Picture this: a family, dressed in matching denim, lying on top of one another by the ocean. Or think of two parents sweetly kissing their newborn—except the baby is screaming out in terror. Or imagine a mother and father posed casually for a snapshot with their kids . . . with their pet snake wrapped around all of them. These photographic gems—and many, many more—are chronicled in the hilarious, uncomfortable and yes—awkward—book, Awkward Family Photos.
Mike Bender and Doug Chernack had no idea what a goldmine they’d struck when they started their website, awkwardfamilyphotos.com, in 2009. They figured they would post some funny pictures from their families and friends’ families, and pass the website around as a joke. Then people started checking out the site by the hundreds, then thousands, then millions—and a phenomenon was born. Lucky for us, Bender and Chernack have created a greatest hits album from their collection of awkward and awesome family photos in Awkward Family Photos. You’ll see some of your favorites from the website, but also dozens of new, ridiculous family snapshots. It’s all here, from holiday cards gone awry to wacky wedding portraits to awful graduation photos and beyond. To make it even funnier, Bender and Chernack have included photo captions, as well as stories from the people in the photos. If you think your family is awkward, you’re probably right, but Awkward Family Photos proves that it could be much, much worse.
