Photographing large families can be overwhelming, especially when everyone’s looking to you for direction. Being located in the heart of Florida’s best beaches (St Pete Beach, Ft. Desoto Beach, Clearwater Beach, Anna Maria, etc) I have had the pleasure of documenting extended families on the beach for years and am here to share a few tips to help you maintain control, and produce consistent results during extended family photoshoots.
Start with the Big Picture: Photograph the Extended Family First
Begin your session by photographing the entire family together. Ask about relationships beforehand so you have a mental checklist for posing. Typically, the matriarch and patriarch are placed in the center. Then, start creating smaller groups and combinations:
- Grandparents with grandkids
- Individual families
- All grandkids together
- For large families, group by gender and then age
Continue this pattern for each “scene” so that every family unit gets their own mini-session. This approach ensures a smooth extended family photoshoot, resulting in a wide variety of images for each family unit to cherish. Once all the boxes are checked, I will typically just tell everyone to go have fun and play on the beach. This is my absolute favorite time of each session, and where I tend to focus on capturing the joy of the little children playing on the beach during the extended family photoshoot.
Set Expectations Early
Explain your process and what to expect before you even take a single photo. This prevents chaos and ensures everyone knows you’re in charge. Let them know they can request specific groupings if desired during an extended family photoshoot, giving them a sense of control without actually taking over.
Prioritize Your Client
Remember who coordinated the session – they’re your priority. If there’s a special occasion, make sure to highlight the celebrated individuals during the extended family photoshoot.
By following these tips, you’ll deliver a gallery full of images that every family member will cherish!
Curious about some good options for photographing large families in the St Pete Beach area? Check out family booking page here as well as some of my favorite locations here!
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