Father son photo ideas

The best father son photo ideas give them something to do side by side: fixing a bike, fishing, throwing a ball, cooking. Boys and their dads tend to stiffen when asked to pose and relax as soon as their hands are busy. Photograph the activity, then ask them to stop and look at the camera for five seconds while they are still laughing. Below are ideas for every age, from a newborn son to a grown one.

Fathers spend far more time with their children than they used to. In 2016 American fathers reported spending an average of eight hours a week on child care, about triple the time they gave in 1965, according to the Pew Research Center. In the same research, 57% of fathers said being a parent is extremely important to their identity, almost exactly the share of mothers (58%). The photographs have not caught up: in most family albums, dad is behind the camera.

Both standing the same way: arms folded, hands in pockets, leaning on the same wall, the same expression. Small boys love copying their dads, and the copy is the photo. It works at any age and it is funnier the bigger the size difference.

A son aged two to seven riding on his dad's shoulders, both looking the same direction or the boy covering his dad's eyes. Shoot from slightly below. Take a burst; the boy will not hold still.

Under the hood of a car, at a workbench, fixing a bike, planting tomatoes. Photograph from the side so both faces show in profile, close enough to see their hands. The concentration on their faces is the picture.

Dad tossing a small son in the air or swinging him by the arms. Set a fast shutter speed (1/500 s if you can) and shoot continuously. Only for small, willing children and with a soft landing area.

The son in front, his father behind with his chin above the boy's head and his hands on his shoulders. For a small boy, dad kneels; for a teenager, dad stands. It is the simplest portrait of the two and it suits a framed print.

Standing back to back with arms crossed, both serious. Teenagers who refuse sentimental photos usually agree to this one because it looks like a movie poster. It also records how close the son is to passing his father in height.

Down a path, a dock or a beach, the boy's hand in his dad's, or the two of them carrying fishing rods. There are no faces, so take it as a companion to a portrait, not instead of one.

A baby asleep on his father's chest, or a toddler asleep against him on a sofa. Photograph it quietly, from close, in window light. It is the one father son photo that is never posed.

Skin to skin on dad's chest, dad's hand spread across the baby's back. Or the baby held in dad's two hands, face toward the camera, dad looking at him. The size of the hands against the baby tells the whole story.

Give them a job together: washing the car, building a tower, making pancakes. Let the boy choose. A two-year-old will hold still only while he is doing something he likes.

A shared hobby, played for real. Fishing, a game of catch, a board game at the kitchen table. Shoot from a low angle and keep the session short. Ask the boy to pick the funniest face they can both make, take it, then take the one right after.

Teenagers want to look cool, not sweet. Back to back, the mirror, a quiet photo of them leaning on a car or a fence. Let him choose where to stand and what to wear, and let him see the photos before anyone posts them.

The picture most families do not have. Recreate a photo from the son's childhood, same place, same pose, decades later. Or take the plainest portrait possible: the two of them standing close, looking at the camera, in good light. When fathers get older, this is the one sons go looking for.

Grandfather, father and son, stacked by age, the grandfather at the back or seated in the center. The family resemblance across three faces makes this one of the most requested pictures of any family gathering. Keep it simple: plain background, everyone close, the same direction of light on all three faces. Generation photo ideas covers the arrangements in more detail.

Matching outfits are fun with a small son, and a matching shirt or jacket in a smaller size is a good joke. For older boys, coordinate instead: both in denim and white, both in dark sweaters. Avoid big logos and sports team shirts unless the team is the point of the picture. For a black and white photo, choose one lighter top and one darker so the two do not merge.

• —Talk about something they share. A team, a trip, a family joke. Shoot while they answer.
• —Ask the son to make his dad laugh. It almost always works, and the dad's laugh is the frame to keep.
• —Avoid "say cheese." It produces the same fake smile on both faces.
• —Shoot in bursts. Boys move. The good expression lasts a fraction of a second.
• —Use soft light. Open shade outdoors or a window indoors. Bright sun makes them squint.

Usually. The best father son photo is often an ordinary snapshot from a fishing trip or a birthday that will never be staged again. If both faces are clear and lit, it can be the portrait.

A black and white conversion removes the clutter of a campsite or a kitchen and puts the attention on the two faces. The free converter runs in your browser. Black and white family portraits explains why monochrome flatters faces, and father daughter photo ideas has more ideas for dads.

For a studio version, Graydrop restages a photo of one to six people as a 9:16 monochrome portrait on a black background, in about three minutes, for $12.99, with a watermarked preview before you pay. The faces need to be clear and turned toward the camera. A family portrait from a photo shows how it works.

The people in the example portraits on this page are AI-generated, so no real family's photos are shown.