One of the most common things I hear from families is, "We haven't updated our family photos in years."
Life gets busy. Before long, the portraits hanging on the wall no longer reflect the family sitting around the dinner table. When families begin planning a portrait session with me, I encourage them to think about something many photographers never ask:
Where will these portraits live once the session is over?
It may seem like an unusual question before we've even taken a single photograph, but the answer often shapes the entire experience.
Start With Your Home
Your family photographs should feel like they belong in your home. They should reflect the people who live there and the spaces where memories are made every day. Before your session, take a walk through your home and look at your walls with fresh eyes.
Is there a large space above the sofa?
A hallway that feels unfinished?
A staircase wall that could tell your family's story?
Maybe there is a spot in your beach house that reminds you why your family returns to the Crystal Coast year after year. These spaces often become the perfect home for family artwork.
Your Session Can Be Planned Around Your Goals
When I know how you hope to enjoy your portraits, I can make recommendations that fit your family and your home. For example, a family planning a large statement piece above the fireplace may need a different image than a family creating a gallery wall with several smaller portraits. A high school senior's portrait may be displayed in a family room now and later become part of their first apartment or future home. Thinking about the finished artwork before the session helps us create photographs with purpose.
Most families have thousands of images stored on their phones but very few of those images become part of daily life. The portraits displayed in your home are different and become part of your family's story. You see them while carrying laundry down the hall. Your children pass them every day on the way to school. Grandparents notice them when they visit. Years later, those portraits often become some of the most meaningful things a family owns.
Send Photos of Your Space
One of my favorite parts of the planning process is helping families visualize their portraits before they place an order. If there is a wall or space you're considering, simply take a quick photograph with your phone and send it to me. Using design software, I can show you how different portrait sizes and arrangements may look in your actual home. Many families are surprised to learn that the size they originally imagined is often much smaller than what their space needs. Seeing artwork to scale removes the guesswork and helps you make decisions with confidence.
A family session lasts about around hour but the photographs created during that session can be enjoyed for decades. That is why I encourage families to think beyond the digital files and start imagining how they want to experience these memories every day. Whether you're updating family portraits with your teenagers, celebrating a senior year, or documenting a season that feels like it's moving too quickly, the goal is not simply to create beautiful images. The goal is to create artwork that reminds you of the people you love most.
Before your next family session, take a look around your home.You may already know exactly where your next favorite portrait belongs.
