Extended Family Photos in Columbus, Ohio

I was scanning my blog today and surprised myself by realizing I haven’t blogged any extended family photo sessions. Surprised because as an extended family photographer in Columbus, I photograph A LOT of these, especially as people are gathering again with their loved ones and realizing the importance of capturing their time spent together. I know a lot of photographers who won’t go near extended family sessions. I think it comes from feeling intimidated by a large group of people, as most photographers who specialize in family portraits are used to coordinating much smaller groups.

One thing that gives me confidence in photographing extended families is my experience photographing dozens of weddings and other large-scale events over the years. I’m familiar with wrangling large groups and getting everyone’s attention, as well as paying attention to the details. While my intimate family sessions focus primarily on candid moments, my recipe for extended family sessions is a blend of that candid approach and more traditional posing methods that I’ve used with weddings.

Curious how an extended family photo session works? I try to make it as easy as possible - the hardest part is coordinating everyone’s schedules!

Once we decide on a date, I’ll send over a detailed preparation guide that includes what to expect, styling assistance, preparing children for the session, and answers most questions people have. We will choose a location, typically a family member’s home or a park that has special significance to your family. If you are stumped for ideas, I have plenty of spots around Columbus that I can recommend. Prior to your session, we’ll arrange a quick phone call so that I can learn more about your family dynamic, your “must have” images, special relationships within the larger family, and other details that will help guide your session. After your session, you’ll receive a link to a private gallery of your images where you’ll be able to download your images and order prints and products directly through that gallery.

But what about the session itself?

The session typically takes 1.5-2 hours, depending on the number of people involved. I sometimes stagger the times for everyone to arrive if there are very small children involved who may need to start early or have plenty of breaks. Once everyone is there, we’ll grab several variations of the large group portrait. Then I break people up into their smaller family units and spend 10 minutes or so with each group, getting a mix of traditional and candid images. From there I’ll go through your “must haves" - typically grandparents with grandchildren, cousins, adult siblings, etc. I also try to get individual portraits of each couple as well as each grandchild. We’ll take breaks to play games, walk to new spots, and just talk, which helps put everyone at ease and relieves people from having a camera in their face. I’ll spend a lot of time playing with the kids because honestly, once they are happy and comfortable around me, everyone else will be too.

Interested in setting something up for your own family? Please reach out so we can discuss your ideas!

Interested in setting something up for your own family? Please reach out so we can discuss your ideas!