Family Photos w/ The Family Pet

I love seeing family photography where the family pet is included.  They're a family member too!  (gone are the days when dogs were strictly outside/backyard dogs...now they're literally a cherished member of the family.)

Courtesy of: MyFoxyFamily.com

Its funny, our dogs even sleep in bed with us!  I wouldn't have it any other way...

If you're like me and want to think of creative ways to have your family pet in the family photo, here are some really cute options by some phenominal photographers and beautiful families.

Family Photos:



Daniela DeGrassi Photography

Jackie Culmer Photography

Jackie Culmer Photography

Whitney Owens Designs Photography

Newborn Introduction:

Elena S. Blair Photography

Newborn Photos:

Sweet Feet Photography



Tara Romasanta Photography



Avenue B Photography

(I just love these big labs resting their heads on newborns - so adorable!)

Engagement Photos:

Amanda Pair Photography

Adrian Hitt Photography

Wedding Photos:



The Nichols Photography

Children with their Pets:



Beth Jansen Photography

Photographer Unkown

Boggio Studios

Diana Leventhal Photography

Senior Photos:



Oak Stream Senior Photography

Banyan Pet Photography

Quick Family Photos

While attending a wedding over the weekend, I realized that my husband, daughter and I were all dressed up and couldn't resist the urge to get a few photos of us.  ....and well, while we're taking photos, we might as well try to make them the best we can get, right?  We were also in a beautiful location (on a ranch) and they had this amazing red barn....again, couldn't resist.  Thanks to my always helpful brother-in-law....I asked him if he would snap a few shots of us against the red wall.  (Little did he know what he was getting himself into...)  Here's what we ended up with...he did a pretty good job!

I took these ones of my little one afterwards.  (I should mention that there was a large bounce house inflated right behind me so her attention was slightly distracted)   

Not bad for a set of family photos on a whim....and we're even color coordinating coincidentally.  I used my kit lens and some photoshop and that's it.  I'm very happy with how they turned out.

My Favorite Family Photo Ideas

This is a compilation of my favorite family photo ideas.  There are so many to choose from nowadays and you want to be creative and/or different, but also stay true to your sense of style or taste.

Color Coordinated Photos

Color coordination is always what makes family portraits appealing to me.  The photo below is a perfect example of how nice it is when everyone is coordinated and the photographer has found a location that suits the wardrobe colors.  I love how this family took a beautiful and organized photo, and then took another chaotic but still beautiful photo.

Photo By: Ashlee Raubach Photography

                                              Photo by: ashleeraubachphotography.com

Newborn Posing Guide

Source: shutterboxdesigns.com via Lindsey on Pinterest

I recently read a post by Rachel Vanoven, a newborn photographer in Indianapolis...she was expressing her frustrations with "new" photographers putting newborns in risky positions and/or using props that put the newborn at risk of injury.  I agree with her post and think that you should have lots of experience posing newborns before trying the more risky stuff.  As an amateur photographer, I would never go into my first photoshoot thinking I could pull off the same things the pros do, especially when it comes to the safety of a newborn.   

Rachel Vanoven - Getting This Off My Chest Blog Post - Newborns

So this post will be about posing newborns, because as I have learned, there are tons of safe positions you can easily put them into without compromising mom's mental state and baby's safety.

I saw a photo last week where someone had propped a baby on the second shelf of an MDF bookshelf.  I just kept thinking how I wouldn't trust that bookshelf....it would need to be solid wood and deep enough to safely hold the baby.  But, then I realized...this is a newborn!  There are so many cute things you can do with a sleeping newborn that are safe!  Why risk it...

 I'm posting pics of some of the super cute positions I think would be just as good, and safer!  Not everyone has to push the limit and do things that are edgier or more difficult than the next.  You just need to use your creative side and think of safe things.




Here is an example of the first newborn photoshoot I did....you can see that I have him resting comfortably on a boppy with a soft blanket over it.  I clearly didn't have him in a position that was comprising his safety or comfort for that matter.

Here are some other good examples:

Source: kellyklattphotoblog.com via Rachel on Pinterest

This is a personal favorite of mine... perfect for a new baby boy announcement.  Super cute!

Source: shaunaveaseyphotography.com via Lindsey on Pinterest

This one is simple and very pretty for a newborn girl:

Source: capturedbycarrie.com via Lindsey on Pinterest

This one is safe and totally cute for gender neutral:

Source: gretchendavisphotographyblog.com via Lindsey on Pinterest

Here is a tutorial on how to pose SAFELY:

Source: inspiremebaby.com via Lindsey on Pinterest

Tricks of the trade:

Source: inspiremebaby.com via Lindsey on Pinterest

The Setup:

Source: littlemoonphotography.com via Lindsey on Pinterest

Here are some poses to avoid if you're new at photographing newborns. Come up with something new, but safer:

Source: getparade.com via Lindsey on Pinterest

Source: babyasart.com via Lindsey on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Lindsey on Pinterest

Photoshoot Inspiration - Five Great Photoshoot Ideas

Chase Jarvis has some great ideas in this blog post regarding photoshoot inspiration.  I especially love the grandma/grandpa photoshoot idea.  To capture your grandma and/or grandpa from every angle and to photograph their hands would be such a magical bonding experience. 

Chase Jarvis: 5 Photoshoot Ideas Worth Stealing

I actually shot some great ones of my hubby's grandma Ruby who was 89 years old at the time.  She lived with us for a couple of years and our dogs really took a liking to her...I'm glad I got the pictures I did because sadly she's no longer with us, but I still cherish the photos I took of her and the little trinkets she gave me over the years.  Here's my favorite of the many photos I took of her:  (Keep in mind that I was using a little digital camera at the time)

Despite the quality of the image, I still think I should try editing this photo in Photoshop to clean it up a little bit since I've always wanted to frame it somewhere in our house.   Such an amazing lady, with some great stories to share with us!  For some reason, I just love this photo and how the sun is playing off the side of her face.  Thinking of you Granny Goose.

Family Photo Color Schemes - Love This

My First Newborn Photoshoot

I took this photo almost 2 years ago, but love it so much. You can see the milk on his lips still. Happy newborn. I had some lighting issues as I couldn't find a good spot in his house, but I've learn some lighting tips since then. Overall, considering I had no experience, I felt pretty good about how this one turned out. I was just thinking I should probably soften his skin up with Photoshop and compare it.

Christmas Portraits with Bokeh

I saw this on Shutter Sisters' Blog and thought it was a great idea. For the record, I'm not claiming any ownership of this. lol. Great inspiration though...think I'll have to try it myself!



This is the perfect time of year to experiment with those beautiful fuzzy orbs of light we call bokeh. A string of Christmas lights is the ideal tool for creating bokeh in the background. For this photo, I setup a backdrop with strings of lights draped over top of a cream colored blanket. Then I placed my cute little subject about 10 feet in front of the backdrop and set my aperture as low as I could (f2.5 in this case). What resulted was a soft, creamy glow of bokeh in the background.

Now that Thanksgiving is behind us and the holiday twinkle lights are going up, get out there and play around with bokeh! Show us your results, past and present so we can all get in the spirit of the season!

www.shuttersisters.com

Creative Holiday Card Portraits

I LOVE making our annual Christmas card and am always looking for creative ideas. Here are some really cute ones for inspiration...

Source: flickr.com via Lindsey on Pinterest

I love a trio or sequence of photos on a christmas card or in a frame.

Source: flickr.com via Lindsey on Pinterest

This is very cute and easy to do...it makes it much easier to photograph kids when they're sitting.

Source: flickr.com via Lindsey on Pinterest

How can you not love this little guy...taking a cute candid shot like this one is very cute on a christmas card.

Source: flickr.com via Lindsey on Pinterest

This beach theme is adorable, of course depending on if you live close enough to the beach, or if you just moved to the beach. Very cute.

Source: flickr.com via Lindsey on Pinterest

This one would be better for a studio, but is probably doable if you want to DIY.

Source: flickr.com via Lindsey on Pinterest

Here is another example of a sequence of photos that can also be used together on a holiday card.

It helps if you're somewhat proficient with Photoshop and can make edits to coloring and whatnot, but its not essential to creating a clever holiday card. An example of a Photoshop edit I did two years ago:




If you don't have kids, but have pets, they are also a cute inspiration for a holiday card. I have done this in the past as well. They are very cute.

Pets:

Source: flickr.com via Lindsey on Pinterest

This picture makes me smile...how would you not enjoy receiving a holiday card with this photo?!

Source: flickr.com via Lindsey on Pinterest

This photo is a great DIY example... use a red scarf and wrap it around the dog. Have a volunteer either hold the dog still for the photo or stand behind the photographer to grab your pet's attention.