Boy, do I love a good sunrise sky, or what? I booked the Moore Family a few months ago when Amber contacted me after seeing many of her friends and colleagues use me for their family portraits. Gotta love that spiderweb type of referrals and word of mouth! Initially the plan was just their sweet family of four but somehow she also convinced the grandparents to make it and I was of course, completely overjoyed. I absolutely love when BOTH sides of grandparents can be present for a session with their children and grandchildren. It's like the ultimate, generational portrait that these kids will absolutely treasure for the rest of their lives. I don't have a single picture of me and both sides of my grandparents together, I hardly have any pictures with my only grandfather before he passed. So even just the pictures with him as a baby, I truly cherish as I don't have many memories of him. Getting up and ready for a sunrise session can be a tall order, but this family not only arrived early, they also made quite a morning of it getting breakfast all together after their session. So not only did we capture amazing portraits, they also had some quality time spend all together, too. 

It's important for me to know if there are any special shots during these types of sessions. I'll often ask my clients or the grandparents- "What is it that YOU would hang on your wall?" Because sure, the group is nice, but how many great pictures does grandma have with her daughter and grandchildren? When was the last time nanny and pop had their own updated portrait taken? It may or may not be an anniversary, but you can always appreciate updated portraits of you and your loved ones throughout your life. And your family will appreciate them even more! I know not everyone loves to be in front of the camera, trust me, I like just being behind that lens! But I can appreciate pictures that were taken of me over the years to see myself as I begin to look more and more like my mother, how my hair changed, everything. 

As adults sometimes I also think we forget to take pictures with our parents or adult siblings, but again, these are the pictures you'll always re-share on their birthdays, anniversaries, and pictures your children will look back on. During an extended family session we accomplish all that and more in just a 45 minute time frame, can you believe it? I'm super efficient during my sessions, especially for larger family groups. My goal is to accomplish everything we need to before we lose the kids focus, which does always happen. But those candids are way more achievable and authentic even when kids are tired of looking at the camera. I'd rather have their focus up front and accomplish our "wall worthy" portraits first. That way you get the very best of both worlds, at the appropriate times.

I absolutely adore working with families of all sizes, and invite families from all walks of life to join me in creating family portraits that will truly make lasting heirlooms. Pictures that you will look at year after year, and will bring a smile to your face. Portraits like these are an investment, for sure, but I promise you that when you look back on these 5, 10 or 20 years from know you will now with conviction that it was worth every penny.