Creative Photo Display Ideas to Showcase Your Family Memories

Family

Your family photos capture cherished memories that deserve to be shown off! Inside your home, they can bring you joy and make your space feel more cozy and put together.  Framing them is always a great first step, but if you’re not sure how to showcase them, these creative photo display ideas can help your pictures get the spotlight they deserve. 

As a passionate Nashville family photographer, I love capturing genuine moments that you’ll treasure for years to come. If you need updated family photos, contact me today to schedule a session and get stunning images to display throughout your home!

Why Displaying Family Photos Matters

Your home is your sanctuary, and your family photos are some of the most beautiful art you can display! A framed photo here and there is always great, but using some creative photo display ideas can really make your photos shine. 

With family photos, you can personalize your space, commemorate your favorite memories, and cultivate a more positive energy throughout your home. Your family and your visitors will love experiencing the stories behind your photos. 

A family of four sits on a beige couch in a bright studio. The father, mother, son, and daughter wear coordinated navy and pastel outfits. The parents hold their children on their laps, all smiling at the camera.

Creative Photo Display Ideas for Every Style

When it comes to displaying your family photos, you can find options for any type of interior design style. With these photo display ideas, your pictures can become a stunning part of your home! 

Modern 

If you love a modern and minimalistic look, opt for metallic or slim frames. To display multiple photos, you can create a gallery wall with square photos–just make sure they’re all spaced equally to get that sleek look. Floating shelves are also a great, modern way to display photos if you don’t want to hang them on the wall. 

Rustic

I love that rustic, modern farmhouse look, and it’s easy to display your photos to fit that style. To keep it simple, look for wooden frames for your photos. For this style, mismatched works! As long as the frames are similar colors, you can play around with different styles and sizes. 

A rustic home style also works great with DIY display ideas. A faux window display for your photos can be a beautiful way to showcase your photos while maintaining a cozy feel. 

Bohemian

If you love natural textures inside your home and plenty of plants, a bohemian style is right for you. To showcase your photos in this style, try using canvas prints or hanging displays. A simple photo collage wall can also look great if you find a variety of colored frames to give it that boho look. 

Traditional 

For a traditional or classic family photo display, you can’t beat silver- or gold-framed photos. A classic, evenly-spaced collage wall will look great, or you can place your photos around the house in the highest-trafficked areas, like your fireplace mantle or staircase. 

Whimsical 

A whimsical photo display is great for fun, high-energy homes, or spaces around your house like the family room and kids’ room. This style can also be fun to DIY–try a photo garland draped over a window or doorway! You can also create a corkboard display (these are great for the kids’ room), or a simple display highlighted with string lights. 

A nursery wall features two white scalloped shelves holding baby books, framed photos, a birth announcement sign, and keepsakes. A "SWEET BABY" banner hangs below. This setup is a practical example of photo display ideas for organizing and personalizing a space.

Unique Ways to Display Family Photos

Regardless of the style you choose, there are always fun and unique ways to display your photos. If you’re looking for something a little different than a standard gallery wall, consider these options. 

Shadow Box Display

A shadow box is a great way to pair your photos with other keepsakes and create a more multi-dimensional display. The box gives you more room to include multiple photos as well as other objects or memorabilia, but you can still hang it in your home like any other framed photo. 

Rotating Photo Display

I know it’s hard to pick just one or a few photos, and that’s why a rotating photo display can be the best option to show off your family session! You can use rotating frames that people can flip through themselves or use a digital display that automatically cycles through your favorite pictures. 

Photo Ladder

Photo ladders are an excellent option if you have a lot of space you want to fill with your photos. They work well with boho design styles but can look great inside any home. A photo ladder is usually much smaller than a normal ladder and enables you to hang a photo from every rung. It’s such a fun way to show a variety of photos with a much bigger type of display. 

Lighted Photo Displays

If you want your photos to really pop, try using lighted displays. There’s a variety you can choose from, but many include a transparent display that you slip your photos into which also contains a light. 

Polaroid Wall 

If you have professional family photos (and you should!) you might not think a Polaroid wall is a possibility, but you can definitely recreate this fun, vintage style of showcasing photos. All you need to do is print your photos in small squares and purchase Polaroid-style frames. Once your photos are inside the frames, they’ll look just like Polaroids (but much better quality!). 

Tips for Arranging Family Photo Displays

We aren’t all interior designers, and that’s ok! Just follow these tips to put together stunning photo displays for your family photos. 

  • Especially if you’re hanging your photos, take the time to map out what the photos will look like together. I recommend laying them out on the floor and spacing them out so you can visualize the full display. 
  • Once you know where you want your photos, be sure to measure and align. Photos that are at the right height, properly spaced, and perfectly straight will look like they’re out of a museum!
  • I know it can be fun to experiment with a lot of ideas and styles, but sticking with one theme will make your photos look much more cohesive and professional. 
  • Even if you aren’t using lighted photo displays, lighting is a big consideration. Try not to stick your photos in a dark corner or an area where they’ll be hard to see–you want everyone to admire them!
  • Professional family photos are high quality, so they deserve the right printing. Make sure you invest in quality prints or your photos can end up looking less vibrant than how they look on your computer. 

a family of five sits on a stone wall and is looking at the camera, smiling together for family portraits at cheekwood estates and gardens.

How to Keep Photo Displays Fresh 

The beauty of having a family is watching everyone grow up and go on to different milestones throughout life. To keep your photo displays fresh, make sure you’re continuing to capture your favorite moments! You don’t need a full photo shoot every time–you can book mini sessions as the perfect way to continuously capture your memories throughout the year. 

Creative Photo Display Ideas

Your family photos tell the beautiful story of your life, and displaying them in creative ways can make your home feel even more special. Whether you love a sleek modern look, a cozy rustic feel, or something totally unique, there are endless ways to showcase your cherished memories. The most important thing is to choose a display that brings you joy and fits your personal style. And remember, as your family grows and changes, so should your photo displays!

If you’re ready to refresh your collection with new images, I’d love to help you capture those moments. Contact me to schedule your family session today!

Want more inspiration?

What to Do When You Get Your Family Photos

Did you like this post or find it inspirational? Please share and save it to Pinterest!

Pinterest-Pin-with-description-of-creative-photo-display-ideas-to-showcase-your-family-memories

Meet Your Friendly Nashville Family Photographer 

a dad mom and toddler son are all smiling at eachother at a lavender farm by Erin Fox photography in Nashville

Dolly DeLong is a Nashville-based family & branding photographer AND a creative business owner who educates other family photographers (aka creative business owners) on systems, SOPs, workflows, marketing, and launching (aka how to run the backend of your own family photography business as a one-woman show)! Dolly loves serving families with her bold, elevated, and radiant photography. She also loves educating other creative business owners on how to set up systems and workflows to help them save time in their businesses. Dolly produces weekly blog posts, podcast episodes on The Systems & Workflow Magic Podcast, and weekly YouTube Episodes. 

She has a heart for serving the larger business community. Dolly shares her knowledge of launching, Email Marketing, and Business Systems with new creative business owners and family photographers in an encouraging and supportive way because she believes anyone can find joy in systems, workflows, and intentional SOPS! Plus, BONUS: Systems are where the magic happens! You can streamline and automate the backend of your creative business with ease!

Dolly’s faith and love for her family motivate her to help other business owners find the joy and freedom she’s seen in running a successful small business.

Whenever she has a spare moment, she enjoys watching TV, loves eating way too many sweets, and listens to podcasts while running or walking. Fill out her contact form to work with Dolly DeLong Photography for a family photography session.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

free family portrait style guide —

a free style guide

Planning a family photo session can feel overwhelming, but I’ve got you! Grab my free guide to plan, prepare, and get excited for your next session with confidence.

Family Photography Session Planning & Style Guide

plan & style your session