One of the hidden but powerful aspects of family photography that moms and most photographers rarely consider is how it can help us raise children with stronger confidence in their own worth and abilities. Psychologists and experts have done some work in recent decades exploring the link.


A revealing study was conducted in 1975 with a group of fourth graders at a Tennessee school by Tulane University. During a five week period, the children took Polaroid instant photos of themselves with provided cameras in a variety of assigned poses, compositions and expressing various emotions. The children worked with the printed images of themselves and created scrapbooks once a week over those five weeks. Testing of the students and teachers at the conclusion of study revealed a significant increase of 37 percent in the students’ average self-esteem behaviors. This Murfreesboro Study shows some evidence personal photography of children seen and enjoyed in a specific way can help boost a child’s self-esteem.


But how can family photography, specifically family portraits, help boost a child’s self-esteem?  


David Krauss, a licensed psychologist from Cleveland, Ohio says, “I think it is really important to show a family as a family unit. It is so helpful for children to see themselves as a valued and important part of that family unit. A photographer’s job is to create and make the image look like a safe holding space for kids where they are safe and protected. Kids get it on a really simple level.”


Krauss is one of the earliest pioneers in using people’s personal photography and family albums to assist in mental health counseling and therapy. He co-authored “Photo Therapy and Mental Health” in 1983 that is considered a founding text for the use of photography in therapy.


“It lets children learn who they are and where they fit,” says Judy Weiser. a psychologist, art therapist and author based in Vancouver. “They learn their genealogy and the the uniqueness of their own family and its story. When a child sees a family portrait with them included in the photograph they say to themselves: ‘These people have me as part of what they are, that’s why I belong here. This is where I come from.'”


Weiser has spent more than 20 years using all manner of personal photography to assist in the treatment process of her clients. She is considered by many to be the foremost authority on these treatment techniques, called PhotoTherapy.  


When It Comes To Having The Greatest Positive Impact For Your Child, Which is Better, Digital Images or Paper Prints?


Obviously, rather than print and display family photographs, families are increasingly enjoying their images in a digital form, be it a mobile device, a laptop, or simply on social media. But does an image on a tablet, computer screen or social media site have the same impact for helping families boost a child’s self-esteem?


“My bias is very simple. I think they (family photographs) should be on the wall,” says Krauss.
“I am very conservative about self-esteem and I think placing a family photo someplace in the home where the child can see it every day without having to turn on a device or click around on a computer to find it really hits home for that child this sense of reassurance and comfort. They have a certainty about them and a protecting quality that nurtures a child. It let’s them know where they are in the pecking order and that they are loved and cared for,” says Krauss.


The importance of printed photographs displayed in your living space was echoed by other experts.
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“My personal and clinical bias is there is something very powerful in touching your fingers to an actual print,” says Craig Steinberg, a licensed psychologist who works with children ages five through 13 near Eugene, Ore. “Touching the photograph where a face is smiling or the shoulders, it is the same thing as touching a book when you read it. There’s a lot of stimulation of the brain when you have that sensory experience. That is a bit lost in the move to digital. You are touching a keyboard, mouse or a touchscreen but you are not touching the image.”


“Displaying photos prominently in the home sends the message that our family and those in it are important to one another, and we honor the memories we have experienced,“ says Cathy Lander-Goldberg, a licensed clinical social worker and a professional photographer in St. Louis, Missouri and the director of Photo Explorations, which offers workshops to girls and women using portrait and journaling for self-reflection.  


Additionally, Krauss recommends having photographs of that child with their family placed in the child’s bedroom so it can be among the last things they see before sleep and the first thing they may see before beginning their day.


“It says we love you and care about you. You’re important.”


by Chris Cummins, Contributor to Design Aglow

Engagement sessions are a great excuse to get some pictures taken, and nature can provide a beautiful backdrop and a personal touch to your pictures.

This beautiful shot was taken at Woodward Park in Fresno California. The little girl is wearing the crown because she's celebrating her second birthday!

Lost Lake Park in Friant, right outside of Fresno, is a great location for family sessions. Lost Lake boasts meadows, hills, rivers, streams, giant boulders, beautiful grass and trees, all in one spot! It's an expansive park with trails perfect for spending the day hiking or bird watching. If you prefer a lazier day, you can enjoy the built-in BBQ pits and let the kids play in one of the natural shallow pools.

These pictures are from a recent maternity session with an amazing couple. They took advantage of the different terrain, and ease of facilities to make outfit changes, that Lost Lake provides to create some fun and unique maternity photos.

Fall is a great time to include as much of your surroundings as possible. The beautiful colors of the trees, and the ground covered in leaves really add some spice (unfortunately not pumpkin spice) to your family photos!

Fall is one of the most popular times for family photos, trees start to turn beautiful orange and red hues, and piles of leaves decorate the ground. It's a great time to add some interesting colors to your background, and to your wardrobe.
Here in Fresno, fall is over in a flash! The trees start to lose their leaves even before they change color, so you have to act fast if you want to take advantage of this once-a-year occurrence.
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Many of us decorate for the holiday season. We spend hours preparing our houses for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and all the other holidays that bring us through the winter months. What better way to show off your decorating abilities than with holiday photos?
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My family loves our holiday photos, and we love choosing our favorite to be featured on our holiday cards!

    Newborn photos look the best right after birth. Babies are easier to pose and keep happy, they don't mind props, hats, and silly clothes, and they haven't learned to be camera shy, but who wants to pack up their newborn and head to a photo studio? No one, that's who.
    A few years ago while setting up my gear at a school for some class photos I realized that I bring about half of my studio with me when I do class pictures, and started to question whether or not I actually needed a studio to drag clients to.
     Having a studio is very convenient, and for commercial and product photographers it's a necessity, but for family portraits it really isn't.
     Sometimes you still want that studio look, but almost any room can be turned into a studio. This fact makes photo sessions for newborns more comfortable for new parents, children's portraits less scary for our shy kids, boudoir sessions in your comfort zone, and the list goes on. You might not think your home or backyard makes a good looking picture, but it will make a good photo studio.

A birthday celebration is a great time to bring family and friends together. I had the pleasure of documenting this birthday party at the Sunnyside Country Club in Fresno, and I set up a portrait station in the back. The host purchased some simple props that she enjoyed so her guests could have fun portraits of themselves and their families to remember the party.

I have used the portrait station idea at parties, weddings, and other events. It's a personal and custom photo-booth that everyone loves.