Circus Themed Family Photo Shoot

If you follow us on Facebook or on Instagram, you know that The Harris Sisters take nearly every opportunity we're together to get family photos. We thought we'd share some tips and tricks we used to take photos the last time the whole group was together.

Spring is approaching, so for this photo shoot we had a concept that was based loosely on Mother's Day and a celebration of mothers in general, which is why we incorporated all the kiddos into the shoot. (You'll notice we snuck Daddy into one of the shots, too, because you just can't pass up an opportunity to get a photo of Granddaddy with all the grandkids when you've got everybody in the same place at the same time.)

The theme of this photo shoot was the circus! Why? Well, because as a mom, you've always got some sort of three-ring circus going on - you're performing a balancing act (schedules, play dates, dinner, school activities, sports, plays, dance rehearsals and recitals, scout meetings, the list goes on!), jumping through flaming hoops for your kids, keeping all the plates spinning, and you'd bend over backwards for any of your kiddos.

Most days, it's a High Wire Act AND you're the Ring Master AND the Strong (Wo)Man all rolled into one. To paraphrase The Greatest Showman,

Motherhood IS The Greatest Show

Oh, this is the greatest show
It's everything you ever want
It's everything you ever need
And it's here right in front of you
This is where you wanna be (this is where you wanna be)
It's everything you ever want
It's everything you ever need
And it's here right in front of you
This is where you wanna be
This is where you wanna be

How To Plan Your Own Circus Photoshoot

Make a Shot List

We started off with list of photos we were interested in getting during this photoshoot.

That way, we had a plan and we wouldn't miss out on any of the photos we wanted while we were all together and in costume. Our mission was to get photos of:

• the sisters
• the sisters and all the kiddos
• all the kiddos
• Daddy with all the grandchildren
• individual shots of each sister with her children

What to Wear for Your Circus Themed Photoshoot

When we plan photoshoots, we are all in charge of our own clothing. For this particular shoot, we decided on a color scheme and then kept each other updated with photos of costume choices as they were purchased. None of your circus themed outfits need to be particularly expensive.

For example, both boys, who are the Strong Men in our circus, are wearing black and white striped shirts that were purchased at a thrift store. They both already had plain black basketball shorts and black Converse tennis shoes. Donna's Ring Master costume was also pieced together from items that she already owned: a white button down shirt, a vest, a bow tie, a red blazer, black shorts, fishnet tights, and black boots. Deanna found the red top hat at an estate sale to complete the look. Lexi's costume is a repurposed dance recital costume. Misty crafted her own feather headdress. Other costume pieces can be purchased from Amazon, Etsy, or eBay. And make sure to shop your local theater company or your closet too!

Make Sure to Add Props and Accessories

You'll notice a few extra details in these photos, and they weren't difficult or expensive to add at all! See if you can spot these circus themed props and accessories:

• trunk
• circus stand (this is a planter painted and turned upside down)
• large ball (this is an exercise ball painted with a large star on it)
• umbrella for the Tight Rope Walker
• accordion
• Ring Master's cane (this is a wooden dowel painted black with silver tips)
• tattoo sleeves for the Strong Men

This Is Me

When the sharpest words wanna cut me down
I'm gonna send a flood, gonna drown them out
I am brave, I am bruised
I am who I'm meant to be, this is me
Look out 'cause here I come
And I'm marching on to the beat I drum
I'm not scared to be seen
I make no apologies, this is me

A Million Dreams

'Cause every night I lie in bed
The brightest colors fill my head
A million dreams are keeping me awake
A million dreams, a million dreams
I think of what the world could be
A vision of the one I see
A million dreams is all it's gonna take
A million dreams for the world we're gonna make

We hope this post inspires you to plan your own circus themed photo shoot for your family. This was a fun one for the Harris Sisters to do. And remember: Life's a circus - enjoy the show!

This post contains affiliate links.