25 Formal & Lifestyle Family Pictures Ideas

You can implement this simple idea either in your house, at a studio, or outdoors by preparing the location in advance. If you’re going to organize the photoshoot in your home, think about where you’ll want everyone to pose, what angles you’d like to shoot from, and how to ensure no unwanted objects get into the photo.

Make the baby laugh by tickling them or playing their favorite game and take advantage of that moment to snap a couple of photos of the pure emotions your child puts on display. For example, you can implement this idea during a walk. If you’re realizing fall photo ideas, pick a location that has plenty of colorful leaves.

Take a couple of photos from the back while capturing the moment the parents are hugging or kissing. The child can be left facing the camera or placed in the foreground or the background.

Place the child in the foreground and have the parents stand in the background. To blur the backdrop, employ the aperture priority mode. Pick the widest available setting offered by the camera, be it f/1.4, f/1.8, f/2.8, or f/4.

Set a higher focal length. An 85mm lens is the perfect lens for traditional portrait photos, as it excels at adding a visually appealing background blur. The longer the focal length you’ll use, the more impactful the blur.

If you want to make the colors in your floral photos brighter, dedicate some time to image post processing or entrust it to experts at WeEdit.Photos who will perform white balance adjustments, enhance the contrast, tweak the exposure, and make all other necessary changes to ensure your family photos look perfect.

The perfect location for such spring photoshoot ideas is the Carlsbad Ranch in San Diego, California since it has amazingly beautiful ranunculus flowers.

Alternatively, the Purple Haze farm in Washington can entice you with immense fields of lavender that bloom during the entire summer and into the fall. Another option is New Jersey’s Liberty Farm which has a field of sunflowers, which bloom at the start of autumn.

Take photos of the warm hugs, kisses, and love-filled glances shared by the family members. Mom and son photoshoot ideas that incorporate such tender moments are perfect for photoshoots dedicated to anniversaries, birthdays, and other important events.

There’s an endless number of family picture ideas that involve hands posed in different ways, be it holding a bouquet, or sensually draped around another family member. Such photos are usually taken in front of a minimalistic, neutral background while relying on bright lights to emphasize the shape and texture of the hands.

Some family photographers prefer to employ dramatic lighting effects to achieve an even more contrasting look. For instance, you can focus most of the light in one part of the scene while leaving other areas “in the dark”.

A casual walk that involves the entire family offers a fantastic opportunity for taking some candid photos. Possible destinations involve the closest park or forest, or a beautiful empty street.

If you want to achieve the best results, schedule the photo shoot during the golden hour. You can get help choosing the optimal time for the shoot by using an app like Photo Ephemeris, PhotoPills, or GoldenHour.One.

Family pictures ideas that focus on everyone gathered around a campfire can help you take loads of candid photos that show how all family members enjoy spending time with each other. You can take photos of someone telling ghost stories, cooking marshmallows, everyone singing together, or just looking at the fire.
If you don’t want to go through the hassle of building a campfire, you can simply snap a couple of shots at a picnic.

You can implement this idea by having everyone stand in one line or multiple rows, with taller family members standing behind the shorter ones and the kids sitting in front of them. If you want the photo to be more creative, you can seat everyone around a table and involve them in some activity.

Your best chance to take some classic family photos with little kids is at the very start of the photoshoot when they are still behaving properly and are willing to listen to what you have to say. Once the standard family portrait shots are out of the way, pay special attention to candid moments: hugs, smiles, and games.

There’s no limit to the number of locations you can visit to take family photos, be it a park, a local landmark, or some interesting places in your neighborhood.

You can also try standing in a crowded intersection or street corner while having some beautiful buildings or the city skyline in the background. If your family is up to the task, you can even consider visiting the top of a skyscraper to take some truly epic shots.

Take your family to the beach to implement a couple of beach photoshoot ideas. Once the sun is inside the shot, it becomes a lot harder to get the exposure right so always be conscious of this factor.
Either take the photos when the sun is partially or entirely behind a cloud or wait until the golden hour and the sun gives out a softer warm light.

A classic family portrait picture is an essential inclusion in any family photo album. Consider dressing everyone in coordinating outfits that don’t have any prints or busy patterns and choose a softly lit environment as the background, be it a rustic barn or a vintage vehicle.

Another approach is to take a more playful photo, with everyone wearing mismatched outfits and holding props that highlight their personality.

You can play basketball, badminton, football, run, or swim as a family while using appropriate props or wearing relevant attire. If you have a little kid, take some photos of them playing catch while older children can run the bases.

Once all the other preparations are done, venture to the closest amusement park and gather the entire family in front of a carousel. Take candid photos of everyone having fun before, during, and after the ride. If you don’t have a carousel in the area, a Ferris wheel or fun landmark can act as your backdrop.

Family photoshoot ideas like this one require a sunny day and everyone being dressed in regular clothing while riding their bicycles around the suburbs, a park, or the city streets. You’re bound to receive engaging, fun photos regardless of whether the family is riding through a country road or a downtown street with beautiful buildings in the background.

You can take such a photo when visiting a farm, a local field, or a regular barn. Wear clothes that match the season and use some appropriate props like blankets, baskets of apples, or pumpkins.

It would also be great if you could get a horse or a cow in the shot. Ask the family to climb, sit or stand on top of the hay bales and consider capturing the broader background behind them if it looks beautiful enough.

This idea is perfect for creating some magical moments between family members. Have everyone dressed in white or bright outfits and stand in poses that make it look like you’re floating.

Alternatively, everyone can stand in a circle and lift each other into the air. Another idea is having everyone stand on top of something while you take the photos from below.

During post-processing, you can use Adobe Photoshop to create a floating effect with the help of fabric or balloons. This software lets you blur or replace the background, add or remove objects, and merge multiple shots. Otherwise, you may ask photo manipulation services for help.

The winter holidays are perfect for organizing family photoshoots. You can invite everyone to sit around the Christmas tree while you snap memorable pictures. If you’re interested in outdoor Christmas photo shoot ideas, head down to your local park or downtown street that has a lot of festive decorations.

A pool can be a fantastic location for trying out various creative large family photo ideas. All you need to do is dress everyone in bright swimsuits and have them play around while you start capturing all the fun, candid moments, as they laugh, swim, sunbathe, etc.

Reflections are always a great tool for making photos more interesting, which is why you should consider having the family pose near a lake or a river. Ask everyone to look into the water and smile while the sun is slowly hiding behind the horizon, coloring the sky in a mesmerizing hue.

A B&W generational portrait photo represents a fantastic tool for commemorating your family. Invite everyone to the photo shoot, and take a picture of every family member standing sideways and looking in the same direction.

Afterward, you combine all the photos during the image post-processing stage to put together a family tree that goes from the youngest to the eldest relative.

Baking is the perfect subject for different at home family photoshoot ideas that you can try. Have everyone put on chef’s hats, aprons, and oven mitts while using different cooking props that will make the photos more thematic.

You can use a white or plain-colored wall as the background while also including different pastries and ovens in the shot. Once you’re done with the photo shoot, you get the bonus of enjoying all the sweets you’ve made.

The implementation of such an idea requires establishing sufficient backlighting that is placed directly behind the family members while you take photos of a dark outline against a bright backdrop.

If you’re organizing an outdoor photoshoot, schedule it when the sun is close to the horizon, hence why silhouette photos are usually taken at sunset or sunrise. The key here is to avoid overlapping subjects to ensure family members don’t obstruct each other since the photo will only show the combined outline so each figure has to be visible clearly.