Angela was organizing a family event with her siblings and her dad to celebrate her son going to college. It was the perfect time for an extended multi-generation family photo session. Her 3 siblings and her dad were all coming from another state or country for that weekend!

Preparing an extended family photo session

Multi-generation photo shoots are when my questionnaire and family welcome guide are the most useful. The questionnaire allowed me to know in advance who is coming, all the names and the age of the kids. I really like arriving to a session and directly calling the kids by their first name. It helps them feel more confident.

Regarding my Family Welcome Guide, just look at how amazingly well they selected their colors and coordinated the outfits. Not matching but coordinating. 17 people wearing white and different shades of blue. That soft, pastel-leaning color palette fits beautifully into almost all natural outdoor environments! The Welcome Guide, in addition to outfits, answers all the question to arrive ready and relaxed to your family photo session.

Multi-generation photo shoot

I love multi-generation photo session (here is another one). Those pictures are such a great souvenir for everyone, especially when some family members don’t have the possibility to see each other very often.

A total of 17 people divided in 4 families, that is a lot of combinations! 

To optimize the time we have and to make sure the little ones are cooperating here is my process. I always start with the most important shoot: the whole extended family together. This is the one picture everyone is waiting for. Then I take all the photos including the grand-parents as they sometimes can’t stay standing for a full hour. My next step is a break done by « small » families, starting with the one having the younger kids. Their attention span is often shorter! And once all families are done, we add any addition combination or pose they would like!

If you want more tips or advices to prepare for your family photo session, check my blog.

Laure Pascal-Glorieux is a lifestyle photographer specialized in family photography and personal branding photography. Laure lives in Atlanta GA.

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