50 People Who Took Their Family Photo Recreations To The Next Level

In photographer Dominic's opinion, recreating family photos is popular because people seem to love then-and-now pictures.

"There's such a large amount of then-and-now photos of celebrities that I think the desire to see a comparison as to how people have changed trickles down to the everyday person," he told Bored Panda. "I believe that social media and the humor of recreating a photo from childhood is also a major driving force. It's funny to see a grown adult recreating a situation from their childhood because it's so out of place and makes for a really funny photo!"

Dominic revealed that the photo of his sister and him wasn't he only photo he's recreated. He also took a photo of himself on the last day that he was 17 and recreated the same picture on the last day that he was 27. "Maybe I'll keep that trend going," he said. Dominic also revealed that his sister's wedding photo was taken by Country Roads Photography, located in Forest, Ohio.

In Dominic's professional opinion, the biggest challenge in recreating photos is getting the posing and angles right. "This can be difficult for recreating any image, let alone with people involved," he said.

He added that it's vital to print out your photos and keep physical copies of them. "These photos are all digital and online, but it's important to have printed copies of your memories, so that you can have them to pass down to future generations. Plus, by doing so, maybe your future children will one day recreate a photo of you," he urged others.

Meanwhile, Cody, who recreated his grandfather's photo in Japan, had this to say to Bored Panda: "When I was younger I became interested in WW2 in the Pacific because I knew my grandfather had been in that theatre of the war. He was a Navy dental surgeon and called himself the 'Jumping Dentist' because he was possibly the only Naval dentist to also be trained as a paratrooper."

Cody told us that after the war, his grandfather was part of the occupation of Tokyo. "The clash of cultures that eventually grew into cooperation and success for both countries was a captivating story to me. And it caused me to dive deeper into the full history of Japan and it’s culture. So when I got a few months before the start of my career I decided on a whim to go and live in Japan for a time, working as a bartender. I did this for many reasons but I think all those reasons grew from the memory of my now-passed grandfather who seemed to live a life of adventure. I wanted to do the same," he said.

Before leaving, Cody got every photo of his grandfather's from Japan and digitized them. "I spent a very long time attempting to find any photo that aligned with the present before I left, but had little luck. Most photos were unlabeled or only had vague descriptions. Even more problematic was the fact that most of Japan when he was there was still destroyed by the war. However, some of the Japanese people I worked with helped me in my quest. The only photos of hundreds that they recognized was the Imperial Palace in this photo."

When Cody got the chance to go, it was literally his last day in Japan. "I didn't know if the spot was inaccessible to the public or if I could find it at all because the palace is quite large. But when I spotted the building in the distance, there were some pretty indescribable feelings. I had so many other adventures while I was in Japan, too many to relate here, but that moment was surreal. It was like seeing someone you know across the platform in a train station. You know you’re both coming from and going to different places but the miracle that you managed to cross paths here seems to validate your entire journey."

Those of us who paid attention in biology class will remember that children inherit genes from their parents. They get one set of genes from their dads and the other set from their moms. Depending on what combinations these genes match up in, family members can end up looking very similar to each other. (Or barely anything alike!)

So while some of us are able to recreate photos of our loved ones quite easily, others have to rely more on clothes, props, and posing to get the energy just right.

We’re living in an age where nearly everyone seems to have a smartphone with a gazillion-pixel camera. So taking a family portrait or a goofy selfie is incredibly easy. However, just because we can take fun family photos, it doesn’t mean everyone wants to.

Some family members feel shy and avoid having their picture taken because they may have self-esteem issues or they’re ashamed of how their bodies look. Personally, I’ve always had issues with having my picture taken because I look like an utter goofball in them.

According to St. Vincent’s Behavioral Health Center, people who are afraid of having their picture taken might have some sort of social phobia. Their advice is to become desensitized.

At first, try taking your own photo with a time-delay camera, then have a family member or a close friend take your picture from a long distance. Gradually, reduce the distance until you feel fully comfortable. Remember to try and keep your mind occupied with other things while you’re being photographed. Eventually, you’ll be taking part in family photos and recreating old pictures so well, you’ll rival the best of ‘em!