My Favorite Prompts For Perfectly Candid Family Photos

Written By JZ

THE BEST PROMPTS FOR PERFECTLY CANDID FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHY

UPDATED MARCH 2024

In the realm of family photography, capturing the genuine essence of a family's dynamic goes far beyond traditional poses. It's about embracing candidness and the beauty of spontaneous moments. This approach, centered around prompts rather than rigid poses, allows for the natural unfolding of interactions, laughter, and the unguarded expressions that truly define a family. It's these unscripted snapshots, from a secret whisper that sparks a genuine smile to a spontaneous tickle fight, that immortalize the authentic joy and love shared between family members.

Utilizing prompts in family photography sessions encourages everyone to engage in a more relaxed and meaningful way. It shifts the focus from achieving a perfect posture to creating an environment where families can genuinely connect, play, and be themselves. This not only results in photographs that are alive with emotion and personality but also ensures the photography experience itself is enjoyable and memorable for the family. After all, the process should be just as beautiful and fun as the end result.

The true magic of family photography lies in its ability to tell a story — your family's unique story. By prioritizing spontaneity and the raw, beautiful chaos of family life, we delve deeper into the narrative that makes each family special. As we move away from conventional posing, we open the door to capturing the heartfelt moments that families will cherish forever, moments that truly reflect the love, quirks, and the wonderful imperfections that make a family their own.

If you’ve ever booked a session with me, you know I don’t do a ton of “posing” in the traditional sense. That isn’t to say I don’t use direction during our shoots — in fact, I am super hands-on, and will remedy any stiff arms or misplaced hands. Instead, whether you booked a family, maternity, or newborn session, you can expect a series of guided prompts and activities to bring out those natural expressions.

WHAT IS PROMPTED PHOTOGRAPHY?

What are photography prompts? Prompts are poses brought to life. There is one major difference between prompted and posed photography: instead of giving you a position to stand, I will give you a thing to do. For example: a family photographer may pose a family by indicating the order the family should stand in, directing them where to stand, and fixing anything that looks awkward or out of place. A pose like this would likely create an objectively nice photograph; however, it’s likely that the final result may seem a bit stiff. The smiles won’t seem natural because, well, they aren’t.

WHY DO I USE PROMPT PHOTOGRAPHY?

Posed photographs do look great, and I incorporate posing in aspects of every family photo session I shoot. Ultimately, though, a gallery of only posed images will lack the feeling we strive for in the well-rounded family photo galleries we love. So conversely, a family photographer could prompt the family by saying: “kids - stand behind your parents and give them a surprise bear hug when they least expect it.” For anyone looking to learn more about prompted photography, I recommend downloading the UNSCRIPTED APP. It was a serious game-changer for me, and gives you tons of prompts for family, couple, and portrait sessions. Oh, and if you’d like some insight into how I keep kids happy during every single family photo session I take on, check out my blog post: My Secret to Getting Kids to Behave During a Family Photoshoot.

With all that being said, I want to share the five prompts I use at every session.

THE 5 PROMPTS I USE AT EVERY FAMILY PHOTO SESSION

  1. THE BEAR HUG

If I had to choose a favorite prompt to photograph, it would without a doubt be the bear hug. For a successful bear hug, start by having one partner stand in frame with their eyes closed. Once you’ve got them in focus, have the other partner run up behind them and throw their arms around their partner in a huge, exaggerated bear hug. It’s such a fun and versatile prompt, and usually result in some of my favorite shots in the gallery

2. TICKLE MONSTER

This is a tried-and-true prompt to bring the little ones back to life during a photoshoot. It’s as simple as it sounds: hold your kid either in your lap or standing tummy-to-tummy, and let the tickle monster have at it. I love this prompt because, in my experience, families tend to make it their own, and it consistently brings out your kids’ natural smiles and giggles.

3. PICK UP AND SPIN

This is the prompt of romance novel covers. Unlike romance novels, though, this prompt is super fun and easy to get through. Have mom or dad hold a kid and slowly spin in a circle.

THE DIZZY WALK

This prompt always results in some beautiful photographs and natural reactions from those being photographed. The best thing about this prompt is that it doesn’t take much explanation. One thing I always tell couples and families is to keep their faces “sober.” I usually have them look at each other rather than at the camera.

JZ

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