Family photographs often become more important with time.
As families grow, spread out and begin building lives in different places, getting everyone together can become increasingly rare. Children change quickly, grandparents get older, and what once felt like an ordinary afternoon together can eventually become one of the memories everyone treasures most.
That was particularly true for this extended family photoshoot near Swadlincote. Part of the family lives in New Zealand and only returns to the UK every few years, so they booked their session months in advance to make sure this rare time together was properly preserved.
They did not just want one photograph of everyone looking at the camera. They wanted images that showed their family as they really are — the different generations, the individual relationships and the energy of everyone being together again.
When everyone being together is a rare occasion
As children grow up, families often begin to spread out. Some move to different towns, others to another part of the country, and sometimes, as with this family, thousands of miles away.
It can become surprisingly difficult to find a time when everyone is available and in the same place. Visits may only happen every few years, and those days together can pass incredibly quickly.
This family knew well in advance when their relatives would be visiting from New Zealand, so they booked their session months before the trip. That meant the date was protected in everyone’s diary and their time together would not pass without being documented.
When a family visit is already being planned, arranging an extended family photoshoot can be such a lovely way to mark it. It gives everyone a reason to pause, spend time together and create something lasting from a visit that may otherwise feel over in a flash.
More than one big family photograph
One of the biggest misconceptions about extended family photography is that the session will involve standing in one long row and smiling at the camera.
Of course, the full family photograph is important. It is often the image that grandparents will frame, print or display proudly at home. However, an extended family session can capture so much more than that one photograph.
During a session, I will usually photograph a mixture of different combinations, including grandparents with their grandchildren, siblings together, individual households, couples, cousins and children with their parents.
We can also capture the little moments that naturally happen in between — children running through the grass, family members laughing together, grandparents watching their grandchildren play, or someone reaching out for a cuddle.
These are often the photographs that bring the whole gallery to life. They show not only what everyone looked like at that point in time, but what it felt like to be together.
Extended family sessions do not have to feel stiff or formal
Photographing a larger family does naturally require a little organisation. There are more people to bring together, more relationships to capture and usually a few important group combinations that everyone would like.
I will gently guide everyone when needed, particularly for the larger group photographs, but the session will never be spent standing stiffly in rows.
Once we have captured the key combinations, I encourage families to walk, talk, cuddle, play and enjoy being together. Children are free to move around and be themselves rather than being expected to sit perfectly still for the entire session.
In this photograph, the adults are gathered together in the background while the children run towards the camera. It still shows the whole family, but it feels energetic, relaxed and completely natural to them.
That balance is always important to me. I want to make sure you have the photographs where everyone is together, while also leaving space for the unplanned moments that tell the real story of your family.
A meaningful gift for grandparents
An extended family photoshoot can also make a thoughtful gift for grandparents, particularly for a milestone birthday, anniversary, Christmas, Mother’s Day or Father’s Day.
Grandparents will often say they do not need anything, especially when it comes to physical gifts. A family photography session gives them something much more personal — photographs of the people who mean the most to them.
Families can contribute towards the session together, making it a lovely shared gift rather than another item that may eventually be forgotten.
The session itself also becomes part of the gift. It creates time for everyone to be together, followed by a gallery filled with photographs that can be printed, framed and shared across different households.
For families who live far apart, the images can be particularly valuable. Everyone receives the same memories, no matter where in the world they return home to afterwards.
Capturing the relationships between generations
Extended family photography is about more than documenting how many people were there. It is about preserving the relationships within the family.
The way a grandparent looks at their grandchild, the connection between adult siblings, the chaos and closeness between cousins, or the familiar way a couple still makes one another laugh are all parts of the family story.
These relationships can be difficult to capture through quick phone photographs, especially when one person is usually missing because they are behind the camera.
A professional session gives everyone the chance to be included. Nobody has to worry about setting a timer, balancing a phone against something or asking a stranger to take the photograph.
It also allows time to capture each relationship properly, rather than only taking one hurried group picture before everyone moves on.
Do not wait for the perfect time
It is very easy to put family photographs off.
You may be waiting until someone feels more confident, until the children are older, until the weather improves or until everyone’s diary becomes less busy. The reality is that there may never be a completely perfect or convenient time.
Children continue to grow, families continue to change and life rarely becomes less busy.
The most meaningful photographs are not always created when everything looks perfect. They are created when the people you love are together.
The wind may blow someone’s hair across their face. A child may decide they would rather run than stand still. Someone may laugh at the wrong moment. Those details are often what make the photographs feel real and personal years later.
Planning an extended family photoshoot
A little preparation can help a larger family session feel relaxed and run smoothly.
Before the session, I recommend thinking about the smaller groupings you would particularly like photographed. This may include each household, grandparents with all of the grandchildren, adult siblings, cousins or any other important relationship.
Creating a simple list beforehand means we can make sure nothing is missed without the session feeling overly structured.
It is also helpful to choose a spacious location where children can move around safely. Outdoor spaces work beautifully for extended family photography because they give everyone room to breathe, walk and interact naturally.
Clothing does not need to match exactly. Coordinating softer colours and avoiding too many large logos or clashing patterns usually helps the gallery feel connected while still allowing everyone to dress like themselves.
Most importantly, try not to put too much pressure on the children or on yourselves. You do not all need to look at the camera in every photograph. The laughter, movement and little imperfections are part of what makes your family yours.
Extended family photography in Derbyshire and Leicestershire
I photograph relaxed extended family sessions around Swadlincote, Derbyshire, Leicestershire and the surrounding areas.
My approach is documentary and natural, with gentle direction where it is needed. We will capture the important family groupings, but there will also be plenty of room for movement, laughter and the real connections between you.
If relatives are visiting from another part of the UK or from overseas, it is always worth getting in touch as early as possible. Booking ahead gives us the best chance of finding a date that works for everyone and means one more thing is organised before the visit begins.
Whether your family is celebrating a milestone, creating a gift for grandparents or simply making the most of a rare day together, an extended family photoshoot can preserve memories that will matter for generations.