When families book a professional family photoshoot, most people understandably imagine the traditional family portrait. Everyone dressed nicely, standing together and smiling at the camera.

And don't get me wrong, those photos are important. I always make sure we capture some beautiful images where everyone is looking at the camera because they're the photos that often end up framed on the wall, sent to grandparents or used on Christmas cards.

But as a family photographer, and also as a mum myself, I've noticed something interesting over the years. Quite often, the photos mums end up loving the most aren't necessarily those perfectly posed images.

They're the ones where nobody is looking at the camera.

The best family photoshoots include a mixture of both

I don't think family photography needs to be entirely posed or entirely candid. For me, the perfect family photoshoot includes a good mixture of both.

We'll absolutely get those photos where everyone is together and looking at the camera. I know how important those photographs are, particularly when you have young children and it's not always easy to get everyone in the one frame!

But once we've got those, that's when I love to loosen things up a little.

I'll get you walking together, cuddling your children, tickling them, playing games or simply interacting as a family. Sometimes I'll give you a little direction and sometimes I'll just stand back and see what naturally happens.

These are often the moments where the more candid family photos are created.

Why mums often love the candid photos most

There is something quite different about looking at a photograph of your family smiling at the camera compared to looking at a photograph of yourself completely absorbed in a moment with your child.

As mums, we're usually the ones taking the photos. We have hundreds, if not thousands, of photos of our children on our phones, but we're often missing from them ourselves. And even when we are in the occasional photo, it's rare to see ourselves interacting naturally with our children.

That's one of the things I love most about photographing families.

I can capture those little moments that you're experiencing but never actually get to see from the outside. The way your child looks at you. The way you automatically put your hand on their back. The way your little one curls into you for a cuddle.

And sometimes, as a mum, seeing a photo of yourself looking at your child with so much love is a pretty special thing. You don't see yourself that way when you're in the middle of everyday life.

The photos grandparents love versus the photos mums love

Of course, this is a generalisation, but I do often find that grandparents and mums can be drawn to very different photographs.

Grandparents tend to love the beautiful family portrait where everyone is looking at the camera and smiling. They want to see everyone's faces clearly and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. Those photographs are classic and will always have their place.

But mums often connect with something a little deeper.

It might be an extreme close-up of their baby's face resting against them. A photo of their child laughing while dad tickles them. Or a photograph where mum isn't looking at the camera at all because she's completely focused on her children.

To someone else, that photograph might just look like a close-up where nobody is looking at the camera.

But to mum, it brings back the feeling.

She remembers how that little body felt in her arms. How her child used to laugh. What that particular stage of life was like.

That's why I think having a mixture of traditional and candid family photos is so important. You get the photographs everyone expects you to have, but you also get the ones you may not realise you'll love until you see them.

Your children don't need to perform for the camera

One of the biggest concerns parents have before a family photoshoot is whether their children will cooperate.

Will they smile? Will they sit still? What happens if they're in a bad mood?

Honestly, you don't need to worry too much about any of it.

Children aren't meant to sit perfectly still and smile at a camera for an extended period of time, and I don't expect them to. In fact, some of the best family photos come when children are given the chance to move, play and simply be themselves.

That's why my family photography sessions are relaxed and interactive. There will be some moments where I'll bring everyone together and get those traditional family portraits, but there will also be plenty of opportunities for your children to run around, cuddle you, climb on dad or have a bit of fun.

The goal isn't to force your children to behave perfectly for the entire session. It's to capture your family as you are.

Candid family photos capture personality

Every child is different, and that's one of the reasons I love candid photography.

Some children are naturally outgoing and will happily perform for the camera. Others are shy and take a little while to warm up. Some won't stop moving and others are happiest sitting quietly with mum.

A good family photographer works with those personalities rather than trying to force every child into the same pose.

The candid moments during a family photoshoot often show the things you'll want to remember most about your children. Their cheeky expressions, the way they laugh, their relationship with their siblings or the way they still want to be picked up and cuddled.

Those little things change before we even realise they're changing.

You get to see yourself as part of the story

I think this is one of the biggest reasons professional family photos are so valuable.

As mums, we can be guilty of saying we'll get in the photos next time. Once we've lost a bit of weight. Once our hair is done. Once life isn't quite so busy.

But our children don't see any of those things when they look at us.

They just see mum.

And one day, when your children look back at your family photographs, they won't be analysing what you were wearing or whether your hair looked perfect. They'll see their mum holding them, laughing with them and being part of their childhood.

There is something incredibly special about having photographs where you can actually see how much you loved your children during that stage of their lives.

Not because you need proof of it, but because photographs give you the opportunity to look back and remember things that can become blurry with time.

A family photoshoot is about more than getting one perfect picture

Of course, everyone wants at least one beautiful family photo for the wall. And we'll make sure we get it.

But a professional family photoshoot can give you so much more than that.

It can capture your family at a very specific point in time. Your children's ages, their personalities, the way they interact with each other and the relationships between all of you.

That's why I always encourage families to relax and not put too much pressure on themselves or their children to perform perfectly.

Some of my favourite images have come from the moments in between poses. When children are laughing at something silly. When mum is fixing someone's hair. When dad is trying to get everyone organised.

Those are the moments that often feel the most real.

Looking for a relaxed family photographer in Melbourne?

My approach to family photography is simple. I want you to walk away with a collection of photographs that feels like your family.

We'll capture the beautiful photos where everyone is looking at the camera, because I know those are important. But we'll also make time for the more natural moments, including the cuddles, laughter, tickles and interactions that happen when everyone relaxes a little.

As a Melbourne family photographer, I photograph families and babies at all different stages, from young babies through to older children. My sessions are relaxed and designed to make the experience enjoyable rather than stressful.

Because while a beautiful family portrait is lovely to have, sometimes the photograph you end up treasuring most is the one where you weren't looking at the camera at all.

If you're looking for a professional family photographer in Melbourne to capture natural, connected and genuine family photos, I'd love to help you document this stage of your family's life- click the link below and lets get started!

Stace x