How often do you have professional pics of your kids taken?

When mine was little I used to go to Olan Mills a couple times a year.  Then when she danced there were those photos, then t-ball, then cheerleading.  When all that stopped it was just the school pics and the thousands I took every year.

Ann

We've only done real professional photos once ... big money but I love them  

Other than that it's just school photos and dance photos every year ...

My BFF has gotten really serious and very good at photography ... I think I'll get her to do some family photos soon   

I had my daughter's photos taken once every three to six months for her first two years and then I switched to every birthday. I had an appointment for newborn photos but cancelled because I was afraid to take her out of the house the first two weeks. I do regret not having professional newborn photos of her but at the time I felt I made the right decision. The once a year birthday session seems to be just right.

Yes, it is very expensive, but it's worth it to me. They change so quickly when they're little

School pictures here are all done by Lifetime. Their employees are people who are trained to use their equipment, like you would teach an employee to use a cash register, but they are not photographers. They push a button. They know nothing about composition, lighting, editing, etc. They have no creative input. They do not choose the poses, the background, the props. To me, pushing a button on a camera doesn't make you a photographer.

Beyond annual school and sports pictures we have had the kids photographed together only once and yes I regret that. Oldest is 10.5 and he had pics every month for first 9 months or so... with the 2nd? Uh, yeah, just a couple sessions. Poor subsequent kid. She'll, no doubt, require therapy for that and a number of other things

I need to get some done ASAP before I really get into the tween/teen phase.

Here most newborn photographers come to your house. They set their equipment up next to a large window to work with natural light.

I'm not a fan of studio photography, but had them done of my kids for 1st & 2nd birthdays before stopping.

I also stopped buying their school photo packs after the first couple of years I when I realized we really didn't give any away. When I was at school, K-7 school photos were a class photo, not individual. I LOVE my old class photos. It is not the same if you get a photo sheet with everyone's individual photos on it. Individual photos were gr 8-12 and I think my parents kept one. Most were wallet sized and traded with friends. My kids have never given away a photo like that, they share everything digitally.

I regularly give my MIL and parents framed photos of the kids, but they are candid shots DH or I have taken.

I do try to get at least one decent family photo every year and remember a challenge from a couple of years ago to take a monthly family photo.

We never had professional (other than school) photos taken as kids.

I always buy the kids' school pictures. My husband had their pictures taken for Mother's Day this year (and I loved it!!!). Other than that, I usually take them. I don't buy the professional pictures for sports anymore because I take plenty of my own that actually capture them playing.

The last professional photos I had taken was when DS12 was born. None to be had of DD other than school pics.
I did have the kids pulled out of class though when they were all at the same school Once when the 2 younger boys were in PreK and K and DS18 was in 5th grade (??)
And once because it was the only year all 4 where in the same building. I love that picture.
Other than that, I either take them of just the kids at Christmas. Sometimes we have family pics taken at Disney with the 6 of us, but to me those are candids.

But my friend Nancy has a professional photo shoot done when each of her kids goes off the college. With my DS18 going off to college this year, I've decided to do that as well.

I had those cliched professional photos of DD when she was 6 months old. You know the ones, where they sit the babies in a bucket with a shower cap and a rubber duckie etc. I loved them so much! 

I have only ever had one professional sitting, with me, DSO and DD. This was a year or so before DS was born.

Other than that, it's only school photos, dance photos when DSO was doing hip hop lessons, and DD's debutante ball photos earlier this year.

Oh, do you count the annual photos with Santa??? 

Not sure. Maybe 2 their first year with my 2 oldest and 1 a year up until age 5. Zero with my youngest. I have 2 kids with Autism. It would be a giant waste of money hiring a photographer to capture my son screaming and my daughter squinting her eyes. I try to get pictures with my camera and call it good.

Every 3 months when they were babies. After the first year, it was on their birthday, and usually one in the spring with both of my boys and my nephews. My MIL bought them beautiful Easter outfits so we would take the 4 boys for pictures.

I just posted on Instagram a few weeks ago that it was time for a new family picture. The last one we had taken was when D [HASH]1 was a freshman in high school. He is out of college for two years now.

I learned photography when my son was born. I have a couple studio sessions of him as a baby but since then have only done my own. DD has never had 'professional' photos done but I am a pretty good photographer and have lovely photos of her that are 100% to my taste.

I still do an annual birthday portrait of each of the kids and I also take what I call a "Christmas tree portrait" of them each year, with the bokeh of the tree in the background. I also do a Halloween costume shoot.

And we typically do a family photo shoot each fall so we have a picture for the Christmas card. This involves a remote and usually much angst but as long as we get one shot that's a keeper, I'm happy.