One day, your kids will be grown, sitting around the table, laughing about how you always burned the pancakes on Saturday mornings, or how every road trip started with the same cringey dad joke.
Chances are, you won’t even remember those things.
Because the traditions that stick aren’t the big, elaborate ones. They’re the quiet, consistent rituals that feel almost too small to matter.
The same bedtime story on repeat.
The way they loved to help make your coffee every morning.
The rule that whoever helps make the cookies gets the first spoonful
These are the tiny moments that make childhood feel like home.
And here’s the beautiful part: you’re already creating them. Without even realizing it.
But if you’re looking for something special to add to your family’s rhythm, I’d love to suggest one more tradition—one that captures it all: annual family photos.
Why Family Photos Make the Perfect Tradition
When you find the right photographer—someone who makes the experience easy, fun, and completely stress-free—family photos stop feeling like a chore and start feeling like something to look forward to.
They become a moment to slow down and just be together.
They become a time to celebrate the season you're in—whatever that looks like.
And when you do it every year, you’re creating more than just pretty pictures…
You’re creating a visual time capsule of your family’s traditions, quirks, and growth.
And just like Friday night pizza or birthday cake for breakfast, family photos can be something your kids expect with joy.
Choose a new theme together each year—cozy flannels one fall, a carefree barefoot-in-the-desert vibe the next—or pick from one of my fall mini sessions that are already styled with beautiful, seasonal charm. Whether your family is into matching colors, playful props, or just natural golden-hour cuddles, we’ll keep it fresh and full of heart.
Now, let’s talk about all those other small traditions that make life magical too…
Daily Traditions: The Heartbeat of Home
The way you say “I love you, be safe” every time they walk out the door.
The triangle sandwiches.
The made-up cleanup songs.
These don’t seem like much, but they are everything.
They give your children a sense of rhythm, comfort, and love.
Years from now, they’ll be pouring cereal for their own kids—complete with the silly sound effects you invented.
Want to remember those moments? A photo session isn’t just about posed portraits—it’s about capturing those little details. The way your daughter holds your pinky. The way your son insists on bringing his raggedy stuffed dinosaur along. Those are the photos that feel like home.
Weekly Traditions: The Anchors in a Busy World
Taco Tuesday, family movie night, pancakes in pajamas on Saturday mornings...
These weekly routines feel small, but they’re the touchpoints your kids come back to over and over again.
They’re the reason they’ll text their siblings as adults and say, “Remember when we used to do this every Friday?”
They’re the glue.
As your photographer, I love when families bring a little of their weekly world into our sessions—maybe it’s the well-loved picnic blanket you always use, or the game you play together at the park, or doing pictures in your home around your saturday morning traditions. These personal touches tell your story.
Monthly Traditions: The Moments That Mark Time
Whether it’s checking out library books together, baking cookies every first weekend, or holding an impromptu living room dance party to mark the start of a new month—these repeated rituals help kids understand the rhythm of time.
They don't have to be big. They just have to be yours.
Want to incorporate a monthly tradition into your annual photo session? Let’s do it! We can plan a themed shoot that captures your pancake breakfast tradition or the book-loving snuggles you share every month.
Annual Traditions: The Memory Makers
You know the ones:
The matching Christmas pajamas
The measuring marks on the doorframe
The backyard campout that never goes as planned
These are the rituals that root your family story in something steady.
That’s why I believe annual family photos belong on that list.
They’re a way to pause and celebrate who you are—right now.
Not just how you look, but who you’re becoming together.
And when you look back on those photos years from now, you won’t just remember the outfits or the backdrop. You’ll remember what life felt like.
That’s the magic.
10 Simple Traditions to Start Today
(If you’re looking for inspiration)
A secret family handshake
Pajama pancake breakfast once a month
The "ugly birthday candle" that appears every year
Rainy day movie + baking bread rule (my personal fav)
Sunday “walk and talk” to share weekly highs and lows
Annual photo in the same spot (I can help with that!)
First day of summer = ice cream trip
First snowfall = hot cocoa party
Surprise lunchbox notes
A new ornament each Christmas, picked by the kids
And if I may add an 11th?
Annual fall photos—done your way.
Let your kids help pick the location or theme, or join one of my thoughtfully designed mini sessions that make the whole process fun, fast, and relaxed. No stress, no pressure—just a new tradition you’ll actually want to keep.
Start Your Tradition This Fall
Booking is now open for my limited fall family sessions, whether you choose to do a completely personalized family session or become one of the many families that make my annual Fall Fundraiser their tradition, Let’s make this the year you turn beautiful moments into a tradition that lasts a lifetime. 💛
Send me an email today at katieharrison@nakupendaphotography.com and let me capture your family traditions that make up your favorite family memories.
