Summer Family Photos Tips & Tricks

Every single summer I try to take photos as a family, whether that’s for birthdays (we have quite a few in June and July) or Father’s Day. I just love to get updated pictures as these kids are growing so quickly! I actually really enjoy coordinating outfits so I wanted to give you guys a few tips on how I get organized for family photos in the summer!

Choosing a Photographer

As doable as it may be to get a tripod and take family photos yourself, I strongly recommend hiring a photographer. This makes the entire process 10 times easier for many obvious reasons. For instance, you won’t have to edit anything or set anything up, it saves so much time and energy on your part and you get to just enjoy quality time with your family during the process.

Finding the right photographer is also very important. We’ve known our photographer for years, but for those who are searching for a new photographer, make sure to check their website, instagram, etc. to see if their style fits what you’re looking for.

I would also recommend having some sort of conversation via phone call, Zoom or even in person to make sure you guys work well together. The better you get along with your photographer, the more natural and comfortable it feels they day of the photoshoot. It’s so much easier getting photos done by someone you’re comfortable with than by someone you feel awkward around. Believe me, you’ll be able to see it in the photos.

Location, Wardrobe & Timing

Once you have your photographer, the next things to consider are where you will shoot, what you want to wear and when you’ll shoot.

Timing is pretty easy. One of the best times to take photos is golden hour. Golden hour occurs a few hours after sunrise and a couple hours before sunset. It always makes for such beautiful lighting in your photos.

As for location, you can honestly shoot anywhere. I typically like to find places not too far from home that don’t have anything distracting happening around it and will make for a picturesque backdrop. For example, these pictures were literally taken a few minutes down the road from our house in an area with a bunch of trees and greenery. So easy and made for great photos!

When it comes to wardrobe there are a couple things I take into consideration. Comfortability, the season we’re currently in, and cohesiveness. I want everyone to feel as free and comfortable as they can. You don’t have to dress in fancy dresses or a suit and tie. It was so hot this day, too, so I knew we needed shorts, short sleeves and maybe some dresses. The more comfortable you are the better time you’ll have.

Next, I pay attention to the season both for comfort like I previously mentioned, but also for color schemes and styles. I would never style my family in these clothes if we were doing this in the winter, but since it’s summer I went with warm, neutral tones. Honestly, 10 out of 10 times earth tones are the best for photoshoots. It makes it so you stay the focus of the shoot and not your clothes.

Lastly, you want everything to be cohesive. I usually start with one outfit and then try to match everything from there. I also hardly ever put someone in the same exact outfit as another person. Especially as my kids get older, they are so different and have such unique styles I always want that to show.

Have Fun With It

When taking the photos just have fun with it! We’re often taught to pose and “say cheese”, but this is the exact opposite of what you want to do. You want your natural joy to come through and this comes from simply laughing and talking with your family. Trust your photographer to put you in flattering positions, but beyond that, just treat this as quality time with your family. Joke, laugh, stick out your tongue like Judah in the picture below. Don’t worry about posing. Relax and have fun with your family!

The more my kids grow, the happier I am that we take time to do photoshoots as least once a year. Time seems to go by faster and faster every year and I’m so lucky to have photos like these to look back on.

I hope this helped give you some ideas for your next photoshoot. If you’d like to shop any of our outfits as well, you can simply click on the icons below for similar looks.