Extended Family Portrait Tips

Today I’m sharing my best tips for extended family portrait sessions.  Confession time!  Planning an extended family portrait session with my family is my least favorite thing.  I would rather discuss politics or the finale of “Lost” than discuss what we all should wear for family portraits.  What makes extended family sessions more difficult than immediate family sessions is the number of opinions.  You will no doubt end up with way too many cooks in the kitchen and A LOT of ideas about where to have the session, when to have the session, what to wear, and where to eat afterwards.  It can be extremely overwhelming.  HOWEVER, it is always worth it.  Seeing myself in an extended family portrait always reminds me that I’m a part of something bigger than me.  Something that was here before me and will continue long after I’m gone.  It’s really quite beautiful.  So to help you get to that beautiful place smoothly, here are some of my best tips for families planning an extended family portrait session:

Plan ahead!  If you know your whole family is going to be together for Thanksgiving or a family reunion, don’t let family portraits be an after thought.  Let people plan and prepare.

Have a point person.  When you have a large group, someone needs to be in charge.  Obviously on portrait day your photographer is in charge, but up until the camera starts shooting, someone needs to be in charge.  Usually the matriarch or patriarch of the family will make a good point person because it’s harder for everyone to argue with them.

Make sure everyone is on the same page about the kind of portrait session you will be having.  Sometimes families are split between wanting posed/formal portraits and wanting more candid/casual portraits.  Get on the same page before your session date.

Know what you want to do with the portraits and communicate that to your photographer before your session.  For example, knowing you’re trying to replace a wall of 5×7 portrait oriented photos of your grandkids is important information for your photographer.

Coordinate your clothing, but do not match exactly.  A matchy-matchy wardrobe is so ten years ago, friends.  You want to look like a co-cohesive group, but not like a corporate retreat or summer camp group.  For more ideas on how to coordinate your wardrobe, check out my blog post HERE.

While we’re on the subject of wardrobe, my list of “Oh no no’s” that don’t photograph well includes: transition lenses, clothing with words or logos, neon, and skinny stripes.  Avoid these always.

Arrive on time!  I can’t stress this enough.  If you show up late, everyone will be annoyed with you for the rest of the shoot.  (I have clients who are still annoyed years later.)  If you or someone in your group is habitually late, give them an earlier start time.  Kids are usually at their best when the session starts, but they quickly lose interest.  Be on time.  Think of the children!

Speaking of children, try not to choose a location that is so far away that your child will fall asleep for an hour and then take 30 minutes to wake up.  Children aren’t as cute in bear mode.

Be patient and stay out of the way during the portrait session.  Don’t be another cook in the kitchen.  If it’s not your turn to have your picture taken, give your photographer room to work and be ready when it’s your turn.  Help keep kids happy and clean because one or two hours is a long time for children to behave.

Make sure your photographer knows what shots are most important to you.  It’s a good idea to work with your photographer to create a shot list before your session.

Let your photographer know if there are any unusual family dynamics (such as a life long feud between older siblings or your cousin’s new boyfriend that she insisted had to be in the pictures).  It may help your photographer avoid any uncomfortable pairings.

My last piece of advice is to try and enjoy your time together as much as possible.  I live hundreds of miles from my nearest family members and just being in the same space and remembering our shared history brings peace to my soul.  Let the moment sink in and give thanks.  And then get ice cream.

For information about my Extended Family Portrait Packages, click HERE.