Family Pictures. A little bit of fun, a whole lot of dysfunction.

I’ve talked before about how important I think pictures are. Especially professional pictures. As our kids grow, pictures are the greatest memories we have! And I think we can all agree with that. But something else I think we can all agree on, how ridiculously daunting it can be before and during the photo shoot!

First off, picking out outfits and making sure everyone looks good is a JOB! Okay, maybe just for me because I’m not very good at it. But, seriously, it’s hard work to find outfits that match, but aren’t too matchy, for even 2 people, let alone a family of 6! Pinterest only has so many ideas! “What color scheme are we going with? What are we going to do with your hair? Do we all have shoes?” It gives me anxiety just thinking about it! Luckily, my cousin helps dress my family, but still. If you’re anything like me, and especially if you pay good money for pictures, you want them to be perfect! And not to mention, making sure nobody has any visible cuts or bruises! And don’t those kids dare let me see them cry! No red eyes for you! “Oh you want to cry? GET OUT OF THE PICTURES, YOU’RE NO LONGER IN THIS FAMILY!” KIDDING.. Geez people, I’m not that terrible! I would never say that to my children just to get a good picture!

Speaking of perfect, who else’s sweet little angel babes act like little devils during the session? This year, my son was just being a jerk. Ya, I know, he’s 2. But COME ON, DUDE! This is one of the best shots from our session this year. Why do I love it so much? Because it captures a story. The story of my son being an ass!

It never fails, there is always someone in a bad mood during pictures. And I’m not afraid to admit that sometimes that someone is me! Usually during our family session, Miguel and I get a few of just us. I won’t say how many times, but I can remember being told to “act like you love each other!” when all I wanted to do was punch him in the face! Thankfully, I’m a good actor! Or our photographer is just REALLY good at her job. Let’s go with both! Either way, it’s kind of exhausting faking it! I bet you couldn’t guess which picture below was a less than enthused couple! Damn, we’re good!

3 years ago, during our holiday/newborn session, my then 2 year old, Marley, was less than thrilled to be getting pictures taken. Not sure if it’s because she was also just being 2 or if she realized that her brother was staying for good and she couldn’t get rid of him! She has the cutest little smile, but you’d never know it from those pictures! I just remember seeing red during that session. I think we bribed them with anything and everything we could think of! Still, no smiles from Marley. And yet, totally adorable!

Yes, I love the pictures that we are all smiling nicely and look like we have it all together (HA!) But some of my absolute favorites are the candid or goofy pictures that show our true personalities!

Let’s face it. If you’re a family that likes to get professional pictures taken, you want them to be perfect! From the outfits, to the smiles, if you’re paying for them, you expect the best from your family. Or, you can just hire a really good photographer and none of that will really matter. Maybe they will catch all the chaos. Maybe your outfit choices weren’t the best. But in the end, all you will see is love!

But if you want a little advice for your next family photo shoot, just lower your expectations for the entire family and you will be much happier!

All professional pictures on this post were courtesy of Rikki Renee Photography & Jen Creque Photography in Toledo, Oh.