Extended family photography can take a little planning. Add grandparents, adult children, spouses, siblings and nine different personalities into the mix, and suddenly “just getting a family photo” becomes a bit more complicated.
But sometimes those are the photos that matter the most.
The McManus/Moore family gathered for an extended family photo session in Peoria, AZ, to celebrate something pretty incredible: Karen and Mike’s 59th wedding anniversary. Their adult grandson, who lives out of state, was also in town, making this one of those rare moments when everyone could be together.
And when you have 59 years of marriage and multiple generations in one room, you take the pictures.
A Family Session With a Lot to Remember
We photographed this session at Collective Studios in Peoria, which gave us the best of both worlds: a beautiful studio space and a gorgeous Spanish courtyard.
Because extended family sessions can involve a lot of moving parts, I like to create a natural flow rather than trying to photograph everyone together for the entire session.
We started with Karen and Mike and their adult children. From there, we brought in the different family groupings, including their grandchildren and spouses. Toward the end, we focused more closely on Jenn’s immediate family and even included her bonus daughter’s boyfriend in a few photographs.
That flexibility is one of the things I love about extended family photography. Not every photograph needs to include every person.
Sometimes grandparents need a break. Sometimes we need to move quickly while everyone is still smiling. Sometimes you want the siblings together, the couples alone or Mom and Dad by themselves.
And sometimes the “favorite child” needs to be documented.
When I asked Karen and Mike who their favorite child was, they answered John (their son-in-law).
I mean… obviously. lol!
The Moments That Made This Session Special
There were plenty of laughs throughout the session, but one of my favorite moments was photographing Karen and Mike with their wedding photograph.
After 59 years of marriage, seeing the two of them together with that image from the beginning of their life together was incredibly meaningful.
Those are the moments I look for during a family session. Not just everyone smiling at the camera, but the little pieces of a family that tell you who they are.
The way someone looks at their spouse. The sibling who can’t stop making everyone laugh. The grandparents who have spent decades building a family. The inside jokes that make absolutely no sense to anyone outside the family.
Those are the photographs that become more valuable with time.
Planning Extended Family Photos
If you’re considering an extended family photo session, my biggest piece of advice is to plan early.
Getting everyone’s schedules to line up can be an event all by itself. Give your family plenty of time to choose a date, talk through clothing and make sure everyone knows where they need to be.
Choose a Color Palette
You don’t need everyone wearing the exact same thing. In fact, please don’t.
Instead, choose one or two neutral base colors and add two to four coordinating colors. For this session, navy, gray, green, denim and brown worked beautifully together.
A color palette makes it easier for everyone to choose something from their own closet while still creating a cohesive look.
And if you’re completely stuck, Pinterest is your friend.
Choose a Private Location
Extended family photographs already come with enough moving parts. Choosing a location where you aren’t constantly working around crowds, distractions or other people can make the experience much easier.
Collective Studios was especially helpful for this family because we had the beautiful Spanish courtyard along with a comfortable indoor studio.
Give Everyone an Earlier Arrival Time
If your session begins at 4:00, tell everyone to arrive at 3:45.
And if you have that one family member who is always late?
They may need a 3:30 arrival time.
I’m not naming names. You know who you are.
The Most Important Thing to Bring
Bring a sense of humor.
Seriously.
Someone may wear the wrong shirt. Someone may be late. Someone may squint. Someone may make a joke at exactly the wrong moment (that someone might be me….I’ll just say I’m sorry here.).
Let it go.
Ten years from now, those details probably won’t matter nearly as much as having the photograph.
Because your family won’t always look like this.
Parents get older. Kids grow up. People move away. Families change.
That’s why extended family photography matters to me.
These aren’t just photographs of what your family looked like in 2026.
They’re photographs of who was here, who loved each other and what this season of your family’s life felt like.
When you’re ready to tackle the logistics of an extended family photo session, I’d love to help make the process a little easier.
Email me at kimvanosphotography@gmail.com and let’s start planning your family photographs.
