What to get the couple who has everything?
An Anniversary Photo Session that includes everyone in the family!
All your parents really want is to get everyone together and remember it with awesome prints and a custom album.
50 Years of Love and Family
This extended family is spread across the northeast, so when they all got together for their parents’ 5oth wedding anniversary, they wanted to make it memorable. After 4 kids, 5 grandkids, and 2 grand-dogs, they have pretty much everything a couple could want.
Getting everyone together in the same space for a long weekend was the ultimate goal. Then, they topped it off with an anniversary photo session with everyone at Lake Waramaug State Park (in December!!). Yes, they’re a hardy crew…
Family is everything after 50 years.
All together now
Typically, for a photo session with multiple generations, we start with everyone together. This loosens everyone up and makes the break out sessions not as scary, especially for the kiddos. For this crew, we had four separate family units, plus the grandkids, plus the dogs.
Some tips for making it work, and work fast?
- Make a list of the shots that you want well before the session, and stick to it. I love a list, and love a spreadsheet even more. Being more organized upfront makes spontaneity during the session much easier.
- Bring in help. My photo assistant is a key part of making big family sessions go smoothly. Wrangling people, looking at the list, and hauling equipment is too much for one photographer, no matter how experienced.
- Snacks before, cocktails after. MOST important.
After the poses, the real personalities begin to emerge.
Time to let loose
After the poses and after we’ve worked through the list, it’s time to relax and get silly. This is where the fun starts. This family, in particular, was not intimidated by being in front of the cameras. They made the anniversary photo session extra special for mom and dad.
Let’s Remember This Fun Time for Years to Come!
A family photo session is fun, and it’s nice to have digital images to share with the whole crew. But, what about mom and dad? Are they going to have to look through their phones to see the photos of their gorgeous family?
How about a keepsake box with archival 4×6 prints of each photo, a USB drive with the digitals, PLUS a custom-made 10×10 softcover album to keep on the coffee table? That’s what’s going to put a smile on their faces every time they see it.
