One of the greatest gifts you can give your parents is an extended family photoshoot. This is a gift not only for them, but for the entire family.

Let’s be real….do your parents really need another sweater, kitchen gadget or useless device they will never use? Why not take this opportunity to give them something that makes them feel special like they deserve to feel.

A favorite client of mine recently booked me for a photo session including the grandparents. Coincidentally, the session took place on grandparents day, which is September 12th. It was a special session for this family because the grandparents were in the states visiting from Germany, so it was the perfect opportunity to capture professional photos with the extended family. I was thrilled to capture this session, not only because I love working with this family, but also because I love photographing grandparents. I figured I would use this session as an opportunity to blog about why I feel including grandparents in your family photos is so important.

My client recently moved to Long Island from California. Her family, including her parents, still live on the West Coast. She decided that for her first Thanksgiving here in Jericho, New York, she would book a family photo session with her two little boys to commemorate this next chapter in their life. She also wanted to include her parents, who would be in town visiting for the holiday. I just love the idea of incorporating grandparents into photo sessions. After all, they are such an important part of your life.

Grandparents are an integral part of your children’s life. For most children, the bond between grandparent and grandchild is strong and like no other. The love a grandparent has for a grandchild is unparalleled and it is unbiased. It is so very important to capture that bond and preserve those memories for your children. An extended family session is the perfect way to do so because you get images that capture the connection between your parents and your children.

I recently photographed this sweet group on Veteran’s Day. It was an unseasonably warm day and I was thankful for it because the days preceding this session were bitterly cold. Mom chose a location close to her home and I was happy to oblige her because I absolutely love to photograph families in new and unique locations.

My grandparents were an integral part of my childhood and I know that there is nothing quite like the bond between grandparents and their grandchildren. My approach to these sessions is to capture your children interacting with and loving on their grandparents.  
It is so important that you document that bond for your children; they will thank you for the photos when they are older.