Wall Art or an Album? Why I Plan Your Family Photo Session Backwards

Before we talk about outfits, locations or whether everybody needs to look at the camera, I’m probably going to ask you about your walls.

I know… a little backwards.

But if you’re trying to figure out what to do with your family photos, the best time to start is before we make them. You don’t have to choose a frame, or a size or the exact photo that’s going over the couch, because we haven’t taken it yet. We’re just starting with a question: where do you want to see these photographs?

That answer helps me plan what I photograph, how I frame it and which moments need a little more room. The artwork is chosen after the session, when you’ve actually seen the photos. But thinking about your home first gives us somewhere to go.

Why think about the wall before the session?

Maybe there’s an empty spot over the couch that’s been bugging you for years. Maybe you have a hallway that needs a group of family pictures, but every time you try to figure out the sizes you give up and decide to deal with it later.

Totally fair. This is exactly why we talk about it.

If we’re creating one large horizontal portrait, I need to photograph with that shape in mind. I’m not going to spend the whole session making tight vertical pictures and then act surprised when none of them work in the space. A tall, narrow wall asks for something different. So does a grouping of two or three pieces.

This doesn’t mean the session becomes posed or overly planned. It means we have a purpose. We know there’s one photograph we really need, and then we can let the rest of the session unfold around it.

What makes a family photo work as wall art?

The best family portrait for a wall has to make sense in the room, not just on a screen. The shape matters. The amount of empty space. The way everyone is grouped. Even where you usually stand when you look at that wall matters a little.

And bigger is usually harder to picture than people expect. A photograph can look enormous when you’re holding it and strangely tiny once it’s over a sofa. That’s why I want to talk about the actual wall. A quick photo sent from your phone is enough to get us started.

When we plan for family portrait wall art, we’re making one strong image that can hold the room. Something that belongs there.

Then what goes in the album?

Everything else that tells the story.

The silly ones. The little in-between moments. The way your child leans into you without thinking about it. The expressions that are absolutely not going over the fireplace, but are completely your family.

A wall portrait needs to work from across a room. A family photo album gets to be closer. One photograph can lead into the next, which means we can keep the small moments and not ask one image to do all the work.

That’s the part I love about albums. They have room for your family to be more than one perfect photograph. Because nobody is one perfect photograph.

Do I have to choose between wall art and an album?

No. They do different jobs, and one session can give us what we need for both.

We can make the photograph that anchors the wall, then keep photographing the quieter moments, the movement, the kids being weird in the way only your kids are weird. Those photographs can live together in an album, while the one that feels right for your home gets to be seen every day.

You also don’t have to decide exactly what you’re buying on the planning call. Please don’t turn this into homework. The point of the call is to understand the possibilities so I can photograph with them in mind. After the session, we’ll look at the images and see what actually feels right.

What if I have no idea what size I need?

Most people don’t. Honestly, why would you?

Send me a picture of the wall. Tell me what’s been bothering you about it, or what you wish was there. Maybe you want one big piece. Maybe you keep saving gallery wall ideas and then getting overwhelmed by all the frames. Maybe you just know you want family pictures somewhere other than your phone.

That’s enough for us to start.

Why I don’t want your portraits to stop at a digital folder

I’m not against digital files. I just know what usually happens to them. You download the gallery, tell yourself you’ll come back and print something, and then forget about it and six months later the folder is still there. Maybe you opened it twice.

I want you to live with your photographs.

I want the big one on the wall to catch you on an ordinary day. I want the album to come out when your kids are older and want to see what they looked like at four, or seven, or whatever age they were when they still climbed into your lap.

That’s why the planning starts at the end. Not because you need to have everything figured out.

Have a blank wall you don’t know what to do with?

Send me a picture of it. We can talk about what might work there and plan your session around the photographs you actually want to see in your home. And we’ll make sure the other moments have a place to live, too.

If you’re ready to start, learn more about family photography with Ten Little Bluebirds or get in touch to plan your session.

Questions families ask about wall art and albums

Should I choose wall art or a family photo album?

Choose wall art when you want one strong portrait, or a small grouping, to become part of a room. Choose an album when you want the fuller story and more of the in-between moments. Many families want both, because they do different things.

Do I need to know the exact wall art size before my session?

No. A phone photo of the wall is enough to begin the conversation. We can talk about the shape of the space and what you want it to feel like. You’ll choose the actual artwork after you’ve seen your photographs.

Can one family photo session create images for both the wall and an album?

Yes. We can plan for the main portrait your wall needs, then photograph the smaller moments and connections that make an album feel like your family.

What should I send before the planning call?

If there’s a wall you’re thinking about, send a straight-on phone photo of it. You can also tell me whether you picture one large photograph, a small grouping, or an album. If you have no idea, that’s okay. We’ll talk it through.

When do I choose my wall art and album?

The artwork is chosen after the session, at the reveal, once you’ve seen the photographs. We can look at the images large, consider the wall, and see how the story works in an album before you decide.