Did you know that having photos of you and your children on display in your home can boost their self esteem? Yes, that’s right. By seeing pictures of themselves displayed on the wall within the context of their family and friends, it gives them a sense of belonging. They understand that they are not on their own but are a part of a bigger support network.
The very act of going to the effort to put a picture of them up on the wall tells your child that they are important and valued. Children love seeing both recent photos that remind them of something you did together, as well as photos from when they were younger. Having these up on the wall can reinforce their memories of childhood and spark conversations between you that will strengthen your bond.
You can also use photo displays to remind your children of people in their lives who maybe they don’t see so often: grandparents or cousins who live elsewhere or friends who have moved away. This is the power of photography. That it helps us remember.
Here are some ideas from the DFP photography community for displaying documentary family photographs.
1: UNMOUNTED PRINTS
Super simple and cost-effective. Order your prints with a white border to create a frame for the images. Your child can help choose which ones go on the wall and where. You can simply stick them up with white tack…
Photo: Lia Edwards, Munich Documentary Family Photographer
… or tape to the wall…
Photo: Anna-Liisa Nixon, Miami Florida Documentary Family Photographer
… or create an earthy feel by hanging from a branch…
Photo: Sonia Epple, Augsburg Family Photographer
…or go glam with a creative take on “framing” your pictures.
Photo: Sonia Epple, Augsburg Family Photographer
2. MIX PRINTS AND ARTWORK
Create a display combining prints with kids artwork to create an every changing informal display that the kids will feel part of.
Photo: Liv Stephen, Family Photography Amsterdam
3. LEDGES
Installing a photo ledge means you can easily switch around framed pictures and artwork for a changing display that updates as your family grows. These work particularly well in a hallway and act as a conversation point with guests. By framing your prints, they will last longer.
Photo: Minna Ridderstolpe, Stockholm Documentary Family Photographer
4. PHOTOS IN THE HOME OFFICE
Having documentary family photographs in your office helps connects you to your real family life even when you aren’t spending time with your family. You don’t need to choose just one, a collage of favourites works really well.
Desiree Walters, Documentary Family Photographer in Brooklyn, New York City
5. CREATIVE COLLAGE
For real wow factor (and for those that are familiar with Photoshop) you could create and frame a photo collage like this on by Marieke Zentjens. Marieke tells us how she created this:
Using Photoshop, I built a frame with a lot of different layers and clipping masks and added a picture to each frame. When all the frames were filled, I saved the collage. Then I opened a new file in photoshop and put the posed picture on the highest layer, the file with the collage behind. I played with the opacity and with a soft brush I faded the layer on top so the layer behind would show through.
Photo: Marieke Zentjens, Eindhoven Netherlands Documentary Family Photographer
6. SAME FRAME COLOUR, DIFFERENT SHAPED FRAMED
Here a collection of differently shaped and sized frames is unified because the frames are all white.
Desiree Walters, Documentary Family Photographer in Brooklyn, New York City
7. PHOTO DISPLAY IN UNEXPECTED ROOMS
Another design trick for photo displays is to hang your pictures in the room where they were taken, for example this bubble bath portrait works perfectly in the family bathroom.
Photo: Lia Edwards, Documentary Family and Newborn Photographer in Munich, Germany
Let us know in the comments how you like to display your real life family pictures around the home. Wish you had some better photographs of your family life? Find a photographer in your area right here on DFP.
Are you a professional documentary family photographer? Come join our supportive tribe.
