Do you take them? How often do you take family potraits? If not why not?
I guess with the holiday season here, alot of people take family potraits. I will admit, in 12 yrs of marriage we have NEVER take a family potrait. We get the kids pictures professionally done several times a year, but for us, NO WAY..My husband has a cousin inTexas who often asks "When are we getting that family portrait"..hmm how about never. No really Im kidding, I dont say that answer. I simply say I only get the kids ones done. Frankly, I do not like the way I look, so cant see spending money on a portrait with me in it. Ihave no problem spending the money on the kids though. Sure there are a couple of me floating around the house from a digital camera, or a regular old camer, but very few.
So am I the only one who has never had a family potrait taken?

By Tink on Monday, December 19, 2005 - 12:52 pm:

We had a family portrait done with my siblings and their families last year. I don't see another in the near future for the same reason you mentioned. I don't like how I look and don't want to spend money on a picture that I know I won't like. I also have my children's picture taken to mark how they've changed time. DH and I don't change that much year-to-year.

By Kate on Monday, December 19, 2005 - 01:04 pm:

No, we've never had a family portrait taken, nor have I ever had the girls' portraits taken. I guess I prefer candid shots in smaller frames on tables and the mantle. I'm not one for large portraits on the wall. I sure have saved money this way!! And I have TONS of pics of the girls from every month of their lives. No shortage of pics, just no professional ones. Nope, not even Kmart or Target, etc.

By Tonya on Monday, December 19, 2005 - 01:04 pm:

We do a family portrait in May and in November.
We do the kids every yr for their B-day and Christmas. Timmy's falls right in the end of May time frame so we do it then so for Jade we onyl do 2 pictures in February for her B-day.


Look at it this way Jackie god forbid something happens to you or your DH the kids will want that family portrait of everyone. Even if you only do it every 2 yrs or so do it for them not for yourself.

By Boxzgrl on Monday, December 19, 2005 - 01:04 pm:

We usually take pictures every year. Kaitlyn takes annual ones for her birthday and we usually do a holiday one. This year we didn't because I really wasn't in the mood. That's my completely honest answer. We'll do them next year because the baby will be here. I may just start doing the kids every year and doing one with the whole family ever 3-4 years.

By Pamt on Monday, December 19, 2005 - 01:09 pm:

We take a family portrait every 2-4 years. We had one taken 2 years ago that I just love. It's probably time to get another one, but I think we'll wait until spring and have an outdoor shot. DH has become a photography buff these past couple of years, so we have tons of candid shots, but I do like a nice professional one every so often as well.

By Heaventree on Monday, December 19, 2005 - 02:26 pm:

I get professional photos of the dks at 3 months, 6 months and 1 year. I also got maternity shots of both pregnancies. Once the children are older I'll have a family portrait done and we'll include the dog and cat (if she's still around and agreeable).

I don't always like the way I look either, but I don't want any regrets when I'm older. I think when I'm 85 I'll look back and think I looked pretty good back then LOL!

I saw a show on Oprah just recently it was an update on a earlier show. A mom was dying of cancer and she had a young daughter. She produced hundreds of hours of video so her daughter could remember her. I guess I just want my kids to remember me if anything happens.

Jackie there is something beautiful about each and every one of us. Even if you don't like the way you look others may see you differently. I think your spirit will shine through in your photos and that's what is important. Don't take the photos for yourself, take them for your family so when you're gone they will look through the albums and can talk about great, great granny and how wonderul she was.

By Kaye on Monday, December 19, 2005 - 02:30 pm:

I grew up in a family that didn't really do family portraits. When my mom died, there is only 1 photo of the whole family. This makes us all very sad. So my dad makes sure we do LOTS of photos now. I am not as good with my family, we do a group shot (by a family member) at least once a year. I have one that I love. I have gone and done just me and the kids once for my hubby. I tried to do that again recently, but had a family member do it, but she didn't do such a good job. Kind of funny, but photography comes very naturally to me, so I forget that other people can't snap and shoot well

By Mrse on Monday, December 19, 2005 - 03:27 pm:

This year is the first time we had a family picture done, we are giving them out as extra presents. The only reason we never did before is because my sister always wants to do it for us, but she is inpatient and it takes forever to get the picture. This year she and the rest of the family are going to be blown away when they see the pictures as they do not have a clue....... ha ha ha, I can not wait to see the looks on all their faces.

By Missbookworm on Monday, December 19, 2005 - 05:30 pm:

I haven't done any with me and my children since my ex and I seperated but I'm going in the spring wiht my friend who's a photographer to get shots done of all of us together.

By Insaneusmcwife on Monday, December 19, 2005 - 06:05 pm:

I try to get the kids done atleast once a year but as for us every couple of years seems about right. I would love to do it once a year but it never seems to turn out that way. I don't like the way I look either but I figure that if something ever happens to me or dh that the kids would be upset if we didn't have pictures for them to remember us.

By Jackie on Monday, December 19, 2005 - 06:13 pm:

I have pictures of myself with all my kids in their photo albums. So its not like Im completey scarce LOL...There are also pictures of the kids with their dad in alot of photos as well. I just dont do the professional family potraits.

By Reds9298 on Monday, December 19, 2005 - 08:22 pm:

We have a pretty new "family" since Natalie is almsot 18mths., but...
We did her pix at 3,6,9,12, and 18mths. We just had our first family portrait done at Thanksgiving. We do our own at home, but that was our first taken elsewhere. I expect that we will do professional family portraits every 2-3years.

By My3cuties on Wednesday, December 21, 2005 - 12:52 pm:

We had all the girls pictures done professionally at 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, 2 and then every year. We get our family pictures done once a year..usually in the fall/winter, so we can make them go well in a Christmas card.

By Trina~moderator on Wednesday, December 21, 2005 - 01:08 pm:

I haven't read all these posts, but we get family portraits done every 5 yrs. or so. I don't particulary like how I look, but we do it mainly for the kids. Growing up, my family NEVER had family portraits done. DH has a few family shots at different ages and they are so nice to look back on, especially now that both his parents are gone. I'm not able to do that, and it's sad.