3 Ways to Let People Know You Don’t Want Them in Your Family Portrait

Planning a family portrait can be a challenging task. From finding the perfect photographer to deciding on what everyone should wear, there’s a range of important considerations to keep in mind when organising this very special event. Unfortunately, it can also raise the uncomfortable scenario of having to tell people that you can’t have them in the portrait. Whether it’s due to budget constraints, logistics, or other reasons, here are 3 ways to gently let people know that you don’t want them to participate in your family portrait.

Explain Your Budget

Some people simply underestimate the cost of hiring a professional photographer for your family portrait. Explain that you have budgeted just enough to cover your immediate family, and that any further inclusions would start to increase the cost of having the portrait done.

Discuss the Occasion

If a member of your extended family is asking to be included in your family portrait, you can have a discussion about other opportunities for a whole family picture to be taken, such as the next birthday of special occasion, and that this portrait session is something that you had planned to share just with your immediate family for inclusion in your special album. By planning another occasion for a whole family photo, you can stick to your original plans without hurting anyone’s feelings.

Exceptions to the Rule

Perhaps the strongest argument you have when trying to let someone know politely that you don’t want them in your family portrait is to explain that you can’t make exceptions. If you were to let them be involved, it would be unfair to the rest of your family to say that they can’t participate.

Explain that you had planned this to be a small portrait, and if you were to say yes to them, you would have to say yes to everyone in your extended family and it would get out of control very quickly. If you take the time to be patient and sincere, they should be able to clearly understand your reasons and will accept that they can’t be included without being offended.

While it can be difficult, it’s best to be empathetic and honest when you let someone know that you’d rather not have them in your family portrait. If you explain your reasons to them, they are bound to understand. With that conversation out of the way, you can focus on everything else that you need to plan for your family portrait. When considering which photographer to choose, it’s important to find the most professional and experienced individual to capture your family’s special day.

The team at Kiss Photography Brisbane have been creating timeless shots for hundreds of happy families, and you simply won’t find a more friendly yet professional photographer. Give yourself the ultimate piece of mind by talking with Kiss Photography and seeing why they have become the photographer of choice for many Queensland families.

Joanna is a Brisbane resident who love photography. Studying photography herself, she writes blogs to inspire other beginner photographers.