How to create a truly memorable family photo experience

***This tutorial was posted on our expansive photography forum; however, we think it’s so rad that we just had to share with you, too***

Each year, all I ask of my family is that they let me have ONE photo of the six of us together.

ONE.

LITTLE.

PHOTO.

I take photos of other families dozens of times a year and for the most part, they don’t complain. Heck, they PAY me to do it!

So you would think that this one photo wouldn’t be too much to ask of my people. The very people who I clothe, feed, house, and four sixths of whom I carried in my womb.

You would think.

But alas, every year it comes with enough drama and hilarity to keep me from daring to try it until twelve more months have passed.

And because I love all of you oh so much, I am going to let you have a peek into the grand tradition that is the Bieser annual photo session with the hopes that from the lessons of my experience, you too can have your own truly memorable family session

1. Schedule a spa day for yourself the morning of your session.

My friend, I don’t know if you know what is headed your way, but you are not going to have time to worry about your hair before this all goes down.

Go ahead and call the salon now to get a trim/color touch-up/blowout/minute of sanity. Read all the gossip magazines as you sit under the dryer and revel in the glorious quiet that is this place of pampering.

You will thank me later.

2. Have your judge-y babysitter watch the kids while you are at said appointment.

I don’t want you to relax TOO much because that might make this experience less than truly memorable. By having your judge-y babysitter spend a few hours with the kids, you can ensure that you will return to a house of chaos that will starkly contrast with the three hours of zen you just came from.

Having your toddler run around with a diaper on his head and the older kids bickering about who had the last turn on the PlayStation while your daughter is upstairs quietly painting the cat’s nails on the carpet (I wish I was joking…) will set the tone for what is surely to be a day that you won’t erase from your memory any time soon.

Even better, your judge-y babysitter will take the time to tell you all of the naughty things your kids did while you were away and will give you some much-needed parenting advice as she heads out the door shaking her head.

3. Let your husband make his own clothing choices.

Mr. Bieser is SUCH a good sport about pictures. Really and truly, he is my biggest fan and supporter. So why not let him choose what he wears this year?

I am not going for matching and he is so handsome that he can pull-off almost anything. Including A TRACTOR SUPPLY HAT. Because he has a tractor and why not advertise it in our family photo?! I mean, we really didn’t want to see his face this year anyway, right?

4. Have a teenager be part of your family.

Nothing says family fun like a teenager perpetually rolling his eyes and folding his arms and reminding anyone who is willing to listen that he is too cool for this family, we are embarrassing, and that the jeans I bought him for these pictures are not the right style.

I have a thirteen-year-old you are welcome to borrow should you need one.

5. Spill something on yourself on the way to the photo session.

Hot coffee is preferred because it combines pain AND stains and we all know that multi-sensory experiences are the most memorable. You didn’t need that caffeine boost anyway, right?

6. Have someone in tears over something.

You shouldn’t have to try very hard for this one because let’s face it, all of your nerves are frayed and everyone is an emotional wreck. A simple step on the toe or snide comment from a sibling should do the trick.

Spend a frantic minute calming the cryer while also trying to explain that the sun is only going to cooperate for so long so PLEASE PULL IT TOGETHER.

7. Get the perfect shot and then promptly ruin it.

I thought I was all awesome this year using a remote to take our family photos. No more running shots of my backside as the interval timer ticked down!

What I didn’t take into account was the fact that the autofocus on my lens would keep hunting as I pressed said remote and as we all shifted ever-so-slightly, would take 52 photos with the trees in focus. Awesome.

8. Get your shot for real and then become a blubbery mess when you realize how much your kids have changed in just one year.

Get a little excited that this semi-torturous tradition lets you capture your family like this.

Can’t wait for all of you to create your own memorable experiences because really, it’s worth doing it before they grow up

P.S. We all know I like me some Photoshop but would you believe that this sky ISN’T an overlay?!?! It was like the weather gods were having mercy on my poor photographer soul and the gray blah skies of the entire day opened-up to this for just enough time for me to get this shot. The tree color is a totally different topic altogether