I’m always looking for fun photo ideas.  I started this post, and then I simply added to it over time.  I hope this compilation of photos will give you some inspiration!  :)

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When we were on vacation this winter, my kids had a blast taking these pictures with help from Grandpa–thanks for being such a great “giant”, Dad!  You can have so much fun with frame of reference shots like this.  Just have someone back way up and figure out a pose!  We learned that my daughter (the “holder”) had to tuck her elbow into her ribcage to stay still–otherwise she kept moving and her hand wouldn’t line up with her younger sister’s feet.  When she gave her arm a place to rest, she could hold perfectly still.  We also tried having her “hold” both of her sisters–one in each hand–but sister #3 had already tired of our photo fun by then.  :)  Maybe next time!

The next time you’re at the beach (or anywhere!), put your creative hat on and see what you can come up with!  This is especially entertaining for older kids–a great thing for cousins to do, too!

This is a fun way to wish someone well!  Just grab a marker and write on the bottom of your feet!  You can easily upload a picture like this to one of those snazzy card sites (like Minted, Tiny Prints, Shutterfly, Treat, Wishing Tree Designs, Cardstore, etc.) and you’ll have a perfect card for somebody special in a snap!  See this post where I share more pictures from this (disastrous) photo session, and I also show you some various Mother’s Day cards I’ve made over the years–I hope you find some ideas!  You could also print and frame a picture like this as a gift or have one made into a canvas!  (My favorite place to print canvases is CanvasOnDemand–their quality and service is outstanding!!  I have had canvases printed at various places, and they are the best, hands-down.)

Throughout my fourth daughter’s first year (I never thought to do it for my oldest three girls!), I took a picture of her on her “month birthday” every month next to a large bear so it would give a sense of her growth.  See the entire post and read more about this idea here.

I took the picture on the left of my daughter last Easter, long before this blog was even a thought.  I remember her being so tiny, and I just tucked her right in her basket, with room left over for a friend to fit, too!  What a little peanut… she’s still a peanut, actually!  She is now thirteen months old and 17 pounds, soaking wet!!  But even for a tiny one-year-old, she is huge compared to this time last year–look how much she’s grown!  I love how the basket and the bunny help us appreciate how much she’s changed because they show some scale.  Time flies!

* I have recently taken a lot of “one year later” photos… more coming soon!  :)

My grandmother turns 90 today.  This past weekend we were at her 90th birthday party and reunion, and she was able to meet my fourth daughter–and her youngest great-grandchild.  I snapped this quick picture of their hands.  It’s not the most perfect “artsy” shot, but it really evokes a lot of emotion for me when I look at it.  Have you ever noticed how our hands tell our story?  This photo illustrates that… a tiny, 12-month-old just starting her life with her sweet, fresh, innocent hand.  And an elderly woman, her hand worn and wrinkled, nearing the end of a full and well-lived life.

Now I wish that I was also able to get a picture of my grandmother’s hand, my mom’s, mine, and my daughter’s–all in a row or somehow layered… four generations of women.  Maybe next time we’re all together… I have faith that my grandmother still has a lot of good years ahead of her.  :)

The next time you’re with your loved ones who came before you, take a look at their hands.  Take a good look–I have a feeling that image may stay with you for the rest of your life.  And maybe you can get a picture, too.  I bet it will be one that you’ll treasure for a lifetime.

My three older girls didn’t have a fancy “set” like this when they turned one, but that was before I discovered Pinterest!  :)  For my youngest daughter, I took a little time (and it really was a little time) to put this together:  a fun chair that we already had; an easy banner and hat (both simple DIY crafts); a cute smash cake; and of course, the pearls!  In this post I show you how I did it all and there are more fun pictures of the birthday girl, too.  Nothing was too time-consuming, and I think the end product is priceless!

I love these sweet pictures of my new one-year-old!  Just before her first birthday, we happened to be at the beach, and I snapped these pictures of her with some balloons.  I ended up using one of the photos to create her first birthday invitations and thank you notes.  It was so easy, and I was really happy with how they turned out.  I’m sharing a few pictures below… see more pictures from this fun photo shoot here, and read about the balloon debacle!  :)  Too funny.  As my husband always says to us five (!) girls:  “Good thing you all have me to make fun of or nobody would ever laugh in this house!”  He really is a saint.

In the original post, you can also see how dark it really was the day we took these pictures.  It’s pretty amazing to see the before and after shots where I illustrate the importance of editing your photos.  Check out what a huge difference a few simple clicks can make to improve the quality of your pictures!

My kids thought this was so fun!!  I simply set out a blanket on our driveway and climbed a ladder. Although they said it was way too bright outside (even in the shade) to look up at me, so they just closed their eyes.  Kind of funny, actually!

We wrote the word “LOVE” with Valentine’s Day around the corner, but you could write anything obviously!  This could be something fun to do for grandparents as a gift, too.  Maybe you could even get cousins involved!  You could write your last name and then print each picture and put it in a matted frame… so many options!  And parents can be involved with this–can you imagine how funny the pictures would be with grown-ups in there?!  I’m sure you would laugh every time you look at them.  Have fun with it!  :)  I would love to know what you come up with if you give it a try!

If you’re curious, I made this collage at PicMonkey.com, a free site.  I then added my watermark using Skitch, a free program I downloaded.  That’s what I use to put all the text and arrows on my various photos that you see on this site.

My youngest daughter recently had a little holiday playdate, and of course we moms had to do another fun photo session!  With one boy and six girls, we figured “Santa and his Reindeer” seemed appropriate! (once again, the women of the world prove that they tend to do most of the heavy lifting–ha!)

For your entertainment, I have provided some commentary to shed some light on how this ol’ photo shoot went.  We moms thoroughly enjoyed it and laughed the entire time!  And for the kids?  Well, at least one unnamed reindeer thought it was for the birds… :)

Hope these pictures give you a chuckle!

Things started off pretty solid…

And thanks to my awesome friends who humor me by subjecting our children to these photo sessions time and again!  I must say that I am really loving having another baby–it’s all about the fun this time around!!  :)  I wish I had stressed less and enjoyed more with my older girls… there’s my advice for the day to all you new moms out there!  :)

Children are mesmerized by lights.  So why not put some near them and see what you get?  I love this one.  I simply turned off my flash and kept my hand as still as possible (or the shot will be blurry).  You could also use a tripod.  The only thing I haven’t figured out, though, is that the child can’t move either or the shot is still blurry–and we all know that kids never stay put unless they’re sleeping!  Maybe the professional photographers out there have some tips for us!  :)  I do know there are lenses that require less light–maybe I need to get one of those someday!!

I recently ordered my daughter this cute hat from Etsy (find the link for the hat here), and I was trying to get a picture of her wearing it.  She is at that stage where she gets busy and wants to crawl away from me all the time–usually giggling and squealing all the while!  (I could just eat her up!!)  So to get her to stay in one spot, I tucked her in this wreath–it worked like a charm!  She couldn’t move, and it made for a cute shot!  :) She was also really curious about the wreath, so she was pretty happy to sit there and figure it out… just passing on the idea for those of you out there who also have a baby celebrating his or her first Christmas.  What a special time!!  Enjoy it!

How stinkin’ cute is that hat?!

Unfortunately, it was cold and rainy when we took this shot… it would have been so fun to line these cuties up in a row outside with all the fall leaves around!  As you can see, some actually loved their pumpkin seat; others… not so much.  :)

I seriously can’t look at this picture without laughing.  (The one that is hating it the most is mine, of course!)  Would love to hear how it goes if you try to do something similar with your little one!!

My daughter was a little happier the second time around… maybe because I didn’t take her clothes off, poor girl!  The things Mommy does to get a fun picture!!

This is such an easy way to snap a picture of your little one and show how small he/she is as compared to the stuffed animal… and how cute to see your son or daughter hanging out with “friends”!  :)  Just find a sunny window, line up the animals, and move fast!  My daughter is holding a toy here and chewing on it.  She got so busy doing that, I think she forgot about the toys next to her–that allowed me some time to get the shots.  Not to mention my other daughters were my helpers–running over and standing up the animals again as they tipped!  We had a lot of fun during this impromptu shoot!

This picture below is actually taken indoors.  The baby is sitting on a vinyl backdrop, and there is one in front of her, too.  You can see that I just slapped it up over a chair and they aren’t lined up very well, but if you tape them down, these look just like real wood!

Here you can see how she is trying to destroy my makeshift set!  :)

I hope you’re inspired to grab your camera!

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