Capturing moments with family has become more important than ever. Our lives are fast-paced, filled with endless tasks and responsibilities. A family photo shoot offers a special chance to pause and focus on each other. It captures love, laughter, and the strong bonds that unite us. These photos become cherished memories, keeping these moments alive for years.
So, what makes a photo shoot of your family unique? Let’s explore the reasons why this experience is a meaningful way to celebrate family.
Why Do a Family Photo Shoot?
A family photo shoot brings everyone together. It lets you enjoy each other’s company without interruptions. For a brief time, you can forget work, school, and the never-ending to-do list. You’re in the moment, sharing smiles and warm embraces. A skilled photographer will capture these real connections.
These photos don’t just serve as personal memories. They’re treasures that future generations can admire and enjoy. They tell your family’s unique story and show how much love you have for one another.
What Happens During the Session?
Many people feel nervous about a photo shoot. But family photography doesn’t have to feel stiff or posed. Today, photographers aim to keep things relaxed. This approach captures your family’s true spirit—playful, loving, or a little silly.
Photographers often suggest familiar places, like a favourite park or your home. This makes everyone feel at ease, helping the photos look more genuine. You’ll spend time laughing, playing, and interacting with each other. The photographer’s goal is to help you feel comfortable, so the photos look natural.
Choosing the Right Photographer
Choosing the right photographer for a photo shoot makes a big difference. You want someone who can help everyone feel at ease and bring out each person’s personality. Look for photographers with experience working with families, especially if you have young children.
Check out the photographer’s portfolio before you decide. Look for photos that capture true smiles and genuine warmth. You’ll know when you’ve found the right match because their photos will feel alive and full of joy.
What to Wear
Choosing outfits for a photo shoot can feel challenging, but it doesn’t have to be. Select colours that blend well without being too similar. Neutrals and soft colours often look fantastic on camera.
Comfort is key. Pick clothes that let everyone move and play freely. If you’re unsure, your photographer may have some suggestions that fit their style and the chosen setting.
Relax and Be Yourself
One of the best tips for a family photo shoot is simple: be yourself. The best photos capture real emotions. Whether it’s a sudden laugh, a gentle hug, or a playful moment, these images become precious memories.
Don’t focus on perfection. Embrace who you are as a family. Enjoy your time together, and don’t worry about every little detail. Relax and have fun. Your photographer will handle the rest.
Creating Lasting Memories
The session might be over, but the magic continues when you see the photos for the first time. These images hold moments in time, showing your family’s love in a way that’s hard to put into words.
Printing these photos lets you keep them close. A framed picture on the wall, an album on the coffee table, or a small print on a desk adds warmth to your home. Every glance at these photos reminds you of your family’s love and joy.
Tips for a Smooth Photo Shoot
Planning makes the experience enjoyable. Here are a few simple tips to keep things easy and fun:
- Avoid scheduling when kids or adults might be tired or hungry. This helps keep everyone in a good mood.
- A special toy, blanket, or even a pet can add personal touches to the photos.
- Let expressions happen naturally. Kids often respond best when they don’t feel pressured.
Sometimes, the best photos happen when things don’t go as planned.
Wrapping Up
A Family Photography isn’t just time in front of a camera. It’s an experience, a celebration of family love, and a chance to freeze time, even if just for a moment. Whether you choose to do it every year or once in a lifetime, this is one experience you’ll never regret.
At Photo by Twelfth Night, we specialise in capturing these precious family moments. Our team ensures you feel comfortable and natural, letting us create photos that truly reflect your family’s unique spirit.
For more information or to discuss enrollment, please reach out via email at
hello@photobytwelfthnight.com.au or contact us at
0493 964 238.
Let’s be honest — Perth is stunning. With golden beaches, wild bushland, heritage buildings, vineyards, and sunsets that light up the sky in fire… it’s no surprise that we’ve become a magnet for dreamy wedding photos. But with so many weddings happening across this sun-soaked city, it’s also easy to fall into the trap of repetition — the same poses, same places, same Pinterest boards.
So, how do you avoid cliché and create timeless, personal wedding images that truly reflect your couple’s story?
1. Don’t Just Rely on “The Spot”
Yes, we all love that Cottesloe jetty kiss, the Kings Park lookouts, and the vines at Sandalford. But if we all shoot there the same way every weekend, it becomes less about the couple and more about ticking a box.
Instead:
Find a fresh angle even in familiar locations. Shoot through leaves, use reflections, focus on textures. Better yet, discover pockets of Perth that feel meaningful to the couple — a street they walk together, their first-date cafe, or the exact beach where they got engaged.
2. Forget “Pinterest Pose #3”
The classic “bride looking back with bouquet”, or “groom lifting bride like a feather”… they’ve had their moment. These setups often make couples feel like they’re playing roles instead of being themselves.
Instead:
Prompt, don’t pose. Ask them to whisper their first impression of each other. Get them to walk like they’re sneaking out of their own wedding. Laughter, stillness, real connection — those moments are anything but cliché.
3. Let the Light Lead You
We get spoiled in Perth with insane natural light, but golden hour isn’t a free pass to shoot autopilot. Same angle, same filters, same glow — and suddenly everyone’s gallery feels like a stock photo ad.
Instead:
Train your eye to chase what feels right, not just what looks pretty. A patch of harsh shadow might tell a more dramatic story. A stormy sky can bring depth. Don’t be afraid to experiment — trust that the couple hired you, not a Lightroom preset.
4. Read the Room, Not the Timeline
Weddings can be hectic. Sometimes the schedule says “couple portraits” but what’s actually needed is a quiet moment, or some time to dance in the kitchen with nan.
Instead:
Be the photographer who feels the pulse of the day. Capture raw and in-between moments: the groom fixing a nephew’s bowtie, a quiet teary breath before the aisle, or the wild chaos just before the speeches begin.
5. Make It Personal — Not Perfect
Cliché often happens when we aim for perfection. But your couple’s story isn’t perfect — it’s real, chaotic, romantic, and uniquely theirs.
Instead:
Get to know your couples beyond the spreadsheet. What song do they scream-sing together in the car? What weird inside joke cracks them up? Then, photograph that. Make it so their wedding album makes them feel — not just say “wow that’s pretty”.
Final Thought:
Being a wedding photographer in Perth is such a privilege — we get to freeze love in one of the most photogenic cities on earth. But when we choose presence over performance, story over sameness, we create art that outlives trends.
So here’s to ditching the cookie-cutter, leaning into the messy magic, and capturing weddings that are as real and rare as the couples themselves.
