Erin Clayton

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Family Resources: 5 Reasons Why You Should Book Yearly Family Portraits

Top Reasons Family Photos Should Be An Annual Occassion | Professional Family Photographer For Victoria BC Families

Are you in need of updated family photos? If you’ve landed on this blog post, the answer is most likely YES! When I became a family photographer, I was four years away from having children of my own. Because I wasn’t experiencing the daily life of parenthood at that time, it was astonishing to me how quickly children would change from year to year when I’d see them for their annual family photos.

It wasn’t until having children of my own that my passion for family photography deepened, knowing how fast it really all goes by. I thought being a photographer would mean I’d be capturing thousands of images of my kids every day, but life gets so busy and pretty soon it’s been weeks and months and there’s so many missed moments - so trust me, I seriously get how hard it is to stay on top of documenting all the incredible moments.

Over the last 10 years, I’ve had a lot of time to think about all the reasons why professional family photos are important, and today I’m sharing the top five reasons why families should make family photos an annual occassion:

1. The kids want you in the photos too, Mom! 🙌

Over the years, I’ve had reluctant parents who just want photos of their kids because the parents feel shy. And I get it — there’s a reason I love to be on the other side of the lens 😉! But, as your kids get older and enter their teen and adult years, they will start looking for photographs of you and wonder why there are so few images of their parents.

A photo session with a professional photographer allows you to relax with the kids and enjoy your family’s love and connection while the photographer catches you all in the best light for memories of YOU, that you — and your kids, will cherish!

2. Kids grow up fast! 🎂

When my first child was born, everyone started telling me that “the days are long, but the years are short — you’ll see”. In those first few months with a new baby I couldn’t help but think everyone had it all wrong, because everything was feeling like time was crawling.

That same little baby of mine just started Grade 1 this year and I really don’t know where the years have gone from then to now.

All of those little milestones in her first six years are behind us. Children change and grow so fast, and having an annual image is an amazing way to have a marker in time to look back and see all the little changes that have happened, even when everything is different.  

3. Holiday Cards = Done! ✔️

I don’t know about you, but when friends and family send me holiday cards with their family photo on it, I proudly display it for months after Christmas.

There are a number of companies that allow you to upload your family photo to their holiday card designs to have a personal image to send out, it’s such a treasured item to send your annual family photo to friends and family.

All of my family sessions include the add-on option to order beautifully designed, custom holiday cards of your family directly through your family session gallery.

4. Photographs help us to remember the details we forget to record

I was talking to my husband the other day about our kids as babies and we both had different takes. I thought my daughter started walking at a different time than my husband remembers and we also couldn’t remember when each child had their first tooth pop through.

It’s so easy to forget all of the little stages in your child’s and family’s experience and having photographs will serve as a way to remember all of these special things. The first crawls, steps, the first tooth to fall out, are all huge milestones at the time but if you’re anything like me, you have to really sit and think to remember when each of these things actually happened as the years go by. Photographs at each of these stages ensures you have a collection of memories to look at as the years go by.

5. Create heirloom artwork for your home 🎁

Is there any better way to enjoy your family’s memories than to have your photos displayed throughout your home? Turning your family’s fleeting moments into tangible artwork helps your family to celebrate these beautiful memories every day.


Still not convinced that you should have more photos of your family? For more than 10 years my photography services have helped hundreds of families create long lasting memories they can look back on for years to come and I can do the exact same for you!


So, let’s get to know each other before we begin! Drop me a message.


Additional Family Resources You Might Like

Answers to the Top Three Questions Families Ask Before Their Session

Why Golden Hour for Your Family Session

What to Expect from Your Family Photo Session

The Secret to the Perfect Family Photo Session


ABOUT ERIN CLAYTON PHOTOGRAPHY

Erin Clayton is a professional family portrait photographer, and gallery wall designer based in Victoria on Vancouver Island BC.

Learn more about family/headshot sessions with Erin Clayton Photography.

Contact Erin to schedule your session.