York family photography - making your family photo a tradition
N O W P L A Y I N G : ‘Flemington’ by Tom Day // There’s something magic about family traditions, especially when they unfold naturally over time. For us, the one where we get our family photo started with my own frustration at always being the one behind the camera. I’ve talked about it a lot over on my Instagram and I know there are so many of us that feel it. Families are each made up in their own way, but it’s so important that everyone features (at least at some point!) in the family album. What started as a simple attempt to get everyone in front of the camera evolved into the ‘thing we now do,’ a visual record of our family’s growth, milestones, and let’s be frank, plenty of carnage along the way.
Whatever the origin of your family photography traditions, whether they’re born out of frustrations, attachments to a particular place, or you just fall upon them and then they become your ‘what you do now,’ here are some things to consider…
It can be about milestones, but it doesn’t have to be.
We all have different takes on what makes a milestone, but often they’re based around something changing. For us as a family, we don’t take photos on a strict schedule – who has time for that?! But we do try to remember to pull everyone together when life seems to shift—when the feeling that ‘something is changing’ sets in. It’s the kind of wave that’s hard to put into words, but we all know as it washes over us, or sometimes it completely knocks us sideways.
Finding Meaning in the Familiar.
The backdrop of our photos—our living room sofa—has remained consistent over time. The place and the method don’t really matter, but there is something key about having the same setting each time. It grounds the photos, a sort of visual anchor, adding context to how much everyone has grown.
For all of us, some of the photos are harder to look at. There’s the one above taken after we lost our family dog, Chief. His absence was so loud that our youngest ran off to grab a crocheted version of him that was sent to us by a close friend. He shouted ‘I’m going to find Chief so that the whole family can be in the photo’ and it was heavy with loss, but we won’t forget it. Even at five, Ted grasped the value of what we were doing.
It will always be worth it.
It’s not always an easy sell. Sometimes the kids are in it and it takes five minutes, but others, because life, it isn’t this at all. At times we’ve just abandoned ship and done it again another day. Now we’ve got the added chaos of a three month old puppy, it can be quite the effort. My best tip is to leg it away from the idea of perfection and lean into making sure you’re all in the picture. Do I love my eldest’s need to pout and make a peace sign whilst being head to toe in Nike? It’s not where I thought we were heading when he was a baby and I dressed him in lovely neutrals and cute leather shoes, but it’s where we are and I’ll take it. Sometimes a little pep talk can be helpful before – be honest about why it’s important, you might be surprised by how everyone buys in. Our most recent photo was triggered by the arrival of our new puppy. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of behind the scenes snaps that cover it – gnarled skirting boards, halved wires and a landscaped garden, but it’s also important to get us all in front of the camera at the start of his journey with us.
Go your own way.
So, here’s your reminder to create your own family photo tradition. Whether your pile on the sofa, head to the park or have a special holiday spot you always go back to, find a way to document it. The value isn’t in how it happens, it’s in making it happen - get those timers set, learn how to do remote shooting, or just ask someone to take it – life moves quickly, don’t miss the opportunity.
If you’d like me to come and make it a whole lot easier, then you can learn more about my family sessions below. I’m here for the chaos, let’s get you all in the picture.