Photo Traditions have kind of Fallen Out of Style

I get it. It’s 2025. You take a ton of photos of your family, with your phone, all the time, every day. It’s in your pocket. It’s easy. Gone are the days when photos that feel professional have to happen in a photography studio, when you can capture those every day candid moments yourself, without the admin of scheduling a session.

But none of that means that photo traditions shouldn’t be a part of your family’s schedule, and there are a lot of reasons for that!

Traditions hold a powerful place at the Heart of Family

At their heart, traditions are about connection. They’re a way that we mark time, and document our lives, and create a sense of being at home in our own lives. I mean, think back to your childhood – what traditions did your family have that you get that little hint of nostalgia just thinking about? Cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning? A gift-giving thing your family does in a unique way? The annual walk after Thanksgiving lunch?

They’re all magical moments of connection, built into your family schedule like comforting clockwork. And when you work photography into those traditions? It’s even more powerful, because you don’t just get to think back to them – you get to physically LOOK at that experience, year after year! And in our ever-increasingly-digital-world, it just gets more and more important to have physical things in our lives that remind us of our connection to the people we love.

What Photo Related Family Traditions Can You Start Now?

So if your family doesn’t have photo-based family traditions, it’s time to start. And it’s not a complicated task to start, either! Especially when you work with me here at Jessica Strobel Photography, because whether it’s a holiday tradition you’re looking to add, or something around Mothers’ day, in the summer… you name it… I’ve got options that are super simple to book! You can even do it from your phone. It’s THAT easy.

And the simplicity doesn’t stop there, because it’s ALSO super easy to do things like ordering photo gifts through your gallery. I’ve got you covered!!

1 – Family Photo Sessions

The first family tradition you could start literally right now, is having an annual family photo session. Now like I said, I know that you’re already taking photos of your kiddos on a daily basis. But think about it – you’re not in those photos. You’re TAKING those photos. And that means that when your kiddos look back at them… you’re not going to be in those pictures with them, having whatever fun they’re having while you’re pointing your phone at them.

And that might not sound like a big deal right now. But later? It will be. Your family should be able to look back at memories you’ve made TOGETHER, not memories they made while you were documenting it. And that’s where professional photography comes in! Scheduling a session means you’re going to be IN those photos. You’re going to be laughing WITH your kids, and when they look back at it, they’ll be able to see all that love and all that joy. WITH you. Not with you behind the camera.

2 – Exchange a Photo Related Gift

Up next in the line up, we’ve got exchanging photo related gifts! This one brings in the “physical things” part of our “traditions are important for connection” argument here. It doesn’t have to be a large photo print, or even a print at all! It can be a photo ornament you have printed every year with your favorite picture from a holiday session. Or it can be a wallet sized print to add to a fun gallery wall in your family members’ homes. You can get super creative, and look at the options in places like Etsy or from hand makers in your local area, and order something unique every year that integrates that memory into an everyday item you’re going to have in your home anyway.

If you DO want it to be a print of some variety, or an ornament, for example, then you can super easily order that directly through your gallery from a session here at Jessica Strobel Photography. It’s just a few clicks, and you can do it from your own couch. Like magic.

It could even be a goofy gift, like novelty custom printed socks. That’s the other thing about it being 2025 – the options are literally endless, and you can get so creative with the way you bring family connection into the stuff you’ve got throughout your home. And… after years of doing that? You and your favorite people will be surrounded by reminders of your joy and love. There’s nothing cooler than that!

3 – Give the Gift of a Photo Session

Finally, no matter the time of year, it’s super cool to gift a photo session to the people who matter in your life. Whether that means you’re involved in the session, or not! This is a perfect gift, that not only keeps on giving, but that can be repeated year after year. Think about it – I’d bet there are definitely people in your life who you love, and who are SUPER difficult to pick out gifts for. Especially after years of gifting – your parents only need so many new sweaters, and you can’t get your dad books about golf every year. It just doesn’t work.

But gifting a photo session? You’re giving them the gift of memories. And once you get the photos back, YOU get to participate in the “memories” aspect of the whole thing. It’s a win-win-win, and if you know me, you know how much I love a win-win.

Hoping to start a Family Photo Tradition?

So if you’re convinced, and you want to join in on the photography family tradition train, it might be time for us to talk! Whether it’s because you want to set up something amazing ahead of this coming Mothers’ Day, you want to start having annual family sessions every summer, or you’re looking to add a holiday tradition to your family’s roster. I would be honored to become the photographer you work with year after year, to document your family as you grow, change, and just straight up keep loving eachother in this wild and wonky world. We’ve never needed connection more – and like I said, traditions are a huge part of keeping that connection alive!