Getting The Fam Together is Chaos…

We’re headed into the holidays – time for big meals, long chats, and… big family gatherings. Maybe you’re all getting together ahead of Thanksgiving, and you’re going to have everyone home, and we all know that only happens once in a blue moon.

It’s hard to keep everyone entertained when you’ve got three generations (or more!) in the same space, but I’ve got a suggestion. And before you start laughing because you’re just thinking about how difficult it would be to get your mom (or your kiddo) to cooperate for a photo session with the whole extended fam… here’s the thing.

Extended family sessions are IMPORTANT. They’re worth the chaos of cramming the fam into the van and going on location to have our session. And if you don’t believe me… keep reading! (How’s that for bait?)

1. Life is Unpredictable

I’m going to start off with the tear jerker, and I apologize in advance for it. I promise the reasons get less stressful after this one!!

But… life is unpredictable. As complicated as it can be, family is deeply important. Being able to look back at memories with your parents, your grandparents… photos of our families tie us to the people who came before. And they remind us of the family members who might not be with us anymore.

And the “might not be with us anymore” – that can happen at literally any moment. I’m not here for doom and gloom, but we all have to admit at least every once and a while that every moment we get with the people we love is valuable. Whether it’s a particularly magical moment or not.

The structure of our families change and flex – and it’s so, SO deeply important to be able to freeze your family – your WHOLE family – in time.

2. It can boost self esteem

Now that we’ve done the tear-jerker, I want to talk about the elephant in the room. So, so, SO many families forego having extended family sessions because one (or more) members of their family aren’t super into being in front of the camera. And that’s okay! It’s okay to not like having your photo taken. I mean, I don’t like having MINE taken, and this is what I do for a living.

But one of the sneaky secret side effects of having a session with a professional family photographer, is that you suddenly get to see yourself through a different lens (literally). You get to see yourself the way the photographer sees you! And so does your mom, or your aunt, or your granny, or your papa.

And to top it off, when people see the glow they have spending time around people that they love, CAPTURED, it gives a self-esteem boost unlike anything else! Sometimes, people don’t even recognize themselves with that subtle glow of happiness, or the candid laughter we capture in a session with your whole family together. If you choose the right photographer, the impact a session like this can have is unbelievable!

3. You deserve to be surrounded by the people you love

Why get an extended family photo session? You deserve it, that’s why! And I don’t mean that you deserve to get together with your family and have a session. I mean, you do, don’t get me wrong. But that’s not what I’m talking about!!

I’m talking about your walls, and your desktop background, and your phone wallpaper. I’m talking about walking down your hallway and seeing the smile on your mom’s face while she holds your three-year-old in her lap. I’m talking about passing through your livingroom and seeing you and your siblings laughing together on the mantle. THAT kind of happiness is what you deserve.

And sure – could you snap a couple of pictures with your family on your phone? Sure. You could. We carry our phones around all day every day everywhere we go… So it’s easy. But you have to admit, that does lose a bit of the magic. And not to mention, you can’t quite print those photos the way you can the photos from a professional extended family session. Which kind of undermines our goal here of surrounding you with the people you love, long after they’ve gone home!

4. They make amazing holiday gifts

We’d be totally missing out if we didn’t talk about what great gifts the images from family sessions – ESPECIALLY extended family sessions – make in the holiday season. You deserve to be surrounded by the people you love, yes, but so does your family!

And everyone has that one family member who is just MURDER to get a gift for. They have everything under the sun, and the things they don’t have, they don’t want. Their hobbies don’t really have things you can buy for them, and so you’re planning on getting them another book… again. For the third year in a row.

But what if instead you could literally give them memories? You could give them printed, gorgeous reminders about all of the people who they love, and who love THEM, on their walls, in their home, every day? Photos make the most badass gifts ever, and no one is going to change my mind.

I know it’s complicated, but I make it as easy as possible!

And I promise it’s worth it!

So if it sounds complicated to get your whole clan together so I can point my camera at you, I hear you. But as much as I can, I make this process easy! We can pick a time that works for all of you, and a location too – I’ve got a ton of options up my sleeve depending on what kind of vibe you want to go for. And if you have questions, don’t hesitate to reach out!

I’m always more than happy to talk about the goals you have for your session, any specific needs or requests your family members have – it doesn’t matter what it is. I’ll help in whatever ways I can! Because truly, your family is magic, and memories are magic, and life is short.

So take advantage of this moment, and preserve it forever.