Mother’s Day photo ideas

Good Mother’s Day photos show what you actually do together: baking, a walk, breakfast in bed. Here are 18 ideas for photos with mom and of mom (for once, she’s not the one holding the camera), plus how to bring an old photo of her to life.

Photos with mom

1. Baking together Flour on the counter, her hands showing yours how to knead. Shoot from across the counter at chest height, with the window to one side.
2. The tray comes in The kids carry the breakfast tray in. Stand in the doorway and shoot as mom sits up and sees it.
3. Kids do her makeup Let the kids put on her lipstick and blush, then shoot the proud makeup artists next to the result.
4. Making her card Glitter, glue and a tongue out in concentration: shoot the kids at the kitchen table making her card, before she sees it.
5. The coffee she didn’t make The kids bring her a coffee they made themselves, however it turned out. Shoot her first sip.
6. Flowers from the yard A child hands her a fistful of dandelions or garden flowers. Shoot over the child’s shoulder at her face.
7. Matching aprons Same apron, same sweater or the same old band shirt, side by side in the kitchen.

Photos of mom

1. Her favorite spot Her reading chair, her garden, her side of the porch. Photograph her there doing her thing, not posing.
2. Her hands at work A close-up of what she’s known for: knitting, potting plants, braiding hair, rolling dough.
3. Among her flowers Put her beside the flowers she grows or loves best, with a few blooms in front of the lens.
4. The laugh Ask her about the worst thing you did as a kid and shoot while she tells the story.
5. Reading the card Hand her a handwritten card and shoot while she reads it, from slightly to the side.

Gifts and details

1. Card and flowers Lay the bouquet, a card in kid handwriting and her coffee mug on linen and shoot from above.
2. The drawing of mom Have mom hold up a child’s drawing of her next to her face and copy its expression.
3. Handprint craft The handprint card or clay print with the small hand that made it resting beside it.
4. M-O-M pancakes Pour pancakes in the shape of the letters and shoot the plate straight down before anyone takes a bite.
5. Brunch outside Set the table in the yard and shoot the moment everyone reaches for the food.
6. Her old photo, held up Mom holds a print of herself at your age, in the same place you’re standing now.

Make it move

Open the photo in Tada and pick one of these:

• Natural in Make it Live suits candid moments like baking: people blink, breathe, smile a little and shift slightly, and the camera stays still. For an old print of mom, take a photo of it with your iPhone and try Breathe, which is free and made on your phone in about a second. More in how to animate old photos.
• Crayon Hearts, an AI look, draws puffy pastel hearts, two tiny love letters and heartbeat squiggles around her, and the hearts pulse.
• Stickers: the Things to hold pack has a bouquet, a rose and a cake, and Neck things has pearls. They’re free and stay moving in the saved Live Photo.

Natural and Crayon Hearts use 1 AI tada each, and the first 3 are free. Tada asks before sending a photo to OpenAI and xAI to make them (privacy).

iPhone tips for Mother’s Day photos

• Turn off the overhead lights and put mom side-on to a window. Soft side light is kinder than a ceiling bulb.
• For her portrait, swipe to Portrait mode and drag to Natural Light or Studio Light for bright, clean light on her face.
• Get in the photo yourself: swipe up from the camera modes, tap Timer, choose 3, 5 or 10, and prop the phone against a mug.
• Keep Live Photo on. Later, in Photos, you can pick a frame where everyone is mid-laugh with Make Key Photo.

Questions

Sources: Apple Support: Take portraits with your iPhone camera · Apple Support: Use iPhone camera tools to set up your shot · Apple Support: Edit Live Photos on iPhone

More you can do

• Snow and winter photo ideas
• Pregnancy announcement ideas
• Animate a photo
• Add stickers that move
• All guides