This family was anticipating the departure of their oldest as she headed off to college. So the mom wanted family photos of everyone together before their daughter left. Family photoshoots are wonderful milestone markers, and I’m always honored to document them for families.

Extended family photoshoots are always family reunions. Part of this family flew in from halfway around the world! If somebody didn't tell me, I would have never known that some of the little ones might be fighting jet lag. That's how good they were!

I was just talking with a friend who wanted family photos. Her oldest is about to go away to college, and they wanted a session while they are all still under the same roof. Must be one of the reasons I am getting the senior family sessions so often.

Young families are the best. I appreciate these parents’ calm resolve and fearlessness. The kids picked up on their parent’s ques and played along beautifully.

This family came with smiles and props! Did you see the cute family pillow?!?! Adorable. And the blanket is theirs. They also brought other things for the oldest daughter’s senior pictures.

Funny moments between siblings are also perfect for black-and-white photography. The eye is not distracted by color or lighting. It’s a moment in time. And, of course, the simple couple shot goes well in black and white.

Did we get this little guy to play along and sit down with his family? We sure did! The trick is not to panic. I also bring along my husband, who is excellent at making our session seem more like a big game we are all playing.

Going through this gallery, I thought about strengthening the compositions. I used to deliver horizontal and vertical images. I quickly learned that it’s better to shoot horizontally all the time. That way, if a client wants to fit a photo in a verticle frame, that’s still an option. This means, clients, you can get creative with cropping. Here are a few tips to consider.

The forecast for their day called for heavy rain, and unfortunately, it did just that. Routinely, I book two dates just in case of bad weather. That is Plan B. But later, we realized a family member could not make the 4-hour trip back for the backup date.

Blink is right! Where did the time go? Joy is right too. I’ve enjoyed watching this family grow up for the last 12 years. This year, they wanted to reenact some of their favorite photos. So I had to blow the dust off an old external hard drive to dig out some of the images they referenced.

The last time I photographed these kids was…11 years ago. It’s fun when clients come back, and I see kids grow. From this far back, I can see I grew too as a photographer! I now notice that I placed brother and sister the same way as I did eleven years ago. Let’s see what else I can dig up….hold on.

Have a said this already? I love families. Young families are a hoot. I love them because I remember those crazy days of trying to get my kids dressed and organized for whatever special occasion.

I kinda know these kids. I take custom, mostly outdoor, school photos for a local preschool, so I remember these siblings. Once I started with this shoot, I remembered, ah yes, they are a bit reserved. Which is totally great, I am that way too, I understand.

Absolutely! Bring your dog! The dog is a part of the family, and I think it is important to document them in the family. This guy was great, especially considering that we were at the entrance to a dog park. It’s like a slow parade of dogs coming and going from the park. Good dog!!

These girls were so excited that they got a chance to include their dog in the family photos. The family dogs I’ve worked with have been well behaved so far. And I think it’s important to document them.

In the past few years, this one especially, I’ve received specific requests for Mini Shoots. Which tells me they have grown in popularity. Mini shoots are an excellent way for families with small kids to get their family photos taken with the least amount of stress on everyone.

Getting family photos taken shouldn’t be a chore, but rather a fun family event where you get pictures to remember your time together. At least, that is what my goal is, especially with my full family shoots.

During these crazy times, life goes on, and milestones need celebration. The little lady in pink turned one during the shutdown, so like many things, this shoot was postponed a little.

Do you have a special milestone coming up? Why not document the occasion with a photo session. This little lady just turned one, and her family wanted to capture it with some fun portraits.

Ever try to take photos of a two-year-old? The set up is perfect, but then baby wants to move! This little lady kept trying to run off. What do I do? Let me take you behind the scenes to show you one way I solve this problem.