We are all proud of our little, or sometimes quite big families and wish to capture everyone on film so we can look back at different periods in our lives and do some nostalgic reminiscing. It is good to have some family pictures to look at, but the mere act of taking them on a regular basis can have some great benefits that most people neglect. While taking selfies can be said to be a form of self-exploration, you’ll definitely appreciate good family photos and will gain much from the photo shoot experience if you get into the habit of taking them annually. Here are some of the perks that await those who take up this fun practice.

Keeping everyone up to speed with family news

The way the world is today and the way people interact with each other – hectic and rushed on a daily basis, living apart from the rest of the family and barely conversing outside of social media updates – your extended family won’t have a lot of chances to keep track of you are doing. With an annual family photo session you have a great opportunity to let your parents and various relatives see how your life is going and to keep your faces fresh in their memory.

It’s a great way to gauge the progress of your kids over the years

Kids grow up very quickly and they change a lot through the years, so it is easy to lose sight of a particular moment in their lives. Having a few high-quality pictures of you and your kids from every single year up until now is a great way to see just how much they have grown, the small changes in their appearance and character and to get an insight in just how fast life goes by, reminding you to cherish and love your family and not get lost in small insignificant details.

Capturing fun memories that will last you a lifetime

There are surely hundreds of little wonderful moments that would be lost to the ravages of time if it were not for a picture to help you remember them. The things is, it’s all these small fun, funny and sweet moments that matter the most in terms of building strong interpersonal bonds and keeping you in a positive mental and emotional state. Whether goofy, interesting, confusing or romantic, these moments should be remembered and cherished.

You can look forward to providing future generations some insight into their heritage

It’s not something modern people think about that much, but new generations will come after us and newer still after them – making sure that they have a strong link to their heritage and know how their ancestors were, how they looked like and how they lived should be one of our priorities. A big photo album with several generations of the family really gives a person a sense of belonging and a respect for their culture.

Family photos can be a visual time capsule reminding you of a different time

While the family aspect is very important, a picture will also reveal interesting tidbits on the fashion, tastes and way of living in a bygone era. If you’ve lived to see your adolescent son or daughter laugh out loud looking at the picture of you in your best 80-ies clothes, once cool hairstyle and some technology that seems ancient and alien to them, then you know what I am talking about.

Creative family photos can be great décor

We come to a more practical side of things now, and it’s the fact that having a number of great family photos taking from year to year will provide you with some really cool and inexpensive home décor. Frame 10-15 pictures from years past in the hallway, living room or the staircase wall, and you will definitely liven up your home and give guests something to talk to you about. They are wonderful ice breakers during family reunions or when that uncle or grandma you haven’t seen in a few years comes to visit.

Annual family photo sessions are in themselves a very fun and interesting experience – whether it’s just two people in loved, mom and dad with kids or a portrait of you and your extended family – but they will also help capture the evolution of your family for both you and newer generations in the future.