When you imagine your family photoshoot, what are you doing in that picture? I think part of the hesitation around family photography comes from the idea that you will be posing for an hour and a half, worrying that the kids will go wild, your partner won’t feel comfortable, and you’ll end up with a gallery of fifty almost identical photos.
That is not how I work.
As a mum of two strong-willed girls, I learned very quickly that natural family photos happen when people are busy doing something together. Children especially tend to relax when they are playing, helping, exploring or concentrating on something instead of being constantly asked to look at the camera.
The best family photos are the opposite of what you get with the “say cheese” prompt. They have interaction, movement, connection and personality. As well as smiles that aren’t performative or polite – they are smiles of joy.
Why Activities Make Family Photos Feel More Natural
One of the biggest misconceptions about family photography is that you need to know how to pose. In reality, most families photograph best when they stop thinking about the camera altogether.
Activities give everyone something to focus on besides being photographed. Your children become less aware of the camera, your partner stops wondering what to do with their hands, and you stop trying to make everything look perfect. Dads often prefer to have something to do during the photoshoot. You can read more about why dads often dislike being photographed.
They also create natural variety in your gallery. Instead of fifty photos of everyone standing still and smiling, you end up with movement, conversation, laughter, cuddles and small moments that actually feel like your family.
And most importantly, you are spending an hour and half doing something you enjoy together, while I’m there to witness and record it. And children love having your undivided attention!
Some activities photograph better than others. Whether I’m there with you creating family photos for your album or if you’re taking photos yourself, these activities work best in my experience.
Cooking Together During a Family Photoshoot
Cooking is one of my favourite activities to photograph because everyone naturally falls into a role. Someone is stirring batter, someone is sneaking sweets from the bowl, someone is covered in flour.
The kitchen is often the heart of family life, which makes these images feel especially personal years later. Cooking also creates lots of movement and interaction without anyone needing to “perform” for the camera.
Simple things work beautifully:
- Baking cookies
- Making pancakes
- Decorating cupcakes
- Planning meals
- Making a fruit salad
Your favourite family recipes are best – because the photos will be personal and will hold precious memories.
Arts and Crafts Ideas for Family Photos
Arts and crafts are brilliant for younger children or quieter kids who need time to warm up. Drawing, painting, colouring or making things with playdough gives both children and adults a natural focus and helps you settle into the session.
These activities photograph beautifully because they create concentration, messy hands, little details and genuine expressions. You do not need a perfectly styled craft setup. Your photos are for you, and, likely, you are not a content creator. Sometimes just a pile of crayons on the kitchen table works best. Don’t be scared of making a mess too: paint, coloured bits of paper, scissors, glue, let your imagination guide you.
Here are some art and craft ideas that are easy to set up and look good in photos:
- Paper flowers
- Origami
- Vegetable stamps
- Painting on canvases
- Drawing together on a large sheet of paper (use a roll or an A2 sheet)
If you want an easy to follow guide, my girls love LOLA boxes, and if you have older children Canvas Club offers painting kits.
Board Games for Indoor Family Photos
Board games are a great option for indoor family photos, especially during colder months or rainy weather in Hampshire. The game itself is almost irrelevant – snakes and ladders, Monopoly, Ludo, card games, anything goes.
What matters is the interaction that happens around it. People laugh, tease each other, cuddle together and show a range of emotions while they play. Games that work well are usually simple and fast-paced, especially for younger children.
Outdoor Play for Relaxed Family Photos
Outdoor family photos work so well because children can move freely and the light is usually better than indoors. Running through the garden, climbing, kicking a ball, collecting sticks or blowing bubbles creates movement and energy that makes photos feel more relaxed.
Parents often worry that children moving constantly will ruin the photos, but the opposite is usually true. Children look happier and more like themselves when they move. And the camera can freeze movement. Outdoor play also helps sessions feel less formal, especially for dads or children who are not excited about being photographed.
Some ideas that work well:
- Tree climbing
- Chalk drawing
- Ball games
- Building something from sticks
- Looking for bugs
- Bubbles
The best way is to let the children lead and to be prepared to follow.
Gardening Activities for Beautifully Family Photos
Gardening works very well too. It creates calm, tactile moments that photograph beautifully. Watering plants, digging in the soil or picking tomatoes gives everyone something meaningful to do with their hands and adds interest to the photos.
These sessions often feel slower and quieter, which can work especially well for families who prefer a more relaxed atmosphere. Children are usually very eager to show what they are growing, which creates plentiful opportunities for me to capture their excited faces and little hands.
Gardening also creates lovely visual texture in photographs: muddy hands, watering cans, green leaves and little details that make the images feel lived-in and real. If you are a gardening family, this is an obvious choice.
You Do Not Need Pinterest-Perfect Family Photos
One thing I always tell families is that you do not need to plan elaborate activities for your photoshoot. Your photos are for you and for you only, not for content, not for likes, not for show. Ordinary things often photograph best because they are already part of your real life. They feel true.
Children do not care whether an activity is aesthetic. They care whether it feels fun, safe and familiar.
What If My Children Do Not Sit Still During Photos?
Honestly? Perfect. Children who move, explore and interact usually create the most natural photographs. So let your children be themselves, follow them around and let me worry about catching it. I will occasionally attract their attention to get images with them looking at the camera. A relaxed family photoshoot allows space for movement, play and personality.
Some of the strongest photographs happen in-between moments anyway: running off because they’ve spotted something, concentrating on a game, laughing at a random burp or climbing into a parent’s lap. Your children do not need to behave perfectly for beautiful family photos to happen. You want photos of your children, not a model shoot.
Relaxed Family Photography in Hampshire, Surrey And Berkshire
My approach to family photography is always centred around connection rather than going through a posing flow or staging a perfect portrait for my portfolio. I want your photos to feel like your family, not a performance of what family life is supposed to look like.
That means we keep things relaxed, flexible and child-led where needed. We use activities, movement and interaction to create photographs that feel natural and full of life.
What you wear also plays a role in how relaxed your photos feel, especially if you are sitting on the floor, cooking, playing outside or cuddling together. I’ve written a separate guide on choosing outfits for relaxed family photoshoots here: “What To Wear For a Family Photoshoot”.
