Kids grow up way too quickly. While I’d love to be able to freeze time for a bit and keep my kids little, it unfortunately isn’t going to happen. I treasure our family portraits because they allow me to look back and remember each stage as my kids grow, but finding the time and the energy to prepare for actually getting those portraits taking is another story.

JC Penney’s has a great April promotion if you’ve been putting off taking family portraits. With only a $9 sitting fee and $20 for 6 traditional portrait sheets (mix and match sizes and images) you can check getting family portraits off of your to-do list. You can see full details on the April promotion by visiting J C Penney’s website.  You can find the nearest JC Penney’s by using the location finder on that page as well.

We’ve used a combination of lifestyle photographers and studios over the years as we’ve taken family portraits. For basic family photos, we’ve always been really pleased with the balance between quality and price that you get at JC Penney’s. While I’d love to be able to hire an on-location photographer each time, the fact is that it just isn’t always in the budget and taking the time to prepare for such a large photoshoot is often a luxury that I don’t have.

How do you Prepare for Family Portraits?

Preparing for family portraits generally takes more effort than actually taking the pictures themselves. You can simplify things with some of these tips that my family has found helpful.

• Don’t stress too much about matching outfits. A bit of variety makes family portraits more exciting and takes a lot less effort than trying to match the same color shade for different ages and genders. Instead, choose a general color scheme and pick colors that coordinate with each other rather than match. Use the opportunity to allow each family member to express a bit of their individuality.
• Give your kids some say in what they wear. We’ve had plenty of photo sessions with grumpy kids who are not thrilled about being there. You can prevent some of that by involving your kids in the process and letting them help you choose the outfits they wear and the style of photo that you are aiming for.
• Schedule your photo session at a time when everyone will be alert and happy. If you have younger kids, this generally means planning to have your pictures taken after naptime and a good sized snack to prevent meltdowns. Avoid scheduling photos when anyone in the family is going to feel rushed and be sure and prepare as much as you can before hand so you won’t be frantically trying to get everything organized at the last minute.
• Make the photo session fun. Don’t be so focused on getting a great shot that you end up creating stress for everyone in your family. Happy kids are much more photogenic so instead of emphasizing the end result, help your kids enjoy the process and you’ll be thrilled with the results.
• Allow the photographer to do his/her job. As a mom, sometimes it can be hard to let go of the control. You’ll be much more relaxed if you turn over the responsibility of getting a great family portrait to the photographer and just follow the instructions that you are given.