#1 "My Daughter’s One Year Old Picture Didn’t Go Quite As Planned..."
#2 "1984, France. The Only Picture I Have Of My Grandma And She Looks Like Grambo."
#3 “During A Cousins Photo Shoot, My Brother Fell Off The Stool Mid-Temper Tantrum And The Photographer Managed To Catch All Of My Cousins’ Reactions.”
Familial relationships are complex, to say the least. We’ve all had our fair share of drama and unresolved issues, which, according to Knox College psychology professor Dr. Frank McAndrew, could be why many family photos turn out awkward.
"You bring in all of these people together with their grudges and their histories on the very day where you want everything to be perfect,” he explained. "We all have to appear to be civil here, so you soldier on in some awkward way."
#4 “As A Child, My Boyfriend Loved Appliances And In His Eyes, All Other Appliances Paled In Comparison To The Vacuum Cleaner. When He Was Around Five, His Mom Took Him To A Photography Studio To Get His Portrait Taken. He Asked The Photographers If They Had Any Vacuums He Could Take A Picture With. They Found One In A Broom Closet And Brought It Out For Him… The Rest Is History.”
#5 "My Absolute Unit Of A Baby Brother. For Reference, My Sister Holding Him Was Four."
#6 “My Senior Photo, 1989. I Remember The Photographer And His Helper Had To Move Their Set Up Back In Order To Capture My Whole Head. Side Note: This Picture Got Me Voted Greatest 80s Hair By National Geographic TV’s Contest.”
But awkwardness is still a theme in many family photos, even if there aren't lingering tensions. According to Dr. McAndrew, this is likely because of the generally unique family dynamics that are different from other relationships we develop throughout life.
"Because we share genes with these people, we care about them in a way that we don't care about anyone else.”
#7 "This Old Picture Of My Great-Grandmother, Far Left, Makes It Look Like The Cameraman Just Stumbled Into A Secret Meeting Of The Grandmas..."
Many people experience anxiety, which is why they inadvertently look awkward in photos. Fortunately, there are solutions to this. Veteran wedding photographer Laura Oswald suggests focusing on the photos' outcome.
“When your focus is on how you appear in pictures, you are going to miss out on the experience and not really let yourself be natural,” she wrote in a blog post for her website.
#10 "I Really Love Those Quirky Space-Themed Family Photos. My Dog Max Was Less Than Cooperative, But We Managed To Snag This Wondrous Beauty."
#12 “Skipped Preschool To Go Get Glamour Shots With My Mom. Think It Was The Right Decision.”
Photographer Aimee Liz shares a similar sentiment on the mindset shift. She suggests pretending you’re in a movie to allow the emotions to shine through.
“Laughter is just as beautiful as romance, so either way, pretending you’re in a movie about your family’s love is a win-win,” she wrote in a post for her personal blog.
#13 "My Mom Was Amish In The 90s. Apparently, When This Picture Was Taken She Was In Trouble With The Church For Breaking Off Three Engagements."
#14 "My Daughter Was Having A Tantrum, And Hid Her Face Under A Pillow. The Results Were Divine!"
#15 “I Used To Get Really Bad Stomach Aches That Would Keep Me On The Toilet For Hours. I Would Also Get Really Lonely And Apparently Sleepy. Luckily My Mom Was There To Keep Me Company.”
People often say, “When you look good, you feel good.” Your appearance influences your emotions, which is why Seattle-based photographer Neyssa Lee suggests wearing something comfortable if you’re having a photoshoot.
“If you aren’t a short dress girl, or showing off your arms makes you cringe, avoid those things altogether,” she wrote on her website.
#16 “My Grandmother And Great Grandmother Around 1992 Or 93. According To My Grandma, ‘We Went To One Of Those Photo Places In The Palm Desert Mall And They Duded Us Up Like Floozies. We Howled When We Saw These Pictures.'”
#17 “I Was About Seven Years Old When My Favorite Betta Fish Died. I Was So Devastated That I Insisted On Hosting A Full Blown Funeral For It. We Dressed In All Black And Even Said Nice Words. My Mom Took This Photo In Our Back Yard Before We Buried It. My Older Sister Is Trying Her Hardest Not To Laugh While I Stood There Holding My Dead Fish On A Paper Plate."
#18 "My Husband’s High School Goth/Emo/Photoshop Phase Is An Untapped Goldmine."
We’d like to hear your thoughts, too. Do you have a lot of awkward photos with your family? How do they make you feel? Comment below, and perhaps share some of those snapshots, too!
#19 “We Were Doing Family Photos For My Sister’s Bat Mitzvah. The Photographer Told Us To Make Funny Faces But My Mom Took It To The Next Level…”
#20 "Daughter’s First Camping Trip. This Is How She Woke Me Up At 6:15 In The Morning."
