How Often Should You Take Family Photos?

As a family photographer, this is a question I get asked frequently: “How often should you take family photos?” The answer isn’t one-size-fits-all and depends on several factors, including your family’s dynamics, life stages, and even personal preference. In this blog post, I’ll walk you through the different considerations that can help you decide how often to update your family portraits. Whether you’re a family with young children, a couple celebrating milestones, or an extended family gathering for a reunion, there’s a rhythm to capturing memories that can work perfectly for you.

Why Family Photos Are Important

Before diving into the specifics of how often you should schedule family photos, let’s talk about why these photos matter in the first place. Family photos are more than just images—they’re snapshots of moments in time that you can never get back. They capture the growth of your children, the changes in your family dynamics, and the love that binds you all together. In years to come, these photos will serve as a cherished record of your family’s journey.

The Ideal Frequency for Family Photos

While there isn’t a universal rule for how often you should take family photos, there are several guidelines you can consider based on different life stages and family dynamics.

1. Families with Young Children (Infants to Pre-Teens)

Young children grow quickly, and their appearances and personalities change so rapidly that many parents want to capture every stage. For families with infants, toddlers, or young children, I recommend scheduling family photos at least once a year. Here’s why:

Milestone Moments: The first year of a child’s life is filled with milestones—first smiles, first steps, first birthdays. Capturing these moments with professional photos ensures you’ll have high-quality images that you’ll treasure for a lifetime.
Annual Growth: As children grow, their personalities blossom. An annual family photo session captures these subtle and not-so-subtle changes year by year, creating a beautiful timeline of your child’s growth.
Holiday Cards: Many families like to send out holiday cards with updated photos. An annual family photo session makes it easy to have a fresh, beautiful image to share with friends and family.

2. Families with Older Children (Teens to Young Adults)

As children grow into teenagers and young adults, life gets busier. School events, extracurricular activities, and social lives can make it challenging to find time for family photos. However, this stage of life is also worth documenting, especially as teens mature and develop their own identities.

Every 1-2 Years: For families with older children, scheduling a photo session every 1-2 years strikes a good balance. This frequency allows you to capture significant changes and milestones—graduations, proms, or other important events.
High School Seniors: Don’t forget the importance of senior photos. This is a huge milestone in your child’s life, and scheduling a dedicated session to capture this achievement is a must.

3. Couples and Empty Nesters

Once your children have grown and left the nest, family photo sessions often shift to capturing the two of you as a couple. These photos can be just as meaningful, celebrating your enduring relationship and the life you’ve built together.

Every 2-3 Years: For couples, a professional photo session every 2-3 years is a great way to capture the subtle changes in your relationship and personal growth. Whether it’s an anniversary, a new home, or just a desire to document where you are in life, these sessions can be incredibly meaningful.
Milestone Anniversaries: If you’re celebrating a milestone anniversary—like your 25th, 30th, or even 50th—consider scheduling a special photo session to commemorate the occasion.

4. Extended Family Photos

Extended family photo sessions, which include grandparents, cousins, and multiple generations, are typically less frequent but just as important. These sessions can be challenging to coordinate, but the results are well worth the effort.

Every 3-5 Years: Given the logistics involved in gathering extended family members, a photo session every 3-5 years is a reasonable goal. These photos are often cherished by the older generations and serve as a lasting legacy for future ones.
Family Reunions: If your family gathers for a reunion, that’s the perfect time to schedule a photo session. These events are usually full of love, laughter, and shared memories, making them ideal for capturing the essence of your extended family.

Considerations for Scheduling Family Photos

When deciding how often to take family photos, there are a few additional factors to consider:

1. Life Events and Milestones

Life is full of significant events that merit professional photography. Whether it’s the birth of a new baby, a child’s graduation, or a special anniversary, these milestones are perfect opportunities to schedule a photo session. These photos will become cherished keepsakes that mark the chapters of your family’s story.

2. Changes in Family Dynamics

Families grow and change over time. Perhaps you’ve adopted a new pet, or maybe your family has expanded through marriage or the birth of a child. These changes in your family dynamics are worth capturing. Even if you had a family photo taken recently, a new addition to the family is a great reason to schedule another session.

3. Seasonality and Traditions

Many families have traditions tied to specific seasons—whether it’s summer vacations, fall foliage outings, or holiday celebrations. Scheduling family photos around these traditions can be a wonderful way to capture the spirit of your family’s unique rituals. Plus, different seasons offer varied backdrops that can add diversity to your family photo albums.

4. Budget Considerations

While regular family photos are important, they can also be an investment. It’s essential to find a frequency that works within your budget. If you’re unable to schedule annual sessions, consider doing them every other year or focusing on major milestones. You can also opt for mini-sessions, which are shorter and often more affordable, yet still offer beautiful results.

5. Photographer Availability

Once you’ve decided on a frequency, it’s important to consider your photographer’s availability. Many photographers book up months in advance, especially during peak seasons like spring and fall. Planning ahead and booking your sessions early ensures you’ll secure your preferred date and time.

The Emotional Value of Regular Family Photos

The emotional impact of family photos cannot be overstated. These images capture fleeting moments that, in the hustle and bustle of daily life, might otherwise be forgotten. As the years go by, these photos become a visual history of your family’s journey, reflecting the love, joy, and challenges you’ve experienced together.

Imagine flipping through an album 10, 20, or even 50 years from now. Each photo will bring back a flood of memories—who you were, where you were, and how you felt in that moment. Regularly updating your family photos ensures that every chapter of your family’s story is documented, from the early days of parenting to the golden years of grandparenthood.

For many families, these photos become heirlooms, passed down through generations. They’re not just pictures—they’re a legacy. By investing in regular family photos, you’re creating a treasure trove of memories that will be cherished by your children, grandchildren, and beyond.

Preserving and Displaying Your Family Photos

Once you’ve taken your family photos, the next step is deciding how to preserve and display them. Here are a few ideas:

1. Create a Family Photo Wall

A photo wall is a beautiful way to showcase your family’s journey. Choose a prominent wall in your home, and arrange your favorite photos in a gallery-style display. You can update the photos as you take new ones, keeping the display current while also honoring past moments.

2. Print a Yearly Photo Album

A yearly photo album is a wonderful way to compile all your favorite images from the year in one place. Many online services allow you to design custom photo books, which you can then order as high-quality prints. This becomes a cherished keepsake that you can look back on for years to come.

3. Digital Frames and Slideshows

If you prefer a more modern approach, consider using a digital photo frame that displays a rotating selection of your family photos. This way, you can enjoy your images every day without having to choose just a few to frame. Additionally, creating a digital slideshow that you can watch together as a family can be a fun way to relive memories.

4. Gift Photos to Loved Ones

Family photos make meaningful gifts for grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other loved ones. Consider printing a few of your favorite shots and framing them as holiday or birthday gifts. This not only shares your memories with those you care about but also keeps the tradition of family photos alive across generations.

Final Thoughts: Making Family Photos a Priority

In a world that moves faster every day, taking the time to pause and capture the moments that matter can feel like a luxury. But when you look back on those moments—whether next year or decades from now—you’ll realize that it was a luxury well worth indulging in.

Family photos are a powerful reminder of where you’ve been, who you are, and how far you’ve come. They’re a celebration of life’s milestones, big and small, and a testament to the love that binds your family together. So, as you consider how often to schedule family photos, remember that there’s no perfect formula—only what works best for your family.

Meet Kelly and Her Family

Finally, let me introduce you to Kelly and Mark and their beautiful family! I recently took photos of their clan, which includes Mark’s two daughters and granddaughters, at the Japanese Tea Garden. It has been about a year since their last photo session, and since they were coming down to visit the girls from their home in Alabama, it felt like a good time to schedule a session. And while we first had to cancel due to Covid (it’s really going around), we rescheduled for a Tuesday morning and had the gardens all to ourselves.

Enjoy the images, and I’ll have more photo adventures for you next week!

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If you found this article on ‘How Often Should You Take Family Photos?’useful, then check out my other family portrait articles here:

Are you interested in scheduling a family portrait in San Antonio? Drop me a line and let’s chat about how I can help you. I have hourly rates, and all photo shoots include editing and high-resolution files.

To view more images from my family photography portfolio, please visit my website – KellyWilliamsPhotographer.com