“Help! My husband hates family photos.”

How to help your husband understand the importance of taking family portraits, plus ways to make it enjoyable for him! Tips from an Oregon City family photographer

I’ve heard from many ladies some variation on this statement: “I’d love to get our family photos done, but my husband hates being in front of the camera.” If this is your situation, show him this post!

Your wife deserves to have photos with her children

While this is not always the case, moms often end up being the ones who take the time to document family life and the special moments that occur. However, that results in her absence from many photos of your family as they grow. Family portraits are potentially the only time a mom gets nice pictures with her children!

Having the opportunity to be a part of her family in photos that truly showcase her love for her family in a beautiful and flattering way can be priceless. Your participation in a 30 minute photo session will likely give her much joy whenever she sees her portraits for years and years to come. What a gift!

Does being in front of the camera feel like torture? It doesn’t have to be.

I know having portraits taken may not have historically occupied the territory of "making good memories" for you. However, let me tell you this.

It doesn’t have to be like that! I’m not going to ask you to awkwardly grin at the camera the entire time. Instead, I want you to love on your wife. Cuddle, tickle, and run around with your children. There’s no right way. Join them in their world, and play together with your family.

What if I told you that you could get amazing family portraits that delight you and your wife for years to come, and you don’t even have to look at the camera? Does it sound a little less torturous now? I hope so, because I know that if you decide to take this step of preserving your family memories, you will be so thankful you did.

Leave the discipline for later.

There is no need to keep your kids “in line” or to be saying “Get back here! Look at the camera! SMILE!” all of the time. If you are stressed about your kids being stressed, and they’re stressed about you being stressed, yeah, that won’t be fun.

But there’s an easy fix. Think of family portraits like a day at the park. Let your kids enjoy themselves, and you just might enjoy yourself too. Let them run free a little, and run free with them! Family photos are happier when you let the occasion be a playful, light, and easygoing one. It is all about the love, right? Yes! Let that love shine through.

Does it feel like a waste of money?

Let me ask you this. How much is it worth? Beautiful photos of your family: sparks that kindle happy memories from years past are a one-time opportunity. Your children will only be this little right now. Days go slowly but years go quickly. What is the price of a visual family legacy, of a narrative of your family history that you can show your grandchildren one day?

That being said, I understand that tight finances often leave little room for an investment like quality, heirloom portraiture and keepsakes. But I feel so strongly about the benefits of taking family portraits. If you can’t afford my prices, feel free to contact me and I will refer you to a photographer that is within your budget! I am able to offer a higher level of service, quality, and education, and I know not everyone is able to make that investment.

Portraits help your children’s self esteem.

It’s true! Studies have shown that children receive a boost in self esteem when their parents make the effort to document their love as a family by hanging portraits on the wall.

Having a visual presentation of your bond helps them solidify their sense of identity as an important member of the family and bolsters their sense of belonging.

Show them you love them and are proud to have them in your family!

Take charge of your family legacy!

Who are you as a family? Are you outdoorsy, gentle, tough, thoughtful, creative, fun-loving? Who are the people you work so hard for, day in and day out?

Maybe it’s time to take a moment and celebrate those you love, because one day, they will be all grown up with children of their own, perhaps. Now is the time to start creating your visual legacy with heirloom portraits! Give your grandchildren the gift of knowing who their family is!

Many photographers provide only digital images that most likely stay sitting on a drive somewhere, but I provide you with the ability to receive physical, tangible heirloom portraits and albums that will be passed down along each new family branch that springs to life.

Would you like to have something to show off after all of the years of family life, a record of how your family lived, loved, and grew together? It’s up to you!

It’s not about the performance, it's all about the love!!

Aquilina Larkins Olson

An Oregon City family photographer

Schedule a quick 30 minute call with me if you are interested in taking the initiative in creating your own family legacy!