Why You Need An Extended Family Photo Session Right Now
Lifestyle family photo sessions have grown in popularity, typically taken once a year with immediate family members. It’s natural for parents to want to capture their children when the days are flying by and their kids are growing like weeds. But why is it that once we have families of our own, we forego having professional photos taken with our parents and siblings?
I’m here to tell you an Extended Family Photo Session should be at the top of your to-do list; let me explain why…
How I gained perspective on extended family photo sessions.
Last fall, I flew by myself to visit my parents and only sibling in Evergreen, Colorado. It was the first time I had been at my parents’ home without my children or husband in over 12 years! A quick trip, but so special. I was able to enjoy a hike in the mountains at Alderfer/Three Sisters Park with my parents, attend the Price Is Right traveling show with my brother (bringing back fun memories of watching it on TV as a kid), and went to brunch with both my parents and brother as our original family of four.
The time was especially poignant for my mom. Memories flooded back of our life in the 80s… when my parents were in the thick of parenthood (as I am now). She kept thanking me for taking the time to reconnect, just the OGs (although that wasn’t the exact terminology she used, ha!).
On the plane ride home, I began to reflect on the time spent with my family, and it got me thinking… Isn’t capturing our relationships with our parents and siblings equally as important as with our children? And even more, isn’t documenting our children with their grandparents, aunts/uncles, and cousins a valuable way to tell our family story, providing us with imagery that our extended family will cherish for years to come?
Read on for my top 3 reasons you need an extended family photo session right now…
The opportunity for an extended family photo session is fleeting.
A realization has come to me as my parents age; our time with them is much like the time we have with our children… it feels like they will be here forever, but in reality, the years are flying by, and before we know it, they will leave us. Sometimes we have to grasp the inevitability of the end to realize what is most important now.
2. Extended family photo sessions tell our family story.
Just as we value documenting our children’s childhoods and their relationships with us, photographs of them with their grandparents help them remember the roots of their family tree. It honors the older generation and memorializes our family’s beginnings. These are keepsakes that can be enjoyed now, but won’t be fully valued until later.
3. Extended family photo sessions are meaningful for all generations.
Not only do extended family sessions give us a chance to capture our children with their grandparents and/or cousins, they also give us the opportunity to get updated photographs with our original core family members. Photographs that will remind our parents of days gone by when we shared a meal together at the dinner table or ventured out on family vacations. Even more, they will be images cherished by us and our children as they prompt the stories of our love, life, and family traditions.
An extended family photo session is a gift for all family members. From grandparents to grandchildren, it’s important to capture your family’s story and connections so they can be shared for years to come.
Wondering where you should hold your extended family photo session… check out one of my favorite locations!
