The Photos You’ll Be Grateful You Have
There is a particular kind of image – the multigenerational family photograph – that doesn’t earn its full meaning the day it’s taken.
It sits in a gallery, gets printed and framed, maybe hangs on a wall. Life continues. And then, somewhere down the road, that image becomes something else entirely. It becomes the last one. The best one. The one everyone gathers around.
I’ve been a part of enough family stories now to know that the sessions clients almost talk themselves out of are often the ones that matter most.
Why Families Hesitate (And Why It’s Worth Pushing Past That)
I hear it all the time. “There are too many of us.” “The grandparents are hard to schedule around.” “The kids will be chaos.” “Maybe next year when things settle down.”
I understand the hesitation around booking extended family photos. Gathering the entire family feels like a logistical puzzle, and there’s a common fear that the whole thing will feel overwhelming or awkward.
But here’s what I know from photographing dozens of extended family photo sessions: that perfect, settled moment families are waiting for rarely arrives on its own. What does arrive, quietly and without announcement, is change.
I have photographed at least three extended family sessions that were booked specifically because an older family member had received a terminal or degenerative diagnosis. These families knew, with a clarity that most of us don’t have, that they needed to document their elders while they were still present, aware, and able to participate. It was an honour to be trusted with that. To stand at that particular juncture in a family’s story and make images that would carry enormous weight for years to come.
And then there was a client of mine – a lovely woman I had photographed several times – who decided one year to include her sister, her parents, and both families in a session together. It went beautifully. I delivered the images, everyone was happy, and we moved on.
A few months later, she reached back out. Her father had passed away suddenly, just weeks after our session. She told me that my images were the last and best photos her family had ever taken together. She was so glad she had booked it when she did.
I think about that often.
What I Want You to Know Before You Talk Yourself Out of Extended Family Photos
“It’s too many people and too many personalities.”
This is the most common worry, and I want to address it directly. I take a great deal of this off your plate. Before we ever arrive at the session, I offer guidance on preparation, and I help families build out their “shot list” – the specific combinations of people and groupings they want documented. That way, nothing gets missed, the session moves with intention, and we’re not scrambling to remember who needs to be in a photo together.
I’ve also found that kids almost always open up when extended family is around. Grandparents, aunties, cousins – there’s an ease and a warmth that emerges in those dynamics that is genuinely special to capture.
“We need to coordinate everyone’s outfits perfectly.”
You don’t. I offer a simple, low-pressure what-to-wear guide that takes the stress out of this completely. No matching uniforms, no high-stakes outfit decisions. Just some gentle direction so everyone looks cohesive and feels comfortable. And while that’s helpful, if outfit coordination is not possible, we document everyone just as they are – no pressure.
“Someone is going to ruin the photo.”
I want to gently reframe this one. In a multigenerational session, I’m not chasing perfection. I’m chasing connection. The interactions, the glances, the laughter between a grandmother and her grandchild – that is what makes these images extraordinary. When we let go of the idea that everything must be controlled and symmetrical, we make space for real, genuine moments that will continue to tug at your heart for years to come.
“We’ll wait until the timing is better.”
It will not surprise you to hear me say (with as much warmth as I can): the timing will not get better on its own. What I am here to document is your family right now, exactly as it is, in this chapter. That is the point of extended family photos. Honesty over perfection, always.
“Is it really worth the investment for just one big group photo?”
A multigenerational session is so much more than a single group portrait. What I create is an imprint of the emotion, the closeness, and the connection within your family – whatever that looks like for you. The candid moments. The quirky ones. The chaos of little ones running toward their grandparents. Those are the images that become heirlooms. A phone on a tripod can give you a snapshot of people standing together. What I give you is something that will still mean everything in twenty years.
The Images That Outlive the Moment
Photography has always been about memory. But multigenerational sessions carry a particular kind of weight, because they document something that is, by its very nature, finite.
The years when grandparents are healthy and present. The years when cousins are small enough to tumble around together on a blanket. The season of life when everyone is still here, still gathering.
I don’t say that to be heavy-handed. I say it because I have seen, more than once, what it means to a family to have those photographs when the unexpected happens. And I have seen the regret in families who waited.
You don’t have to be facing a diagnosis or a milestone to make this worthwhile. You just have to be willing to say: this moment, right now, is worth preserving.
Let’s Make It Happen
If you’ve been turning the idea of extended family photos over in your mind, I’d love to hear from you. Whether it’s a small gathering or a full, sprawling family reunion of cousins and grandparents and everyone in between, I will help you plan it thoughtfully so that it feels easy, meaningful, and genuinely enjoyable.
Reach out here and let’s talk about what your family’s session could look like.
Because one day, you’ll be so glad you did.
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