If I had only had thirty seconds to prepare an hour-long presentation about a topic of my choice, I would pick the importance of taking family photos every time. What can I say, I’m just a huge fan of documenting families and family relationships!

While I love snapping photos of the whole family, there is something so special about individual photos of children and their parents. I know from experience that kids change much too fast, so having professional photos of each stage is an invaluable experience. As a momma myself, I am especially a big fan of mother/daughter photos.

Capturing motherhood makes my heart sing!

I will always be an advocate for setting aside time during your session to snap a few individual shots with each parent and their children of the same gender. They’re some of my favorite photos to take! It’s so fun to see mothers who really capitalize on those moments with their daughters and really make it a special time for their kiddos. 

It’s so common to hear that moms never have photos with their kids because they are always the ones behind the camera. Isn’t that such a crime? Family photos are one of the rare opportunities moms have to be in the frame with their little ones. When else will you be all dolled up with a professional photographer ready to capture your relationship with your family?

Family photos are a great time to highlight your mother/daughter relationship, and that can be done through more than just stepping aside to take pictures together. It starts well before you arrive at your session and can extend long after it’s over! Let’s chat about a few ways you can make your mother/daughter photos a little extra meaningful.

Involve her in the planning process

Even if your daughter isn’t huge on having her photo taken, now is the time to really talk up the family picture experience. Involve her in the process as much as possible! You can do this by asking her opinion on what to wear, assigning her a related task to complete, or looking through past family pictures to get inspiration for your session.

Matching outfits

Creating a way to coordinate your outfit with your daughter can be a really fun way to make pictures memorable for her. This can be done in a big or small way, like matching dresses or special necklaces. Maybe your daughter loves crafts and would be thrilled to create bracelets to wear together. Take her preferences into account and really take the time to emphasize how important this is to you.

Print photos off for her room

Don’t let your special mother/daughter photos hide in your camera roll! I have such strong feelings about printing off your images and giving them life outside a screen. After you get your images back, go through them with your daughter and pick a few ones you both love to display in her room. It might also be fun to shop for a cute frame that coordinates with her decor together as well.

Celebrate afterward with a treat

After your session is over, plan a mother/daughter date to celebrate a successful family photo outing. It can be as big or small as you want it to be. If you wore something matching/coordinating with your pictures, maybe incorporate that into your date as well. Even if your celebration is just a quick trip to the ice cream shop,  the important thing is that you’re spending dedicated time together. 

I hope these ideas give you some inspiration, regardless of how you choose to highlight your special relationship with your child. Moms are so vital to families and society as a whole, so be sure to take some time to celebrate that! Motherhood is such a special bond, and that shouldn’t be overlooked.