Part of running a travel blog is making sure that we have great photos of our family enjoying all the adventures we embark on. We are often asked “how do you get your kids to pose so nicely” as other parents battle to get their teens and tweens to play along. Well, here’s our secret – our kids aren’t keen posers either. We have to work really hard to get great shots of everyone being happy, and have learned some excellent techniques along the way.

Here are 7 tips, to help you capture happy family travel memories:

1. Plan ahead. Think a bit about where you will be going, and what landmarks you would like to photograph. Discuss ideas for group shots with your kids. Give them the chance to verbalise what they are prepared to do, and also what they would not consider trying. There is no point in attempting to do the impossible – it is just a family feud waiting to happen. Your kids might also come up with some innovative pose ideas or angles you had not thought of.
   

   The kids suggested this shot

2. Teens don’t like people staring at them. It is mortifying for most teenagers to be standing in front of other people, posing for the camera while your parents get the shot. Think of the popular giant yellow photo frames in Cape Town – how many great photos have you seen of these? Well, in our case, we researched the most remote frame location, and made sure we visited in off-peak hours. We waited until no-one was around and then had some cringe-free time to do a few takes until we got some great pics.
   

   A rare hand-holding moment with no-one watching

3. Capture the moment. Try not do all posed shots – take a camera with all the time and snap away while they don’t know you are filming them. Cell phones are always handy, and an action cam is the bomb – they are so tiny and easy to pop into your handbag wherever you go. Some of our best photos have been spur of the moment mobile snaps.
   

   A  spur of the moment action shot

4. Display your travel photographs in your home. Our kids love our digital photo frame in the kitchen which displays loads of photos of our happy family travels. They like to look at it, remember that trip, and they all want to be a part of it. In fact they get quite ticked off when one of their siblings is featured more than them (you can use this as an incentive for future shots – “Mom, why is Cian in more photos than me?”, “Well Luke, that’s because you didn’t want your photo taken that time, remember?”).
   

   One that didn’t make the frame

5. Be quick with it. Communicate your goals, so they know what is expected of them and can -get it over with quickly. If they don’t co-operate, you can always threaten them with keeping on for as long as it takes until you get the shot…
   

   This one was done and dusted in a few seconds

6. Don’t be embarrassing parents! Blend in, don’t yell their names and attract attention to yourselves. Stealth and speed are the name of the game.
   

   Far too embarrassing parental behaviour

7. Go with the flow on the day. If things aren’t going quite as expected and planned, try and roll with it – you may be surprised with how it turns out! Just snap away, capture the moment, and even if it’s a disaster, it’s a family memory to laugh about later on.
   

   One of many that went wrong

Most of all, have fun together. Embrace the moment – its one of life’s wealthiest blessings to be together as a family exploring uncharted territory and experiencing something new.

If you enjoyed these tips, you might like to read our Top 10 Tips for Travelling with Teens.

And please share any pearls of wisdom you have on taking family photos in the comments section below.