Family photo day can start with a simple goal: get one good picture of everyone together before the kids grow another six inches. Then comes the photographer deposit. Someone needs a new shirt. Another child needs shoes. Maybe there’s a haircut, holiday cards, prints for grandparents, and the irresistible temptation to buy extra digital images once the gallery arrives.
Suddenly, preserving a family memory has become a several-hundred-dollar event. Professional photography can absolutely be worth the money. But as family portraits become more elaborate—and more visible on social media—parents may want to separate the pictures they genuinely value from another parenting expense they feel obligated to pay.
