HOW TO LOOK NATURAL IN FAMILY PHOTOS
“Look natural!” might be one of the quickest ways to make someone suddenly forget how to act natural. 😂
If you feel a little awkward in front of a camera, you are absolutely not alone. Most of the families I photograph aren't professional models—and I don't expect you to show up knowing what to do with your hands, where to look, or how to perfectly pose everyone.
That's my job.
The goal isn't to make your family look perfectly posed. I want your photographs to actually feel like your family—the laughter, movement, snuggles, personalities, chaos, and all the little interactions that happen naturally between you.
Here are five things I tell families to help make their session feel relaxed and create photographs that don't feel stiff or forced.
1. LET GO OF EXPECTATIONS
One of the easiest ways to take the pressure off your family session is to let go of the idea of creating one specific “perfect” photograph.
Kids might not smile exactly when we ask them to. Someone might need a snack break. Hair will blow in the wind. Your toddler may decide running away from us is significantly more interesting than taking pictures.
That's okay.
Sometimes the photograph you end up loving most isn't the perfectly posed one you imagined beforehand. It's the one where everyone is laughing because something completely unexpected happened.
Relax, have fun, and let the session unfold.
2. WHY SO SERIOUS?
Be silly. Play. Laugh. Chase the kids. Pick somebody up. Dance terribly. Tell an inside joke.
Some of the most natural family photographs happen when you temporarily forget there's a camera pointed at you.
I’ll give you direction when you need it, but instead of holding everyone in one stiff pose, I love creating situations that give your family something to do together. That's where those candid, personality-filled moments come from.
3. DON'T WORRY ABOUT EVERYONE ELSE
This is a big one—especially for parents.
You don't need to spend the entire session checking whether everyone else is smiling, looking at the camera, fixing their clothes, or behaving perfectly.
Let me worry about that.
Stay present with your family. Snuggle your kids. Look at your partner. Laugh when something ridiculous happens.
When everyone is focused on correcting one another, that's when photographs can start feeling stiff. When you're focused on each other, we get connection.
4. KEEP IT MOVING
Movement is one of my favorite ways to create natural family photographs.
Walk together. Swing the kids. Run down the beach. Dance. Give piggyback rides. Let the little ones explore for a minute.
You don't have to stand perfectly still to get a beautiful photograph.
In fact, the moments between the traditional photographs are often some of my favorites.
5. REMEMBER TO BREATHE
It sounds ridiculously simple, but it's easy to forget when you're suddenly standing in front of a camera.
Drop your shoulders. Take a breath. You don't have to perform.
A family photography session should feel like spending time together—not an hour-long test where everyone has to behave perfectly.
And if things get chaotic? That's family life. We'll work with it. ♡
YOUR FAMILY DOESN'T NEED TO KNOW HOW TO POSE
You don't need modeling experience or perfectly behaved kids to have photographs you love.
My job as your photographer is to guide you when you need direction and then give your family enough space for the real moments to happen.
Whether we're photographing your family along Lake Michigan, at the Silver Lake Sand Dunes, in Ludington, or somewhere completely different, I want you to walk away remembering the experience—not just the photographs.
Years from now, these images should remind you what this season of your family actually felt like.
So show up, love on your people, and leave the rest to me. ♡
Click here Plan Your Family Session
