It is no surprise that 2020 is a year to remember but that doesn’t mean that you should skip your annual Family Pictures! In such an unprecedented time I found myself wanting new and updated family photos even more this year. True family photos, not just random pictures taken with a cell phone at the last family BBQ, are a true treasure.
Why Family Pictures Are Important
I am super excited to share my 2020 family pictures with you all. 2020 brought a lot of changes for my family, some hard and unexpected and others rewarding and exciting. No matter what 2020 looked like, once you saw the photos on my parents wall you knew our family photos were way overdue!
The last time I had pictures taken with my mom, dad, and brother’s family Teagan was just one month old!! Such a peanut in those photos and while we all really love those pictures, we knew it was time for an update. My brother and I decided that we would set up a portrait session with a local photographer for my mom and dad’s Christmas gift. We really lucked out as the weather was perfect for our session but the rates of the virus were also not terrible so we were not on lockdown.
2020 Family Pictures
One For The Memory Books
Okay, I hope you laugh at the photo of us in our matching masks. While this is not a photo that any of us will hang in our homes, it was a great photo to keep for years from now. Do you remember when?? SMILE!! Please tell me I am not the only one who still says this when the kids are wearing masks!!
Jude and Teagan have a newer relationship with the cousins, that I am so excited to see grow. These photos mean a lot to me for many reasons but most importantly they mean I have pictures with my mom and dad and their grandkids! My mom will tell anyone that she HATES pictures so this was completely out of her comfort zone but she survived and the end result was perfect!
Memories – Mommy & Me!
My “little family” has been getting annual family pictures for years so I made sure to continue that tradition with having pictures taken of us, the kiddos individually, together and me with each kid. I am really blessed with two kiddos who really do not mind getting dressed up and smiling for the camera.
I love the “mommy and me” style photos and make sure I get at least one photo with just me and the kids individually. I hope that as they grow older they will cherish the photos we have together.
Extended Family Photos
This was the part of the day that just really made me happy. Seeing the grandkids with my parents and just seeing the kids have fun together. Cousins are so important and over the last few years, my kids and my brother’s kids have missed out on these moments and now we are reclaiming them. I am not sure that we will need to do extended family photos every year but it sure is great seeing the personalities of these growing people through the camera lens.
Like I said before, my mom HATES taking pictures but some of my very favorite photos are of my parents. Look, the pictures of my kids are amazing and I love them dearly but that picture of me with my parents pretty much sums up the last 18 months of my life. Mom on one side of me, Dad on the other. My rocks. And the photo of my brother, my parents and me bring me back to childhood. Our family…ever changing and yet still the same.
Reasons Why Family Pictures Are Important
1. Document Change/Growth – people change, family change, we all get older! Maybe you added more people to your family or others have left the family unit. No matter the changes, it is important to document these in photos. Not to mention, those kiddos sure do grow up overnight! Looking back on the past is even more fun and memorable with photos to document what was happening in that time period.
2. LIFE! – I believe that a situation like the pandemic is the perfect example for why family pictures are important. The pandemic took us from our families while we hunkered down and unfortunately some families even lost loved ones. You never know what tomorrow will bring, do not wait to take those pictures. The faces and smiles in your family pictures will be cherished.
3. Enjoy The Memories – sure the photos are beautiful but they also help us remember things that happened that year or even during the photo shoot. Ask the photographer for some candid photos too. Kids running and playing – sure they might not be the photos you print out but they are the photos that will bring a smile to your face. Oh and mask up for one this year – MEMORIES!!
4. YOU! Hey moms…think about how many pictures you take of EVERYONE else. Do you have many photos of you and your kids or of you and your family? Probably not. Having someone else take these photos allow you to be in front of the camera!
Clearly, I am a family photo lover and that is not going to change anytime soon! So, if you are part of my family, you better just get used to it and SMILE!
Were you able to get your family pictures done in 2020?
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