17 Family Photo Ideas and Tips For Mommy and Me Pictures

An Open Field (Bonus Points For Flowers)

When it comes to family pictures, you simply can’t go wrong with an open field. You’ll be surprised at how easy it is to find field locations when you’re looking for them.

Of course you can always venture outside of the city or suburbs for small towns and open spaces with miles and miles of field space. But you can just as easily find field photography options near your own neighborhood. Whether it’s out at a community park or down the road in a lot of land that’s for sale, it will work perfectly for your family photos.

The field of yellow flowers used in our mommy and me photo above, for example, is actually not nearly as big as it looks. My photographer Angie found this field nearby a downtown area in Fort Worth, just behind a gas station.

If you’re taking photos anytime from March through summer, you’re likely to find blooms in your area too. These photos were taken last March, but if you’re a Texas local, you can always wait for blue bonnet season. In the summer months, sunflower fields always make for a beautiful family photography location.

A Colorful Building With Texture

Looking for an outdoor photography location alternative to the traditional field or park? Buildings in aesthetically pleasing colors and textures are another family photo location idea that can easily be found in your local area.

White brick structures or traditional buildings like a university or government building are always an easy family photography location option that will work in any season. But also be sure to look for photo-worthy buildings in local old downtown areas.

The building seen in the above mommy and me photoshoot is actually a movie theater in downtown Arlington, Texas. The pretty mint green color of the tiles makes for a great photography backdrop.

A Unique Local Spot With Character

Get even more creative with your family picture location by finding a photography backdrop with character.

Angie recommended the Ripley’s Believe it or Not Palace of Wax in Grand Prairie, Texas for our Aladdin-Themed photoshoot featured above.

I LOVED the fun colors and the unique Taj Mahal-inspired shape of the building. It was especially perfect for our Aladdin Mommy and Me photoshoot, but the colors and unique shapes make it a fun photography location that would work with lots of family photos.

Be sure to check out your local area for unique outdoor photography location ideas like this one.

Family Pictures at a Local Pop Up

Pop ups like the Museum of Ice Cream and the Museum of Memories in Dallas are becoming so popular in most major cities these days. They make for such fun and unique spots to take photos.

You can be sure that there will be lots of bloggers (like myself) and millennials shooting insta-worthy photos at popups like these for instagram. But why not plan some fun family photo shoots at a unique, colorful location at a pop up gallery?

A pop up is especially ideal for mommy and me photos like the ones Everly and I took above at the Museum of Memories in Dallas or sibling photos. You can see more photos we took at the Museum of Memories here in a coral Kitchen-inspired room.

To plan your family pictures at a pop up, check to see what pop ups are current in your local metroplex. Then, head to their website or instagram to see what installations might be a good fit for your family photos.

Indoor Family Photos at a Unique Location Like the Aquarium

Looking for a family photo idea that will really come to life? Try a location like your local aquarium or zoo!

This is especially a great idea for mommy and me blog photography. The above photo was taken when Everly was about 7 months old at the Sea Life Aquarium in Grapevine.

I absolutely loved how they turned out! Capturing the wonder and imaginations of your little ones in a place like a zoo or aquarium makes for truly unique and unbelievable photos.

You would for sure want to hire a professional photographer for indoor photography with tricky lighting situations such as this one. This aquarium mommy and me photoshoot ended up being one of my favorites to-date.

Seasonal Spots for Holiday Family Photos

The holiday season always offers exciting new family photo location options. You can usually find holiday family photo ideas both in your local neighborhood and in your metroplex.

There are always the holiday family photography location go-to’s like Christmas tree farms, but don’t miss out on all the others. Pay attention as you drive around your local area to new holiday installations, decor and lights.

I found this spot not far from Coppell where we live while taking a short cut during the holidays. I immediately texted our photographer Angie to tell her about shooting there.

It’s a new area with restaurants and shops which we’d been to before, but never for the holidays and I loved their fun installations. We ended up taking several mommy and me photos here and will definitely do so again next year.

Family Photo Ideas At Home in the Nursery

Having a young baby or toddler can make it more difficult to round up the family and drive to a location for your family photos. Luckily, you don’t even have to leave your home to have good-quality family photos.

With a newborn or little one, I always love seeing photos in the baby nursery. Everly and I have done a few mommy and me photo shoots in her Peter Pan nursery.

After all, you spend all of that time and money decorating the nursery, you might as well schedule an at home photoshoot to capture that too.

At Home Family Photos With a Paper Backdrop

If you’re a blogger like me and you haven’t already invested in an at home photography backdrop, I definitely suggest buying one now. That’s especially true if you have kids or are expecting a little one soon.

I found our backdrop on Amazon for under $50. You can purchase seperate paper backdrops to use in various colors like the pink one we used in the photo above. I’ve also used curtains and sheets as backdrops for the stand that have worked great!

This makes it SO easy to do a quick family photoshoot in the comfort and convenience of your own home.

My backdrop expands to get pretty enormous, so it would fit a medium-sized family. This at home photography idea is especially good for smaller family groups like mommy and me or sibling photos.

Hold Baby or Toddler Up in the Air

This is one of my favorite mommy and me family photo pose ideas. While Everly is getting a bit big for this pose now (although Cole can still manage it), it’s a pose that we’ve done since she was old enough to lift her head up.

What I love about this mommy and me pose (or daddy and me) is that it always always guarantees a smile or giggle from your little one, guaranteeing a great photo.

You can try the pose with your back facing the camera like in the photo above. Or you can also have the camera capture the action from the side, like in the featured aquarium photo or nursery photo featured earlier in this post.

Of course always be super careful when doing this pose with your little one and maybe do a few tries at home with dad or someone spotting just in case.

Use a Chair For Toddler to Sit On

One of the problems that you can face while taking photos with your little one is the extreme height difference.

One way you can get your little one a little closer to your height is to use a chair for them to stand on while you stand beside him or her, like we did in the mommy and me photo above.

Just make sure the chair is super sturdy and has plenty of room for them to stand upright.

Have Your Little One Stand While You Sit

Another way to fix the height difference in family photos with your little one is for you to sit while he or she stands next to you.

You want to be sure to get some photos that are more close up during your family photo shoot. Having your faces at the same level always makes for better photos. With a toddler-sized child and an adult, this pose almost always works and Everly and I have done it several times!

Sit With Toddler or Baby In Your Lap

Another way to fight height differences with a small baby is to sit on the ground with your baby in your lap.

This family photo pose is especially great for indoor photography done at your home.

But it also makes for a dreamy, engaging photo when you’re shooting in a field or park. Just be sure to bring a blanket to sit on or be prepared to have your backside get a little dirty.

Stand And Hold Hands

For far away photos, taking a few shots that actually show your height difference is fun too. I especially love this family photo idea idea for matching mommy and me photos that showcase your outfits, from head-to-toe, like the one above.

Twirl Around to Add Movement

Movement always makes for beautiful candid photos, and that also applies to family photography.

One of the things I like to do with Everly is spin during our photoshoots. Not only does it add interest and movement to your photos, but it’s another pose that almost always guarantees a laugh or smile from your toddler or baby.

This mommy and me picture pose idea is especially great if you’re wearing a twirl-worthy dress.

Sit on a Blanket for Outdoor Family Photography

I referenced this before in my lap sitting photo idea, but if you’re planning outdoor photography at a field or park with your little one be sure to bring a blanket.

Bringing a blanket to your outdoor family photoshoot that everyone can sit on will give you a lot more posing options. Just make sure your blanket coordinates with what you’re wearing.

Use Props or Toys Like a Book

If you’re taking family pictures with a toddler or baby, having something for them to play with or engage with always helps them to smile or look at the camera. That’s why lots of family photographers carry a puppet or stuffed animal to photoshoots.

But why not use the toy or item as a prop in your photo? A photo-worthy book is perfect for a sitting shot in the house like in the holiday family photo above or out on a blanket in a wooded area.

Everly has taken a few photos where her Mickey Mouse has made it into the photo that I’ve ended up loving.

Coordinate Matching Mommy and Me Outfits

Of course it goes without saying that you should coordinate your outfits for your family photos. I’ve done a whole post on what to wear for family photos, but if you’re doing mommy and me photos, then going all out with matching outfits is so fun!

There are so many clothing companies that now sell mommy and me matching outfits. And this trend isn’t just for baby girl’s and mama’s – they also make matching mommy and me outfits for little boys and their mama’s too!

We all know one day our little ones will no longer allow us to dress them in matching outfits, so while we can get away with it, we might as well document it!

Get Into Character

Have even more fun with your family photos by choosing your little one’s favorite movie or character as inspiration for the shoot!

It’s no secret that we’re a Disney loving family, and Frozen was one of Everly’s very first favorites. I loved this fun Frozen-inspired family photoshoot we did.

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