Have you ever looked at a family photo and thought, “what were we thinking?” Or “man, that was the 90’s!” These reactions are both indications that the family picture isn’t the most classic or timeless. It didn’t stand the test of time. In the moment, it was a fun photograph. A few years later, we cringe at it.

What gives the photograph that quality though? What makes it scream the 90’s? Or be dated? Think about it for a moment. What are the indications that tell you when a family picture was taken? Or what makes certain photographs cringeworthy?

And, how can we avoid taking those types of photos of our own beautiful families in the future?

Today I’ll layout three ways I create the opposite of cringeworthy and dated photographs. How I create images that are classic and timeless. But first, let’s start with the basics.

What is Classic and Timeless?

Let’s look first at the definitions of the words above.

According to Wikipedia, “a classic is an outstanding example of a particular style; something of lasting worth or with a timeless quality; of the first or highest quality, class, or rank – something that exemplifies its class.” It is something that not only stands the test of time, but also matches our society’s lasting ideas of beauty. It will be beautiful regardless of the current trends at the moment.

On Cambridge Dictionary’s website, timeless is “having a value that is not limited to a particular period but will last forever.” It has value regardless of when you created it and when you look at it.

Classic and timeless is if something is just as beautiful 50 years from now as it is today. It is something that will take our breath away regardless of how many years have passed.

Why Would You Want Family Photos that are Classic and Timeless?

Photographs of your family are important. They should be cherished. They should be highly valued regardless of their classic and timeless qualities. They capture fleeting moments. It preserves our legacy. And legacy is the exact reason why I often want classic and timeless photographs of myself.

I want my granddaughter to look at the photograph of me pregnant with her mother and say, “Wow! Grandma was gorgeous!” Or look at a photograph of our little family and say “Wow! Isn’t grandma a beauty?” Yes, perhaps it’s a little vain that I want my grandchildren and great grandchildren to see me as beautiful. But if there is only one time where you get to be vain without being self-centered, this would be it. You get to prioritize this when your likeness will be preserved for all time.

The first thing you want your grandchildren to notice is your face, your likeness, your eyes, and your expression. The last thing you want them to notice are the things that date you. Let me say that again. The first reaction you want them to have is "Wow! Grandma is gorgeous!" Not "man, that was the 90's!"

Dated is the opposite of classic and timeless. So how do you avoid having dated family photos? I’m so glad you asked. There are three ways to ensure your next family photo is classic and timeless.

Tip #1: Choose Classic and Timeless Outfits

When I said above “man, that was the 90s,” what was the first thing you pictured? Let me guess. The clothes. Primary colors. A pair of Air Jordans. Ponytails. Baggy clothes. Pants hanging halfway down the butt. Shall I go on? Trendy clothes and fashions date us the most. Because just as quickly as we love a new fashion or trend, we hate it.

But you say, “all the clothes in my closet are the result of the fashion industry. How do I avoid wearing trendy fashions?” Are they? There isn’t a single thing in your closet that you could’ve worn in the 80s, 90s, and 2000s? I think there might be. Or at least something that is close enough.

For those wearing masculine clothes, it’s pretty easy. Those fashions change so subtly and slowly. Besides little changes in coat length and buttons, suits of the 50s look pretty similar to suits now. A button up shirt and slacks look pretty similar too. A button up shirt and jeans also haven’t changed much. But where could we go wrong here? Trendy colors and getting too “fancy.” You remember the powder blue suits with ruffled undershirts of the 70s and 80s? Yep, those weren’t so timeless were they? So what’s the opposite of trendy colors and getting too “fancy?” Neutrals and simple of course. And that’s the key. Neutral and simple outfits for your family photos.

When we think about feminine clothes, there are staples there too. Does a little black dress ever go out of style? And how long have we worn white dresses for that all too photogenic day? Where do we go wrong with these staples though? When we get too “fancy.” And when do we have dresses that are ultra trendy? When they are in trendy colors. So the moral of the story, stick with simple and neutral. The more simple and the more neutral you go, the less trendy and dated clothes become.

Tip #2: Choose a Timeless Portrait Location

When you look at a photo of downtown Denver from the 30s, besides the clothes, what else do you notice first? Differences in the cityscape? Buildings that were once there are now gone. Buildings that didn't exist yet are missing. Changes in building facades. The trendy fonts and color combinations on the signs. Architecture is very much a product of its time.

If architecture is a product of its time, what location isn’t? Well, the Rocky Mountains haven’t changed much since the appearance of man. It’s ironic when you think about it. The way they look now is completely and entirely the result of time, but they are themselves timeless. Because in the scope of human time, they have barely changed. Landscapes that are “wild” or void of much human interference are timeless to us. Barring human interaction, the way they look now will be how they look 50 or a 100 years from now.

I do want to be clear though, not all nature is equal in the world of timeless landscapes. “Wild” landscapes are, but manicured ones are trendy. One example of a trendy location is a landscaped park. Landscaping, just like inorganic architecture, is a product of the current trends. The plants people choose and how they combine them change over time.

Choosing a location that has that timeless quality adds to the timelessness and classic quality of your own family pictures. So for your next photo session, make sure to choose a location a little more off the beaten path, a little more wild, and, as a result, a little more timeless.

Tip #3: Choose Quality

Photography in all aspects is a field of ever evolving technology. Technology is great at dating things. This is significant in two ways for your timeless and classic photography.

Camera Equipment

The first way is with your camera equipment. Camera equipment gets better as time goes on. Resolution increases. Cameras get better at reading light. And they get better at capturing it. The more advanced cameras are more expensive. You get what you pay for with cameras. So buy the best camera your budget allows and it will be the most advanced and least dated.

And don’t have it be your phone! Yes, phones have a lot of megapixels these days. But resolution is only one small part of the equation for high quality images. You also need a decent lens and a camera that can read light well, both in quality and temperature. Phones don’t do any of those things well.

In relation to camera equipment, you also need to know how to use the equipment. The auto setting on a DSLR doesn’t produce photos nearly as well as a photographer skilled with their camera. There are tons of great DIY tutorials online and nothing beats using your camera on a regular basis. Practice makes perfect!

Printing

The quality of printing matters. You also get what you pay for when it comes to prints, albums, and other photography print products. Higher quality printers equal higher quality prints. The prints look better and they last longer. Professional level printers are the highest quality. That's why professional photographers work with them. They only work with professional photographers though. So take advantage of this service when you get professional photography done. In all other times, do your research and find the best quality consumer printer you can afford. The products from cheaper labs will degrade quickly. Lower quality photos printed now will not look the same in just a few decades.

So you ask, but I store my photographs in a dark climate controlled closet? That's great. But it's not enough. The very paper photographs are printed on is a photograph’s own worst enemy. If the paper is not of archival quality, the fibers and chemicals in the paper itself will degrade it over time no matter what. You can store low quality prints in an air tight box, away from all light and water, and they will still degrade. Archival quality paper on the other hand, is carefully manufactured to reduce the rate of degradation. It will last generations.

And print products only matter if you actually print your photographs. Get those photographs printed and get them backed up. I back up my photos on two different hard drives and on the cloud before I think they are safe. But even then, they are only as safe as long as I can read those files or those files don’t become obsolete, so I also print them!

Do you always need to take classic and timeless family photos?

No. Take photos all the time, whenever and wherever the feeling strikes. Your kids grow up so quickly. And at the end of the day, we're all products of our time. Celebrate that! But when you want photos with lasting impact, choose classic and timeless. So...before you put on neon green pants and a bright pink shirt. Before you put your hair up with a scrunchi in a side ponytail. Take a moment and think, “is this the legacy I want preserved?"

Sara Herkes is a maternity photographer based in Longmont, CO. She serves the the Denver Metro Area, the Colorado Rockies, and the Northern Front Range and captures your pregnancy amidst the Colorado wilderness. Learn more about her services here.