After five years, I would say we have had our fair share of family portraits done, as with photos of the girls as they are growing. Here are some tips I have learned along the way.

Timing is important

Choose a day and time that does not interfere with naps, feeding time, or holiday’s. The last thing you need is for the kids to be screaming, crying, or tired while trying to get family photos done.

Dress Accordingly

It is an absolute must that you try and dress similar. Either matching colors, or in the same color family. For instance, here is our family photo from 2009, right after Kendall was born. We had this done at JCPenney Studios. You can see we are all wearing white shirts with a black backdrop.

You can see here in this photo, that the parents are wearing white shirts and the kids are all wearing pink. I love this idea and may have to use it for our next session. If it’s a for a holiday card, think doing colors that fit that theme.

photo credit – jcpstudios.com

Be Open to Advice

Going into a session, you may have high expectations or want to only do certain posses or backdrops, but honestly the professionals do this every day. They have a great understanding of what will and wont work for your family. Be open to suggestions from them.

Use Props

Does your child have his or her favorite stuffed animal or blanket? Maybe your taking photos to celebrate their birthday? Get creative and use props in your photos.

photo credit – jcpstudios.com

Family portraits are so important to me and my family. It lets us visualize and reminisce about that moment in our past. Even with each new child, we have made sure to keep and treasure the older family photos.

Is taking photos important to you and your family?

Right now you can take advantage of jcpportraits’ April promotion of $20 for 6 traditional portrait sheets (mix and match size and images) as well as one free $9 sitting fee.

If you’re not sure if there is a location near you, you can check here at jcpportraits.com

I’m already planning for our next photo session with some of these great photo ideas in my Inspiration with jcpportraits Pinterest Board.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of jcpenney Portrait Studio. I received a promotional item as a thanks for my participation.