Gathering all family members in one place at the same time for a decent photo while also trying to find the perfect spot and lighting can feel like an Olympic sport or managing a kindergarten full of hyperactive kids. And after many efforts, when everything finally falls into place, ready for the shot, someone’s bound to close their eyes, make a weird face, or drain all emotion from their expression.
The families we gathered in the list below definitely know the struggle, as none of them seem to have achieved the cozy and idyllic family photos everyone strives for. All they’ve managed to capture are very awkward and cringy pictures that somehow got exposed online for our entertainment. Scroll down to find them below, and don’t forget to upvote the ones that probably should’ve stayed in the dusty albums in Grandma’s attic.
While you’re at it, make sure to check out a conversation with luxury family vacation photographer Kirstie McConnell, owner and lead photographer at Christopher Todd Studios, Christopher Griffiths, and wedding and family photographer Kelly Williams, who kindly agreed to share their best tips on how to avoid awkward family photos.
#1 This Picture Was Taken At My Daughter’s Preschool Photo Day. I Think The Photographer Thought Having Her Hold A Flower Would Make For A Really Cute And Innocent Picture
Image source: awkwardfamilyphotos
#2 My Family Took This Photo For Our Baptist Church Directory In The Late 90s. It Was A Bit Of A Scandal But In Our Defense, Men In Black Had Just Come Out
Image source: awkwardfamilyphotos, erintarver
#3 During Our ‘Perfect’ Beach Photo Shoot, My Oldest Son Jumped On My Back, Propelling My Infant Son Out Of My Arms (As My Middle Son Looked On In Amusement)
My infant son was not harmed, just wet and scared but mommy is forever traumatized.
Image source: awkwardfamilyphotos
#4 When I Was A Kid My Family Decided To Take A Vacation To Blackpool, England. This Picture Is Perhaps The Only Family Portrait I Have From My Youth. I Treasure It!
Image source: awkwardfamilyphotos
#5 This Was Supposed To Be A Cute Photo Of Me And My Newborn Son
Image source: awkwardfamilyphotos, natashagrimaldi
#6 Yes, This Is My Family Photo
Image source: awkwardfamilyphotos
#7 My Dad Liked To Balance Me On One Hand And Sometimes He Used Props
Image source: awkwardfamilyphotos
#8 In Hindsight, My Freddy Krueger Shirt Probably Wasn’t Appropriate Attire For My Cousin’s Holy Communion
Image source: awkwardfamilyphotos
#9 This Family Photo Hung In My Pop And Gram’s House For Years. To Say They Didn’t Like My Aunt’s Ex-Husband May Have Been An Understatement
Image source: awkwardfamilyphotos
#10 I Played Keyboard In Elementary School Band And School Photos Were Sometimes Full Of The Rock And Roll That Comes With The Territory
Image source: awkwardfamilyphotos
#11 My Sister Wanted To Make Sure Her Eyes Stayed Open For The Picture
Image source: awkwardfamilyphotos, slebak
#12 This Is A Family Photo From The 90s. We Had Coordinated Halloween Costumes And Yes, We Watched A Lot Of Star Trek
Image source: awkwardfamilyphotos
#13 This Is A Picture Of My Grandpa, Aunt, And Uncle On Christmas Morning. You Can See They Are Full Of Cheer And Excitement For The Holiday
Image source: awkwardfamilyphotos
#14 The Last (And Arguably The Greatest) Professional Portrait Studio Photo Of My Husband And His Family
Image source: awkwardfamilyphotos
#15 Me, My Husband And Our 2 Children – It’s Our 2021 Holiday Photo And No Matter How We Tried To Entertain Our Son, He Wasn’t Having It
Image source: awkwardfamilyphotos, rcaro24
#16 I Was The Punk Rock / Artist Of The Family
Image source: awkwardfamilyphotos
#17 My Aunt’s Wedding Pictures With Her Bridesmaids And Flower Girl
Image source: awkwardfamilyphotos, boujieangelina
#18 This Is A Photo Of Me Faceplanting Into The Ground After What Looks Like My Sister Pushed Me Off The Top
Image source: awkwardfamilyphotos
#19 My Brother, Chris’s 1998 Senior Picture. He Really Loved Batman
Image source: awkwardfamilyphotos, casmith417
#20 This Was Taken In 1976 On Our Country’s Bicentennial. I’m The Little Guy That Resembles A Puppet
Image source: awkwardfamilyphotos, randyfield
#21 This Is A Picture From My Sister’s Wedding. My Daughter Is The Flower Girl And My Son Is The Linebacker. Please Laugh And Enjoy. We Did!
Image source: awkwardfamilyphotos
#22 This Pic Is My Mom, Dad, Brother, Sister And Her Husband, Me And My Demonic-Looking Son. This Family Portrait Was Taken In The 80s… We Were Really A Scary Crew
Image source: awkwardfamilyphotos
#23 The Church Directory Photographer Created This Of Me And My Mom And My Parents Bought A 5×7. I Always Hated It
Image source: awkwardfamilyphotos, kriscrouse13
#24 I Think The Stuffed Animal Possessed My Older Brother When He Was 7 Months Old In 1973
Image source: awkwardfamilyphotos, guidob__
#25 This Is My Parents On Their Wedding Day In 1975. She Was Always On His Mind Then And She Still Is Today
Image source: awkwardfamilyphotos
#26 We Just Wanted One Picture With All The Cousins
Image source: awkwardfamilyphotos, cdf228
#27 My Swiss-American Great-Grandparents On Their 40th Wedding Anniversary Sometime In The 40’s. So Happy Together
Image source: awkwardfamilyphotos
#28 Australia, 1979 Mother’s Day. We Fought And We Needed To Take Photos To Remember
Image source: awkwardfamilyphotos, unclejasonmyers
#29 My Daughter Was Super Sad Because She Couldn’t Eat Any Cookies Yet. Oy Indeed.
Image source: awkwardfamilyphotos, boonesfarmblonde
#30 This Was The Only Bench Around To Rest After A Long Hike, So We Sat And Took Five
Image source: awkwardfamilyphotos
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