Extended family portrait sessions are quite popular. Whether it is a gift for grandma, a milestone birthday present, to celebrate an anniversary or a gift for the holidays, this photo session is one that is a gift for all family members. Think about it…when was the last time you got together for a family portrait? In my family, the last time was my brother’s wedding over a decade earlier, which was pre kids. I am guessing the same holds true in your family.

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.

I schedule most of my outdoor photo sessions one hour before sunset. This time of day which is known as golden hour, has the softest light and creates a dreamy and ethereal quality to your images. I just love the golden glow of the sunset and the soft colors this time of day creates. While, I will never shoot in harsh mid day sun, I do offer sessions during the morning hours. This is because for some clients, sunset is too late for their little ones and they would rather schedule the session at a time of day at which their child feels his best. I am happy to accomodate that request and can do so while maintaining a style similar to that which you see on my portfolio.

Summer is a very popular time of year for people to schedule family photos. Many of my clients also opt to bring along grandparents to their portrait session and I think this is a great idea. A photo session that includes these favorite people is the perfect way to give your children a tangible memory of them.

If you’re considering a family portrait session that includes one or all of your child’s grandparents, I have a few tip to help you plan family photos with grandparents.

I am a sucker for photos of grandmas with their grandbabies. There is nothing more especial than the bond that exists between a grandparent and grandchild. I had an amazing relationship with my own grandparents and my children have a close bond with theirs as well. You need to document this bond not only for grandma, but so your children have these photos for years to come. The gift of a family photo session truly is meaningful for everyone in the family.

Mother’s Day was this past weekend and it is always a busy time here in the photography industry. I often have clients who purchase photo sessions for the special mom in their life. Whether it be a husband gifting a session to his wife or a child gifting a session to their mom, the gift of a photo session is one that the entire family will cherish.\

It’s no secret that the Spring is a highly desired time to take family portraits. This time of year is one of new life, growth, and possibility. Although you are likely to be out a about more, family schedules aren’t jam packed yet. If you are not sure about what time of year is best for your family photos, keep reading to see why Spring is one of the best times to schedule a portrait session.

One of the most popular sessions I offer is the extended family photo session. People often book these sessions as a gift for a grandparent, for a family reunion or simply to just update their family photos. A photo session is a great way to document the bond your family shares. However, what exactly is an extended photo session?

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.

I don’t know about you, but time surely seems to be flying by these days. Maybe it’s because I’m a mom of two active girls, who seem to be growing at the speed of light, or perhaps it is because my own parents are getting older. Whatever it is, I can’t help but reflect on my own childhood and how important my grandparents, parents and siblings were to me. I loved spending time with them and I wish I had professional photos that documented my time with them.

I know life is busy, but I can’t encourage you enough to prioritize extended family portraits. Years from now, you will be so very grateful that you made a point to get everyone together for a large family session. It is more than worth the effort, and I guarantee you’ll love every minute of it.

I receive tons of inquiries for multi generational family sessions. I photograph many of these large group sessions. They are really special sessions for the families and, often times, are gifted to grandparents for special occasions. This is a special gift that the entire family can appreciate.

As you can imagine, working with large groups like this involves a large degree of planning, flexibility and an open mind. It also requires lots of additional time, both during the session and in particular when it comes to editing these sessions, especially when the session involves multiple children of young ages.

Although we have plenty of photos taken of our own children and family, most people do not have updated family photos that includes their extended family members. In fact, most of us only have the rigid posed photos that were taken at the last family wedding. As your dynamic changes, it is important to get photos taken that show the unique bond that exists within your extended family.

Large group family photo sessions are a lot of fun to capture, but they do require some strategic planning and coordinating, especially if there are young cousins involved. To capture the images one is hoping for, I send out a questionnaire prior to your session, which will help me learn who I am photographing and the age of the children. It will also help me learn your goals for the sessions, groupings and types of images you are looking for and other pertinent details. This will help me to plan my time with you properly and time is of the essence with a beach sunset photo session.

When I get asked to do a family session that includes grandparents, I always know that the session will be special. I know how important the bond between grandparent and grandchild is and I love to photograph their special bond. A photo session that includes grandma and grandpa is a great gift for the holidays or any occasion and it is one that not only the grandparent will cherish, but you will too.

I had a blast photographing this family last year in West Hampton. During that session, my client announced to the rest of her family that she was pregnant and expecting her second child. It was so fun to capture their reaction to the happy news. It was so great to hear that they wanted to do another shoot and this time include the newest member of the family.

The family is from Oyster Bay, so they decided that they wanted to shoot at The Planting Fields Arboretum, a place at which they spend a lot of time. This location is not only gorgeous, but holds meaning to them as well., so it was the perfect spot for their family session, which would include all of the siblings, grandparents and grandchildren.

When I get asked to do a large group family session, I always get excited. These sessions are filled with energy and laughter. I also love to photograph these because I get the opportunity to document grandparents and their grandchildren together, which is always such a special bond to capture. These sessions are a great gift to give to grandparents for the upcoming holidays and it is one that not only the grandparent will cherish, but you will too.

One of my favorite clients contacted me about a last minute extended family session. Her brother in law was visiting from Hawaii and she wanted to take this opportunity to capture the whole entire family together. It was also the first time they were meeting the newest baby of the family, so it was an extra special visit.

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.

I think the greatest gift that you can give to any grandparent is the gift of a large group family session. This gift is one that the grandparent will cherish for a lifetime and so will the entire family. My client contacted me in the early Spring inquiring about a group family session. She and her sister wanted to gift the session to her mother as a Mother’s Day gift. The session was to include her parents, both of their spouses and their toddler aged children. Although they are from Nassau County and the surrounding areas, they chose Westhampton beach as their location because they spend a lot of time as a family out there.

The holiday season is upon us and so are family gatherings. The holidays are a time to connect with our loved ones. Most importantly, the holidays are a time to reflect on all that we have to be grateful for and for most of you, I am sure your loved ones are on the top of that list.

Even though our parents and siblings are such a central part of our lives, we don’t have photos that document that bond. Sure, we get pictures of our children each year, which don’t get me wrong, is of the utmost importance, but when was the last time you had a photo taken with your mom or sibling? For most of us , it may have been at a wedding or other function during which time we quickly snapped an iPhone photo. Now, the cell phone capture is great to have, but does it really capture the essence of your family? For those of you who have been thinking about having your family photographed, the holidays are a perfect time to finally do so because the family is all together at this time of year.

When my client contacted me a few months ago and asked if I would be willing to travel to Fire Island for a large family session with her in laws, I immediately said yes. Because I live in Long Beach and spend my time on the beaches here, I don't really travel over to Fire Island much anymore. In fact, the last time I visited was a few years ago on a girl's overnight trip to Ocean Beach. 

Because my client's father in law would be visiting from Hawaii to spend some time with his grandchildren, she wanted to book an extended session that included not only her own children, but her sister in law's family and of course, the special visitor, her father in law.