Why Family Photos are important

In today’s digital age, where capturing moments has become as simple as tapping a screen, it’s easy to overlook the profound importance of family photos. While smartphones and social media offer convenience, they often fall short of capturing the true essence of our lives. Family photos hold a special place in preserving our history, celebrating our connections, and enriching our lives in ways that go beyond just snapping a picture. Here are some reasons family photos are so essential and why investing in them is a decision you’ll cherish forever.

A sense of belonging

Studies have shown that displaying family photos in the home can help children feel a sense of belonging and security.

Judy Weiser, a psychologist, art therapist and author says, “It lets children learn who they are and where they fit. When a child sees a family portrait with them included in the photograph, they say to themselves: ‘These people have me as part of what they are, that’s why I belong here. This is where I come from.'”

Research by Rachel B. Turner and Daniel J. Lewis shows that family photos support children’s emotional and social development. They provide a visual context for understanding family roles and relationships, contributing to a more secure and coherent sense of identity.

A win for self esteem

In 1975, Jerry Fryrear of Tulane University and Mary Ammerman conducted a 5-week study that explored the impact of portrait photography on self-esteem in a group of fourth graders. The children who participated in the experiment experienced a significant increase in self‐esteem.

“I think it is really important to show a family as a family unit. It is so helpful for children to see themselves as a valued and important part of that family unit,“ says Krauss, a licensed psychologist from Cleveland, Ohio.

Krauss is one of the earliest pioneers in using family photography and family albums to help his patients boost their self-esteem. He co-authored “Photo Therapy and Mental Health” in 1983, that is considered a founding text for the use of photography in therapy.

Blink and you’ll miss it

“The time with our children is so fleeting; the days are long but the years are short. They are changing constantly - yet such is the mystery of parenthood that you are always watching them but all of a sudden they are grown up, or a little more grown - a little taller, more conscious, more independent - and you feel like you have blinked and missed it.”

My wife has a wonderful way with words and when she wrote this, I thought it beautifully encapsulated how fleeting the time we have with our children is. I often say to my daughter “please don’t grow up too fast”. Photographs are the perfect way to momentarily freeze every season of their childhood.

Connecting the dots

I’m very much a person who loves connecting the dots of a bigger story.
And having family photos is a way to leaving dots for your children to connect for their own story later in their life.

“The Role of Personal Photographs in Memory and Identity” by Susan M. McKinnon and Michael A. Thomas. This study investigates how personal and family photographs contribute to autobiographical memory and personal identity. The research shows that photographs act as external memory aids that help individuals recall specific events and details, thereby reinforcing their sense of identity and personal history.

Capturing Family Connection

We’re fortunate to live in an era where smartphones make it easy to snap countless photos of our children.
Most parents probably have a vast collection of images right at their fingertips. However, most of the time, these snapshots often fall short of capturing the genuine connections between family members. That’s where I come in. What I truly love about photography is its power to capture those in-between moments of authentic human connection.

I make it a point to schedule annual photography sessions for my own family with other family photographers for precisely this reason. I want to document not just individual portraits of my children, but the heartfelt connections that define us as a family.

Family photos are much more than mere snapshots; they are meaningful records of our lives, relationships, and legacy. They preserve precious memories, celebrate family bonds, document growth, and create a sense of tradition. By investing in professional family photography, you’re not only capturing beautiful images but also enriching your family’s story and creating a legacy that will be cherished for generations.