Extended Family Photos | Buffalo NY

I’ve had so many requests for extended family sessions over the past couple years. I love doing them and so I thought I would write a blog post about what you can expect at an extended family photo session with me.

What is an Extended Family Photo Session?

Extended family photoshoots are a bit different than my regular family sessions. When you book extended family photos with me, one of the first things I do is send you a questionnaire for you to fill out. This will tell me who I will be photographing, your likes and dislikes, and what groupings are most important to you to photograph. Typically, there are grandparents, adult children, and their children. Some examples of grouping I have done are: the entire group, each individual family, grandparents and grandchildren, parents and their adult children, siblings, couples etc. This can be customized to what is most important to you and your loved ones!

What to Expect During the Session

I generally start with the entire group. This is commonly the most desired shot and I like to get it out of the way when everyone (kids) are fresh and ready to go. Then I will move on to groups that include the littlest kids since we usually only have a short time with the little ones before they lose interest! After that, I will move onto groupings with older kids and adults. If there is time at the end, I’ll do some more documentary style shots that are less posed and more playful.

If you’ve ever done an extended family photoshoot with me, you’ll have seen my “Josh Allen Armband.” This is a conversation starter as well as a list of every group I want to make sure to photograph. So if you see me looking at this and calling out names like a quarterback, that’s what’s going on. It helps me make sure we get everything that my mom brain can’t remember without it being written down.

During the photos, I will direct and prompt you and I move around a lot to make sure I get a variety of poses and compositions. We do a lot of laughing, even if it starts off as fake cheesy laughing. 

After the Session

I will select and edit your photos and you will receive them in a private online gallery for downloading and sharing. You will also have the option to purchase prints and products directly though your gallery! 

I hope this gave you a little more information on what to expect for a session. I love extended family photos because the dynamic of having several generations together is always a blast. And having photos with the entire family including grandparents, adult children, and grandchildren is priceless! If you’re interested in booking an extended family photoshoot, please contact me!