There is something extra special about photographing an extended family when everyone has traveled and made the effort to be together. This sweet family of nine met me at Army Corps Park in Ripon, California, for a morning full of laughs, little ones, and plenty of beautiful family moments. As a Northern California family photographer, sessions like this are some of my favorites because there is so much personality and connection packed into one morning.
We started our session at 10:00 in the morning, which meant we had plenty of that gorgeous California sunshine to work with! While photographers will forever love our soft golden-hour light, family schedules do not always revolve around sunset, and honestly, they do not need to. We found beautiful pockets of light throughout the park and focused on what matters most: connection, movement, and capturing this family exactly as they are right now.
One of the things I loved most about this session was getting to see some familiar faces again.
Matt and Hailey were actually in front of my camera last year when I photographed their engagement photos before they were married in Kauai, Hawaii. Getting to reconnect with people I have photographed during another season of their lives is one of my favorite parts of this job. There is something pretty amazing about watching families grow and getting invited back to document another piece of their story.
Another adorable family of four had traveled all the way from New Jersey to spend time with everyone. Their darling little boy and sweetest baby girl were absolutely stars of the show, and let’s just say those two gave us plenty to photograph. I always love having littles at extended family sessions because they bring so much personality.
Some of my favorite photographs are not necessarily the ones where everyone is perfectly looking at the camera. They are the snuggles, giggles, tiny hands, and little moments happening in between. Their baby girl did an incredible job pushing through nap time and stayed smiley and happy the entire session. By the time we made our way back to the cars, she had finally fallen asleep in the wagon, which felt like the sweetest ending to the morning.
What made this session especially fun was how easy everyone was to be around. By the end, I genuinely felt like I had made a whole group of new friends. Everyone was so kind, laid back, patient, and fun to get to know. Extended family sessions require a little bit of moving around as we work through different groupings, and this family made the whole process feel easy. They were happy to roll with each section of photos, which gave us space to capture both the more traditional groupings and the candid moments in between.
With an extended family session, I always make time for a little bit of everything. We photograph the entire group together, individual families, couples, grandparents with grandchildren, siblings, and of course all those natural combinations that happen along the way.
By the end of the morning, I felt like I had truly gotten to spend time with this family rather than simply photograph them. They were warm, welcoming, and so much fun to be around, and I loved getting to document this season for them.
If your family will all be together soon, do not wait for the “perfect” time to take the photos. Getting everyone in one place is reason enough. If you are looking for a Northern California family photographer for an extended family session, I would love to help you document your people in a way that feels relaxed, natural, and true to who you are.
