Maine & NH Family Photographer // Let’s Go Somewhere Weird: Making Family Photos Fun Again
Can we be honest for a second? If the idea of standing in a stiff pose, in a random field you’ve never seen before, while begging your kids to smile gives you a stress rash—you're not alone. Family photos don't have to be formal, forced, or even that traditional. In fact, they’re way more fun (and way more you) when we ditch the Pinterest-perfect vibe and go somewhere a little weird.
I’m talkin’ Fryeburg Fair weird. Bowling alley weird. “Hike to the top of a mountain and let the wind slap your hair around” weird.
Why weird works:
Weird places take the pressure off. No one’s expecting you to look like a catalog family when you're trying to wrangle a toddler with cotton candy stuck to their eyebrows at the fair. Or when you’re battling your teen in a very serious game of candlepin. It lets everyone relax, play, and just… be.
And that’s when the real stuff shows up. The belly laughs. The eye rolls. The hugs. The “oh my god this is chaos but I love these people” kind of energy.
Not-your-average-location ideas:
Fryeburg Fair: Yes, it’s chaotic. Yes, it smells like cows and fried food. But it’s also colorful, nostalgic, and packed with personality. Let the kids ride the Ferris wheel. Get a photo holding a sausage dog. Absolutely crush a funnel cake in front of the camera. No notes.
Bowling Alley: Hear me out—neon lights, retro vibes, and the possibility of someone launching a ball into the gutter in slow-mo? Iconic. It’s a super fun option when the weather sucks or you want something totally different.
Mountain Top Vibes: If you’re the outdoorsy crew, let’s go full epic. Think golden hour on Foss Mountain or a hike that ends with a “damn, we did that” kind of view. Bonus: the kids are too tired to fight by the time we start shooting.
The point is: your photos should feel like you
If your family is wild, let’s capture that. If you're quiet and cuddly, we’ll find the space for that too. But you don’t need a perfectly raked field and matching flannel shirts to get amazing photos. You just need to show up, be yourselves, and trust me to chase the weird with you.
So… wanna skip the usual and make some memories in a place you actually like? Let’s do it. I’ll bring the camera—you bring the chaos.
