what to know for a great multi-family portrait session
Your entire family is together, what a great time to have portraits made!
Birthdays, reunions, anniversaries, weddings, graduations, and holidays all bring families together and they’re a great reason to have an extended family portrait made.
The more people included in a portrait the crazier it gets. And the more fun.
I’ve done multi-family portraits with as many as sixty-eight people so I know a bit about managing large groups. It takes organization and a bit of planning but once everyone is gathered sessions move very quickly.
Having a plan is the secret to success
Having a plan is the secret to success in making sure your session runs smoothly and creates multi-family portraits that you’ll treasure. Because I’ve done so many of these sessions I’ve designed a workflow that allows me to work quickly so your time together isn’t taken up with portraits but rather enjoying each other—which is why you’ve gathered in the first place!
Most, but not all, multi-family sessions include at least three generations: grandparents, their children, and their grandchildren.
Here are common groupings with three generations:
full family
the oldest generation with their children
the oldest generation with each child individually
the grandparents together (and individually if desired)
the children together
grandparents with all their grandchildren in a group
Once those portraits are made I work with individual families:
These portraits include the full individual family, children together, children individually, parents together (and individually if desired). Grandparents will be included in some of these family portraits, and grandparents will be photographed with each set of grandchildren from each family.
I’m often asked to make portraits of all the cousins together, all the women in the family as a group, and all the men in the family as a group. These kinds of groupings are wonderful and I’m happy to photograph them and any others you can think of.
There’s a lot of great energy in multi-family portraits
Extended family portraits involve a lot of moving around of people in and out of groups but the energy is high, the excitement is palpable, and because I’ve done so many multi-family portraits I know how to take advantage of that energy and excitement to make great portraits. Once the large group portrait is made it’s simply a matter of moving people in and out of the next group. I’ve done this many, many times and it goes quickly.
I work quickly and efficiently
Once a location and time is set for your portrait session it’s simply a matter of getting everyone there at the designated time. Because multi-family sessions typically include a large group of people I don’t encourage moving from one location to another during the session…especially if little children are involved. I prefer to find one area that will serve the needs of all the portraits and photograph in just that area. This approach is much easier on families with little children who may quickly tire from walking from location to location. An added benefit of photographing in one location is that the images will have a cohesive look to them so framed groupings on the wall or portraits in an album look terrific together.
Consider bringing water and some snacks
There will be some down time as I photograph various families and groupings; little ones may need a drink or a snack. I recommend water and a simple snack like Cheerios which won’t discolor mouths like suckers and some candies can. Please don’t use a sugared snack for small children as treat between groupings (Oh the stories I could tell!).
What should we wear?
Consider the location you’ve selected when deciding what to wear. Stiletto heels aren’t the best bet for portraits at the park and hiking boots aren’t great if your portraits will be more formal. It is likely that you will be seated on the ground, steps, or even a rock wall for at least some of your portraits which means your clothing should be easy to move around in and fit the environment you’ve chosen for your portraits.
What about colors?
When dressing for large family portraits I suggest working with color families. Blues, greens, tans, rusts, grey, charcoal, black are all good choices. Earthy tones look great with other earthy tones, brights look good with other brights. The simpler the clothing the better as faces will draw the attention. Solid color sweaters, dress shirts, quarter zips, and dress tee-shirts are always good. Adding in small patterns like checks and florals are a great way to mix things up. Do stay away from clothing with big designs or logos on the front as these distract from the face of the person wearing it.
What’s the best time for family portraits?
Early morning or late afternoon are typically the best times for portraits made outdoors; the light is softer so harsh shadows and squinting aren't an issue. Any time of day is good if your portraits will be done in my studios, your home, or other inside location. No matter if your portraits will be made indoors or out consider the eating and nap schedules of young children in your group when scheduling.
What I wish everyone knew when dressing for their family portraits
It is highly likely your feet and ankles will show in at least some of your family portraits so be sure to pay attention to shoes and socks when dressing.
What can we expect from our session?
Below is selection of portraits from an an extended family session; these will give you an idea of the variety of groupings and poses you can expect in your family’s portraits.
