If you missed the boat on photo gifts…no, wait! You didn’t! We all live in the land of the Smartphone Camera, after all, and if you’ve got a camera and a place to print a photo, you’ve got the makings of a wonderful surprise Father’s Day gift. Here are just a few Father’s Day photo shoot ideas I’ve found from crafty parents around the web that don’t require a $6000 camera or any crazy skills. Which is just how I like it.

Hey, I love that photo within a photo within a photo multi-generation portrait as much as anyone, but I know how much effort and time it takes to get that right. Stick with these instead.

Related: 17 very, very cool Father’s Day gift ideas under $25

 

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I am so taken with this awesome I love dad Father’s Day photo (above) from Freckle photo. Granted you need four people to make it work. Though hey, if you have five kids you could do I LOVE DADDY, and with two you could just try DAD ♥ and have something wonderful. I’ve seen a lot of these around and they’re not all fantastic. I think part of what makes this one work is somewhat neat handwriting and uniform letter size; the other part is the nice focus on the feet in the foreground. In other words, make sure you’re not aiming for their adorable faces for once.

 

How to make a we love dad silhouette photo | photo shoot idea tutorial via crafty gator

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This adorable Father’s Day photo shoot idea from Crafty Gator has easily been one of our most popular Father’s Day DIY gifts that we’ve shared over the years. I love her tutorial which lets you in on all the “cheats” that help make this work. That said, seeing a few pins attempting similar shots, I think it might be a little tougher than it looks to get it just so. First of all, a sunny day is key. If you don’t have that, don’t bother.

 

We Love Dad Father's Day photo shoot idea | Last minute Father's Day Gifts

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We’ve seen a few takes on kids holding up giant letters but I like how at Krafts and Kiddos, she takes a collage approach in this Father’s Day collage portrait of the kids that just requires, well, some letters. It should be pretty easy to make with an online editor like PicMonkey which is always my go-to easy editing source. And the best part is, you don’t need one perfect photo with all the kids standing perfectly perfect. Take a whole bunch and use the best ones.

 

Father's Day collage photo shoot idea from Simple Simple blog

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Also from the collage idea, this cool photo idea from the Somewhat Simple blog that incorporates type. A while back, we posted a list of homemade Father’s Day gift ideas and included this canvas. It may be too late to get it printed and stretched onto a canvas (unless you know a guy who knows a guy) but you can easily create something similar in Pic Monkey with favorite photos, and print it out at high resolution.

 

Father's Day photo shoot idea: Dress your kids up in a t-shirt with just the right sentiment | Cool Mom Picks

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If you have a Father’s Day tee for the kids with a cute saying, or want to sew one yourself, that makes a great portrait idea on its own. We love love love this tee from [updated]  Alison Scott at Pennsylvania Etsy shop Once Upon a Story. Even if you can’t get it in time for Father’s Day, a photo like this would be such a sweet birthday or holiday gift for him. Or heck, go Crafting 101 and hand your kid a Sharpie and a plain tee. That can be just as sweet as anything store bought.

 

Father's Day photo shoot idea: Combine kids and their own artwork | Evolving Motherhood

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Ready for easy? Just combine combine two awesome things into one photo: your kids and their own artwork. The result can be something as simple as this sweet Father’s Day photo shoot idea featured at  Evolving Motherhood. Keep snapping until you get the right one. (We love the outtakes on her blog!) And you can also try a fun Father’s Day coloring page if they’re too young to freehand it.

 

DIY father’s Day photo shoot idea from Crafty Texas Girls

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Another one of our very favorite snapshots that feature kids and their artwork: This adorable, sunshiney Father’s Day portrait of the kids against chalk art courtesy of Crafty Texas Girls which we found last year. Doesn’t hurt if your kids are awesome artists. And look this cute. And have great sunglasses. And you have a really dark driveway. Be sure to check out her tutorial for tips to get it done right — you’ll notice she’s not afraid of editing or photo filters and you shouldn’t be either.