Family gathering time is the perfect time for an extended family photo. What better time than when everyone is already together to capture memories that will last a lifetime! But when it comes to multi-generational family photography, the challenge of getting everyone coordinated can seem daunting. Organizing a group of family members to do just about anything can be difficult, but the end result of getting everyone together for a group photo session is well worth the effort.
How Do I Even Begin?
It helps if you start by generating excitement, and reminding everyone that you are helping to create a legacy for your family … a visual record of your family’s history. Not only will you capture the individual personalities and relationships between family members, but you will also document how your family changes over time.
One of the biggest challenges of multi-generational family photography is just getting everyone together!! And it is becoming more commonplace for families to be spread out across different parts of the country or even the world. This is why it is easiest to coordinate a multi-generational photo shoot around times when the family will be gathering anyway. Think holidays, family reunion, special family gatherings like birthdays and anniversaries.
Where Should We Shoot?
Once the date is coordinated, we’ll work with your family to find a suitable location. You’ll want to choose a location that is convenient for everyone and that offers a variety of backdrops for your photos. We often ask families to think about what is most meaningful to their family story. Is there a special thing that you do together as a family and a location that will help tell that story? The family home is often a good choice or we have lots of park locations that we like to use. With very large families it helps to have a place where we can “stack” people on multiple levels so that everyone can be seen!
Once we take the large, multi-generational photo, we will always break up the group and also capture individual family units, as well. We will also do special groups, like all girls, all boys, all cousins, and so on. The possibilities are endless and really are up to you.
A really sweet variation on the large group multi-generational photo is to schedule a session with just “Grandma and Me”, or any other variation you can think of. It’s a really beautiful way to highlight and document those beautiful relationships between generations that will surely be a lifelong treasure.
What Should We Wear?
The best group photos are where everyone’s outfits look cohesive. It’s best if everyone is not too matchy-matchy, but the colors should coordinate. Consider selecting a color palette and asking everyone to choose their outfits within that palette. The color palette can be opposites (blue and yellow), or monochrome (shades of blue). Don’t be afraid to mix patterns and textures within the same color palette. Get creative with it … for instance, one group member could wear a top featuring the primary color, while another might opt for shoes in the same hue. Other group memberss can introduce elements that feature the complementary color. One person might choose pants or a skirt in the complementary shade, while others explore their fashion choices within this color scheme. You can find extra help HERE.
We usually say, make sure that everyone looks like they are going to the same party. It can be a casual party, or a dressy party …. Just make sure you are all going to the same party!
Viewing and Ordering
Once the photos are taken, we help make choosing your print products a snap by coordinating the viewing and ordering session. Sessions are quickest and most efficient when all decision makers can come to our Metairie studio. In the case of out of town clients or out of town individual family members, the session can be done over Zoom. It is very common for anyone that is local to come into the studio, while the non-local participants join online to chime in on final selections and choices! A lot of families ask us to “just send a link,” but we find that the final products turn out much better when we can do a guided viewing and ordering session. When there are lots of people in the session, it is rare that everyone looks great in one single photo. With a guided session, we are able to present you with options for “headswaps” and customized editing to make your family heirloom look beautiful!
Multi-generational family photography is a wonderful way to document your family’s legacy and create memories that will last a lifetime. While it can be challenging to pull it all together, the end result is well worth the effort. With careful planning and communication, we can help make the process as enjoyable and stress-free as possible. So gather your family members together and create some beautiful memories that you can cherish for a lifetime.
Help Me Get Started!
Want to get started with scheduling a multi-generational family session of your own? Just fill in the contact form below and we’ll send you the scoop on how to get started!!
