Everybody knows that taking family photos is important. It’s why challenges like the Me and Mine Project are so worth doing. It makes you wonder though—we all know that family portraits and photos in general are important…but do we know why?
It turns out that there are some actual concrete (like, rooted in science) reasons that we want to have these portraits done and take these pictures of ourselves and our loved ones:
According to the Daily Mail, doctors can now use simple family photographs to diagnose rare and genetic illnesses. This is because these diseases and conditions often show up in very specific parts of our faces. One of the most common is Down’s syndrome, which is readily apparent in a person’s facial structure. Scientists are currently working on apps that would allow doctors to scan family photos and tell expecting parents whether they were likely to have children with certain conditions!
Family and Generational Connections are cemented in our family photography, writes the Local Archiver: “…A well organized and effectively shared photo collection can promote a clearer understanding of how our family ancestors influenced our thinking, and provide reminders of our personal history and development.”
It isn’t just mothers who insist that family photographs are important, as they force their children to stand in front of a fireplace and “look happy!” A poll conducted by CBS in the US found that nearly seventy percent of the men polled said that family photos are very important to them.
These days taking family portraits is much easier than it used to be. You simply hold your arm out, frame yourself, your spouse and the children properly and snap a “selfie” with your phone. Or, if you prefer something more traditional you can set up a proper camera with a timer and take group shots that way. And, of course, nobody is going to deny that candid shots are far more fun than the stiff posed shots that parents take at a child’s every milestone or achievement.
Still, there is something to be said for having formal family portraits done. Yes—we all remember what it was like to put on starched and formal clothes and head off to a photography studio on a Saturday morning. Today, though, professional studio portraits are much more relaxed. One of my American blogging friends had her family portraits done on a whim one evening at a Picture People and they turned out great.
Note for my UK readers: We don’t actually have Picture People here in the UK; they’re a USA only company. We do, though, have Portrait Place and Pixifoto!
The fact is that a lot of us think and remember in images and photos help us remember things that we might have forgotten. They also help us literally see how connected we are to other members of our families. Think about it: don’t you sometimes stumble across a portrait from decades and decades ago of some long lost relative and for a second you think you’re looking at a photoshopped portrait of a cousin or a sibling?
So, in closing, I urge all of you to take up photo challenges like the Me and Mine project and even to spend some money at your local photography studio. They’ll be happy for the work and you’ll be happy for the memories.
This post was written by Christine Michaels
Christine is a California native, born and raised in San Diego. She is now happily self employed. Christine is a part time blogger and food connoisseur, well pratically.
That family photo is so lovely!