The Importance of Family Photos

Maybe you can relate to this memory: my grandmother had a photo gallery on her wall above her piano. The frames were all different sizes and the pictures inside were of relatives - some I knew well and some who had passed long before I came into the world. I loved looking at those photos. We’ve been taking pictures of the people we care about since the 1840s. Of course at that time, photography was much more difficult to access than it is today. However, the value of family photography has not diminished over all these years.

Did you know that seeing photos of themselves and family hung on the wall actually helps a child develop a sense of identity and belonging? It’s also been proven to help self-esteem and confidence!

Family photos are a terrific way to record the passage of time. Your kids grow taller, maybe they go through a strange fashion phase, maybe you add a member to your family through birth or marriage! These are the moments in life worth CELEBRATING! On the other hand, loved ones leave us, but with photography we’re able to look at them and remember them whenever we need or want to. Holding a photo of a loved one who has passed helps with the grieving process and brings comfort. Down the road, we’re grateful to look back and reminisce, laugh, even cry.

With how fast life moves these days, I see a lot of parents snapping pics of their kids on their cell phones while they play at the beach or perform at school, etc. I get it. It’s quick and convenient. Unlike the 1840s, everyone has a camera in their pocket. In fact, we take more pictures every 2 minutes then were taken throughout the entire 1800s. Snapchat alone accounts for over 10,000 pictures EVERY SECOND!!! But these pictures are temporary. They’re taken, then they vanish. Just like that. And the truth is, even those pictures you’ve uploaded to social media and stored on your computers hard-drive are not permanent. Technology is unreliable and we have no idea what the future holds. But I bet you have a box of prints and a stack pf photo albums in your house that you’ve had for what feels like an eternity.

Your kids will want those albums too. They’ll want to hold their grandparents, their aunts and uncles, their PARENTS in their hands one day. They’ll want pictures WITH you. Full-bodied in the sunlight outside of their childhood home, or on family vacation. The kind they’ll want to hang on their gallery wall because memories never go out of style. When was the last time you had family portraits taken? Is it time for an update?