There’s usually one person missing from the family photos.
Sometimes it’s Mum.
But quite often, it’s Dad.
He’s the one holding the phone.
The one saying, “Come on everyone, get together.”
The one taking the photo of the kids with Mum.
The one standing just outside the frame.
And when you look back through the photographs years later, you realise something.
There are hundreds of photographs of Dad’s favourite people.
But not nearly enough of Dad with them.
This September, I think it’s worth changing that.
Because Dads don’t always ask for much.
They might say:
“I don’t need anything.”
“Save your money.”
“I’m happy with whatever.”
And perhaps they genuinely mean it.
Because for most dads, the best things in life aren’t things at all.
It’s the noisy breakfast around the kitchen table.
The little arms wrapped around their neck.
The weekend cuddles.
The family dog jumping up beside them.
The terrible jokes.
The kids piling into bed on a Sunday morning.
The ordinary moments that, at the time, just feel like another Saturday.
Until one day…
They aren’t ordinary anymore.
Why should Dad be in the family photos?
Because one day, your children will want photographs of him too.
Not just photographs of the things he photographed.
Not just pictures of Mum and the kids.
Not just the family everyone else remembers.
Him.
The way he looked when the children were little.
The way he held them.
The way they climbed onto his back.
The smile he gave them when they weren’t looking.
The little expressions you don’t notice until years later.
These are the things that become more valuable with time.
As a Brisbane family photographer, I’ve seen again and again how family photographs change meaning as the years go by. What feels like a simple portrait today can become one of the most treasured things your family owns tomorrow.
Because photographs aren’t really about remembering what everyone looked like.
They’re about remembering what it felt like to be together.
The Dad who is always behind the camera
I think there’s something particularly lovely about photographing dads.
Because so often, they are the people making sure everyone else is included.
They’re the ones saying:
“Come over here.”
“Let’s get a photo.”
“Hang on, let me take one.”
They make sure Mum and the kids have photographs together.
But somewhere along the way, Dad becomes the person behind the camera rather than someone in the photograph.
And years later, you might find a phone full of beautiful memories…
but very few photographs of him actually in those memories.
That’s why I always encourage Mums and Dads to be in the family photos.
These photographs aren’t just for you.
Ultimately, they’re for your children.
The photographs they will look back on when they are grown.
The photographs they will keep when they leave home.
The photographs they may one day show their own children.
Your family deserves to have everyone in the frame.
What makes a family photo meaningful?
It isn’t perfection.
It isn’t everyone sitting perfectly still, smiling at the camera.
And it certainly isn’t about having the perfect house, perfect clothes or perfectly behaved children.
It’s connection.
A hand resting on a little shoulder.
A toddler reaching for Dad.
A teenager pretending they don’t want a cuddle.
A daughter laughing at Dad’s terrible joke.
A son sitting on his shoulders.
A whole family squeezed together.
Those little things tell the real story.
And that’s what I love about family photography.
I’m not interested in creating a picture that simply looks like your family.
I want to create a photograph that feels like your family.
That’s especially true with my signature black-and-white photography.
I’ve specialised in my black-and-white Signature Style for decades because it strips away the distractions and brings the focus back to the people, the emotion and the connection.
And that’s why these photographs don’t tend to date.
Your family changes.
Your children grow.
Your lives move into different seasons.
But the photograph remains.
What is a meaningful gift for Dad this September?
Maybe it isn’t another pair of socks.
Maybe it isn’t another barbecue gadget.
Maybe it isn’t something that will sit in a drawer until next year.
Maybe it’s something Dad actually can’t buy for himself.
Time together.
An afternoon with the people he loves most.
A chance to laugh.
A chance to be silly.
A chance to slow down for a little while.
And a chance to finally be in the photographs instead of taking them.
A family photography session can be a beautiful way to honour Dad because the gift isn’t really the photoshoot.
It’s everything that comes with it.
The afternoon together.
The cuddles.
The laughs.
The stories.
The photographs you bring home afterwards.
And eventually, the memories your children will have of that day.
Why black-and-white family photography makes such a beautiful keepsake
There’s a reason black-and-white family portraits have remained timeless.
Without colour competing for attention, you notice the little things.
Dad’s expression.
The way a child is holding onto his hand.
The connection between siblings.
The closeness between parents and children.
The photograph becomes less about what was fashionable that year and more about who you were together.
Katrina Christ Photographer has specialised in black-and-white family photography in Brisbane for decades, creating portraits designed to sit beautifully together as your family grows and changes.
That means the photograph you create this September isn’t just for September.
It becomes part of your family’s visual history.
What if Dad says he doesn’t want a photoshoot?
This is probably one of the most common concerns.
And honestly?
Dad may not be jumping up and down at the idea.
That’s okay.
He doesn’t need to.
Family photography isn’t about making everyone pose for two hours or asking Dad to perform for the camera.
The best photographs come when people relax and simply enjoy being together.
That’s the approach I take with families too.
You don’t need to know how to pose.
Your children don’t need to sit perfectly still.
Dad doesn’t need to suddenly become someone who loves having his photograph taken.
You just need to show up as yourselves.
I’ll guide you through the rest.
Because the goal isn’t to create a perfect family.
It’s to photograph your family.
One day, Dad will look different
This is the part we don’t always like to think about.
The kids will grow.
The house will get quieter.
Their bedrooms will eventually be empty.
The little hands that once wrapped around Dad’s neck will become bigger.
Their voices will change.
Their interests will change.
Their lives will become their own.
And Dad will get older too.
That is exactly why photographs matter.
Because there are versions of our families that only exist for a very short time.
The little boy who still wants Dad to carry him.
The daughter who still reaches for his hand.
The teenagers who still secretly like a cuddle, even if they would never admit it.
The grown-up children coming home for dinner.
These seasons don’t stay.
But photographs let us keep a little piece of them.
This September, put Dad in the picture
Perhaps Dad doesn’t need anything.
Perhaps he really would be happy with whatever you give him.
But maybe the best gift isn’t something he can unwrap.
Maybe it’s the chance to have everyone together.
To laugh.
To make memories.
To be part of the photographs instead of taking them.
And years from now, when your children look through those photographs, they’ll see more than a smiling family.
They’ll see Dad.
Right there beside them.
Just where he always belonged.
Looking for a thoughtful gift for Dad this September?
Gift Dad a family photo session, with vouchers to suit your budget.
Because the best gift isn’t always something Dad can unwrap.
Sometimes, it’s something he can keep forever. 🤍
GIFT DAD A FAMILY PHOTO SESSION →
Questions families often ask
Is a family photography session a good gift for Dad?
Yes. A family photography session gives Dad something much more lasting than a traditional Father’s Day gift: time with his family and professional photographs that preserve that season of life for years to come.
Why should Dad be included in family photos?
Dads are often the ones taking the photographs, which means they’re frequently missing from the family story. Including Dad ensures your children have photographs of the whole family together, including their relationship with him.
What should Dad wear for a black-and-white family photoshoot?
Simple, classic clothing works beautifully for black-and-white portraits. Neutral colours, whites, jeans and timeless pieces help keep the focus on your family rather than the clothing.
Where does Katrina Christ photograph families in Brisbane?
Katrina photographs families in her natural-light studio in Greenslopes, Brisbane, with her signature black-and-white portraits forming a major part of her family photography offering.
