it’s the last shot of the day.

7. Favorite Toys

Have the parents bring their kid’s favorite toys. Start your shoot off with standard family shots and when a bit of extra encouragement is needed or you’re ready for some more candid shots, bring the toy out. You can shoot only the kid and their toy and then bring in other family members for some magical shots.

8. Jumping on the Bed

For a home shoot, nothing is quite as fun as being told to jump on the bed! The kids will love the chance to get crazy and you’re sure to get some truly beautiful shots. Make sure to have a high shutter speed so there aren’t any blurry toes and so that you can truly capture those precious “in the moment” shots. 

9. Lights at Night

After the sun sets, get the family outside and wrap everyone together in Christmas lights. Make sure to wrap the lights around necks and all the way down to the feet so that no bodyparts disappear in the dark. This will inevitably elicit some giggles from the family so not only will you have a unique shot, but you’ll have some genuine smiles as well. 

10. Bring the Pets

Adding the family pets to the shoot is a perfect way to create memories that will last a lifetime. From puppies and kittens to lizards and snakes, family photos are never as unique as when you bring in the furry or reptilian family members. 

11. Kids’ Perspective

Try shooting from the perspective of the kids. Have the parents stand facing each other while the kids peek between the legs. Get down on the ground with the kids and shoot straight on. 

Bonus: Play With Silhouettes and Shadows

Another fun idea is to play with silhouettes and shadows. When sunset rolls around, have the family stand directly in front of the setting sun so that an outline is created. You can do very sweet kissing and hugging photos with closeups as lips touch foreheads, or you can have a bit more fun and have dad swing the kids around or have them sitting on his shoulders. 

You can also try playing with the shadows. This will be most successful when the sun is high in the sky and you have beautifully long shadows. Similarly to the silhouettes, you’ll have the most success with people holding hands but standing relatively far apart so that you can still see each individual. 

Create a Photobook

Now that you have so many incredible and unique shots, combine them all into a photobook so that the family can have these memories at your fingertips forever.

There are plenty of software options to design beautiful photobooks. Some work in conjunction with Lightroom and others you will need to learn how to select multiple photos on Mac or PC to drag in your desired shots. 

Keep Learning Family Photo Ideas

Now that you have some creative family photo ideas up your sleeve, keep reading to learn more!

From photographing siblings to styling kids for shoots, we’ve got it all.