7 Fun Photo Ideas to Try With Your Family

Everyone has a unique point of view about what makes their family and community special. In “Molly of Denali: The Big Gathering,” Tooey wants to enter a photography contest that challenges him to capture the spirit of Alaska from a unique point of view. When he has trouble selecting a photo to enter into the contest, he revisits the rules — and then asks his community for help. In the process, he snaps a photo of his community in action together that he feels best celebrates the spirit of Alaska.

How would you capture the spirit of your family in a single photograph? Try these fun photography ideas and encourage your child to speak up about what they’d like to photograph. As your family works together, affirm their creativity and role in your family by saying, “Your unique point of view is important to our family.” Just like Molly and Tooey find out in “The Big Gathering,” bringing family and friends together for a fun project is a great way to bond and learn about each other.

Costumes, fancy dinner clothes, or matching outfits are perfect for a family photo project. Traditional outfits representing your culture and heritage are another great option. Just because you have a theme, it doesn’t mean your photos have to feature formal poses. Let loose and have fun!

Challenge your child to take close-up photos of family members and then try to guess who’s in the photo. Whose eye is that? Whose nose? Explore how your eyes, ears, noses, or even hairstyles are similar and different!

What activities does your family like to do together? Does your family like playing basketball? Blowing bubbles? Playing cards? Set up a family-favorite activity and snap photos while you play. Or if you’re competitive, try capturing photos of your family jumping, running, clapping or making noise from different angles and perspectives.

If your family has come together to celebrate with a meal, photograph everyone in the kitchen working together. What special foods does your family enjoy together? Talk about what meaningful recipes your family shares and take photos of your family of chefs hard at work in the kitchen to capture your culture and heritage.

It can be so difficult to get everyone to smile at the same time. Take the stress out of getting the perfect photo by asking everyone to make a silly face to begin with. Gather your crew, prop up your camera, and set the timer so you can break out all your funny faces. Take a few photos in a row just like you’re in a photo booth!

Take a walk with your family and photograph what each person notices. Can you find items in nature matching everyone’s shirt color? Pose beside trees or bushes that are the same height as different family members. Listen for animals and try to photograph your favorite bird or bug! When you get back home, share your pictures and explain what caught your eye.

Explore your family’s holiday traditions and document what each family member enjoys the most. Photograph everyone doing their favorite holiday activity, reading their favorite book, or eating their favorite holiday food. What special cultural events or celebrations does your family observe? Be sure to capture photos of these special days.

Make more family memories inspired by Molly of Denali.

Can you think of other ways to capture the spirit of your family from a unique point of view? For example, you can use a photo as inspiration for a drawing of your family. Or you can make an album as a gift, with fun captions beneath each photo to tell the story of your special day together. Take turns picking your favorite pictures to display at home or share with family and friends on social media. There are so many other ideas you and your family can come up with together.