How to Prepare for your Extended Family Session | Morristown NJ Photographer

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I take on a limited amount of Extended Family Sessions per year. Why?, simply put they are A LOT of work. Multiple family groupings to photograph, a lot of different hats throwing out ideas…some of who might have different expectations or might not have seen my photography style, trying to get that 1 group portrait of everyone looking (usually an impossible feat), and getting the kids to want to hang out for a longer session, tends to be difficult. All of these things & more leaves the introverted me a bit wiped out by the end.

But then I get families like this….more times than not….that make me wish I did take on more of these types of sessions. They all went with the flow, were fun loving, didn’t take things too seriously and were just an overall sweet family to work with. So maybe taking on more extended families it is!

Enjoy these images & stick around to the end to see the top 5 things you as a family can do to prepare for your upcoming extended family session.

5 Ways You Can Prepare for Your Extended Family Session

Step 1 ~ COMMUNICATION

Please make sure that everyone in the family has seen my website (as well as this post!) before your session is actually booked so they are all on the same page as far as my style of photography & what to expect day of. Getting the family together for just a regular session can be stressful. When you add in 1 or 2…sometimes even 5! additional families to the mix, it can lead to some chaos and added stress. Who needs extra stress when we already have way too much!

Step 2 ~ MORE COMMUNICATION

OK, what is this photographer crazy?? She already told us we need to communicate. Yes! But I don’t want it to stop at just showing the whole family my website. They need to be in contact with you through this whole process. Some clients make a dedicated group email just for the family session. Please make sure everyone in the family gets to see a shot list ahead of time so they know what to expect. I will work with the point person on this shot list…..so please make sure whoever is booking this session can also be the point person when it comes to things like this. I do not stray too much from the shot list during the actual session. “But it’s little Jeff’s birthday next month and I brought a cake for him & Molly needs head shots for her LinkedIn, can we just get a few of those at the end of the session?” I am sorry but no. We can set up sessions for those during another time But what does a shot list typically look like for extended family sessions? I am so glad you asked! *Please note that every family is different so this is just an example. I will work with you to get a list that work with your family dynamic.

  1. Group shot of all the families together

  2. Grandparents with the grandkids

  3. Adult Siblings

  4. Just the cousins

  5. Individual of the “O’Leary” family as a whole

  6. Individual of the “Mather’s” family as a whole

  7. Grandma with grandkids

  8. Grandpa with grandkids

  9. Adults kids with their parents

  10. Just the adults as a group

Step 3 ~ Styling

Have one point person help organize outfits. Coordinate your outfits but please try not to match everyone! Choose about 3 colors and mix and match different styles with your family. Take this family above as an example. They did an amazing job with coordinating vs matchy matching. Having that one point person is very helpful when it comes to making sure everyone is on the same page. I am also happy to help put a style board together or you can use my styling service to help coordinate family outfits! It’s fun to use! Use code 2022ALSJSTYLEto get in.

Step 4 ~ Fill Up Your Tummies

Making sure everyone has eaten before the session ensures for a smoother and happier time! I don’t know about you but if I haven’t eaten…..I can get very anxious and unhappy. I would want nothing more than a 1-2 hour session to be done within 5 minutes so I can get some food in me. Don’t let this happen the day of your session. I know everyone might feel stressed or maybe you are even planning a group dinner after the session (Fun!), so you don’t want everyone ruining their appetites. I get that! But please at least make sure you all have had a nice sized snack before we start! But also….keep it a clean snack! We don’t want little chocolate finger prints on those nice coordinated styles :) Speaking of snacks…bring a few incase we need some reinforcements for the little ones during the session. Cheerios make great (clean) snacks!

Step 5 ~ Relax and Let Go

OK, so you have done all you needed to do…you communicated, communicated some more, styled and filled your bellies! Now what? Now it’s time to just relax, enjoy your beautiful families….some of which you might not have seen in a while, and let me take the lead. Will the kids act up during the session?…maybe. Will you want to start reprimanding them or telling them to say cheese?….probably. Will your son’s knees get dirty and you start to freak out? Most likely. But don’t….just keep your beautiful smile going and trust that I am going to do my job the best I could and you will have these beautiful memories to live on with your family.