How to Display Your Family Photos and Get the Most from Your Session Investment: Advice from a Hampton Roads Lifestyle Photographer

Everywhere you look, photographers and moms are telling you to take the photos, how important it is to be in the photos, and to "capture the memories!" but then...what are we doing with those photos to truly let those memories live on?

If you are just snapping the photo and letting it sit on your phone, some research actually shows that by focusing more on taking the photo of the memory and then doing nothing with that photo on your phone is having negative impacts on our long-term memory abilities. Which tells me a few things:

1) by being the one taking the photo, we aren't paying enough attention to the actual moment to strengthen that memory keeping muscle and

2) by letting those photos sit on our phones, we are actually hurting our ability to truly remember that moment.

Here is a reel that I shared a few months back that dives into a little bit more of the data, as well: Click here for my original Instagram reel

That's why this job and this topic is so important to me

Because to me, the only reason to take the photo or have the photo is to be able to immediately and tangibly be able to pull that memory from your brain and re-live that moment and remember how it felt.

So, what can we do about it?

It's not enough just to say "print your photos" but they should truly be used as the artwork that you paid for.

Frame them, adorn your walls with them, make the scrapbooks, fill the frames on your mantle, and my personal favorite: make photo albums of your family's story the same way you would imagine a wedding album or a magazine.

My personal (favorite) recommendations on how to display your family photos in your home: (I would like to quickly preface that I hung or decorated all of these myself using command strips and were easily assembled and hung - no need to put holes in walls if you rent or don't want to!)

1. Gallery Walls

   We personally have gallery walls lining our staircase, covering our dining room wall, and we will soon have one in our entry way (when I can settle on how many frames I want 😂) Again, these are the artwork photos that I have paid and trusted another professional to document my family doing life together. Above our dining table is reminders of how we play together, photos of my husband and I dancing at our wedding, they are a representation of what our family is about and how we feel together. Not what we look like when we smile and look at the camera.

   
   
   

   
   
   

   Find these frames and others like it in my amazon storefront HERE
   

2. Photo Ledges and Shelves

   We utilize floating shelves in my children's rooms to display different framed photos of them with their grandparents, their cousins, their friends from other states - we use these as reminders of the connections we have built throughout our time as a military family and to continue modeling, that for our family at least, moving somewhere new does not sever those connections and by keeping those photos close we can maintain that sense of closeness. Also, anywhere in our living room and entryway that there is a horizontal surface - there is a photo of meaning. Wedding photos, playing in the snow for the first time as a family, our family photo that we took with cousins at their hunt camp.
   

   
   

   

   Featuring some of the random leaves that my children have found on walks and felt they needed to permanently be in a vase 😂

   Find more of my favorite photo frames HERE

3. Casual Collages

   These are perfect for small nooks in your home, a playroom or office, the laundry room, or your kids room. Somewhere that may not get a ton of attention, but again, something that you or your children can glance up at and be reminded of the people in their lives that love them. Personally, we use these to print the iphone photos that otherwise might just get posted to Facebook and then forgotten about. The birthday party pics with grandparents, the fishing with grandpa, playing in the backyard with old neighbors. Constant reminders of happy memories.

   
   

   

   Find this collage hanger HERE

4. Potentially the most overlooked and underrated: Family albums, scrapbooks, or memory books/magazines

   As we are learning more and more of the importance of printed photos, family albums are quickly rising in popularity! My personal favorite idea is to create themed/seasonal "magazine" that utilize photos but also tell the story of your family in a super fun, flippable, creative way that would look so cute and aesthetic to be displayed on coffee table or entertainment center.

Another reminder: prints don't have to be crazy expensive or difficult to be high quality

Typically your gallery will have a print store attached that you can order directly from and know that the printer has been chosen by your photographer to ensure color and quality assurance.

But, if you don't use the gallery store, or if you want something quicker and maybe still considered "budget-friendly" then my go-to recommendation is Mpix.com

Personal anecdote: how I printed and framed all of our images and saved tons of $$$$ compared to things like smallwoods home, mixtiles, etc.

I printed all of our personal photos through Mpix and used frames ordered from Amazon (one set of 4 frames cost what ONE print was going to cost me from smallwoods home...so...) and then we used command strips to hang them and voila: no holes in the wall and frames are also easily moved around the same way that Mixtiles is!

All of the frames that I've used in our home can be found in my Amazon storefront HERE

And just a reminder: when you book photo sessions with me, I am implementing many of the ideas listed here such as albums (that I can put together for you - so no hassle!) family magazines, and exclusive discounts on high quality prints through your gallery store!

Get In Touch Here!

About Kelsi Grant - Hampton Roads Family Lifestyle & Documentary Photographer

Ready to capture your family’s story? Whether it’s laughter-filled moments on the beach, cozy cuddles at home, or a playful session in your favorite park, I’m here to create a collection of images that reflect your family’s love and connection. As a Hampton Roads family photographer, I specialize in genuine, storytelling sessions across Chesapeake, Norfolk, Williamsburg, Virginia Beach, and beyond. Let’s turn your everyday moments into timeless memories—reach out today to start planning your session!