Families across the nation are posing for family “porchraits” and embracing a newfound togetherness during these times of distanced interactions. As many are staying home and practicing social distancing in efforts to limit the spread of coronavirus, families and photographers everywhere want to share that, moments of joy, are still happening. If you and your family are looking to dress up, get silly, and feel normal during these extraordinary times, here are some ways to pose for a family porchrait.
What Are Family Porchraits?
Porchraits are a current trend floating around social media that involves people and families from all over, who are isolated in quarantine, being photographed on their front porch. Front porch portraits document home-life in the time of the coronavirus as families step outside their homes to pose and photographers, keeping social distance, take photos.
As many are showing the different ways they want to express themselves during these times – some show off their quarantine “work from home” attire, some take the opportunity for comedic relief, some use this as the way to capture a milestone like a birthday or graduation – these porchraits are bringing a sense of unity to the community. When we see that families are celebrating, laughing and having fun, it’s reminding us of the strength we can find together.
Family Porchrait Posing Ideas
Porchraits are intended to be a snapshot of this specific moment in time for each family. Whether you and your family want to dress up, wear pajamas, put on some costumes or just remain casual, get inspired by these family portrait posing ideas. For a good memory to look back on, turn your family porchraits into photo prints or create a custom photo book to remember times spent indoors.
Honor Your Grad
If you have a grad in your family whose ceremony is postponed to a later date, you can still make them feel accomplished when they finish school by planning a graduation porchrait! Set up some 2020 balloons with fringe and star garland, have your grad put on their cap and gown, and start posing for fun pictures. You can also use these photos as graduation announcements for their eventual ceremony.
Celebrate With A Front Porch Birthday Party
If a loved one has an upcoming birthday, help them celebrate by dressing up and eating cake on the porch for a front porch birthday party. Deck out the porch with balloons, streamers, and signs. Capture this unique birthday party with a family porchrait and pose with all the fun decorations.
Dress Up In Party Attire
If your family has style to spare, show off your fancy threads on the front porch. Have your family go all out and pose in formal gowns, tuxedos, jewelry, makeup, and heels. Have fun and bring some glam into your family’s life. If you want to add some humor to this glam-up, pose in your nicest clothes while taking out the trash or doing some mundane, everyday chores.
Pose In Pajamas
Nothing says comfort like an entire family in pajamas. Pose comfortably by wearing matching pajamas with your family to show off how cozy you all have been in quarantine. You could even use these photos as heartwarming Thinking Of You cards to send off to loved ones and wish them good health and safety.
Express Your Love For Sports
For many families, the cancellation of sports has been very impactful. Express your love for sports by having your family dress up in their favorite sports team attire. If you have little athletes that are missing out on their school and club sports, have them wear their uniforms and capture their love for their favorite sport.
Bring Out Your Pets
As many are working hard from home and spending a lot of time with your furry friends (or fish and reptiles), show off your pets to create a complete family porchrait. Pose by hugging your dog, cat, or lizard who are helping you cope through these unprecedented times.
Share Your Work From Home Routine
Pose on your porch with laptops if you are a family working from home. Share your work from home attire – whether it’s business on top and sweatpants on the bottom or a simple yet put-together look, your family will have a blast coming up with the different routines and outfits to document during these times of working from home.
Try On Costumes
Bust out some old Halloween costumes and dress up as your favorite characters. Have your kids wear personalized capes and pose as a family of superheroes. Posing in costumes is the perfect remedy to spice up your family’s usual stay-at-home wardrobe.
Keep It Casual
For a more classic photo, come as you are and just be yourselves! Dress as casually as you want, as you would for a typical family outing to the mall or for brunch. Have your family strike a simple, more natural pose and capture a sweet silver linings moment.
Show Off A Quarantine Activity
Increased time at home is an excellent opportunity to build or rediscover hobbies as a family. Show off what you and your family have been doing to keep busy and stay active, mentally and physically. Pose with some newfound yoga poses or crank out some rolls of toilet paper and hand sanitizer for a good laugh.
Create Thanks For The Everyday Heroes
Make thank you cards and posters for essential workers to show appreciation for our doctors, nurses, teachers, grocery store clerks, and all the essential workers who are keeping us safe and healthy amid the coronavirus pandemic. Get creative with your kids and then hang your artwork on your porch to pose with for family porchraits. To show gratitude, share your child’s artwork with the hashtag #CreateThanks. Shutterfly will transform their creative works of art into thank you cards and posters and deliver them to essential organizations. Find more information and check out the #CreateThanks digital gallery here.
Wrapping Up
It’s important to hold space for the good things that are happening – taking the quality time to spend with our families, learning new hobbies, reaching out and checking in on those we care about, and creating new habits – good things and joyful moments are still happening. If you and your family want to remember these moments in porchraits, dress up in your Sunday best or your hazmat suits or anything you choose. However your family wants to pose, one common accessory, are the smiles. Create some positive memories in an otherwise trying time and find togetherness.
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