Central Oregon is a beautiful vacation destination and offers a variety of activities, sight seeing, and outdoor adventures for all ages. Last Summer, I had the honor of photographing several large groups of families who chose to meet up in Bend and Sunriver for reunions - which meant keeping track of multiple family groups and lots of kids!
If you are considering doing an extended family photo session, here are a few things to keep in mind as you choose a photographer, location, clothing and other prep:
Choosing a location. Talk this through with your photographer and be clear about what kind of photos you want to capture. Beyond the posed group photos, are you wanting more natural, lifestyle photos of your family interacting? Or are you only interested in the formal, posted shots? Make sure you choose a location that has enough space for everyone, and offers a couple different nearby backdrops to move people around and get a variety of shots. Take into account mobility issues and whether you will need to bring some portable seating for anyone who might find it challenging to stand for long periods of time. Another tip: having some sort of simple activity planned to engage everyone and add some playfulness to the shoot is a wonderful way to get people loosened up and connecting. At this shoot, I met the family at a large Airbnb and we walked to a field behind the house. In-between gathering different family groups together, everyone kicked around a soccer ball. This was a fun way to get kids (and adults) warmed up and interacting!
Clothing. Unless you're going for an awkward family photo vibe, skip everyone in jeans and white shirts and go more for a color palette based on the season. Autumn calls for earthy neutrals, browns, deep reds and oranges, and greens. For end of summer, light and classic colors and cuts work beautifully - think whites, creams, khakis, light blues and sage greens. Try to limit patterns to keep things less busy and more focused on your beautiful family.
List of groups Generally, sessions like this have between 17 - 30 people depending on the number of children and family groups. If you have specific groupings of individuals you would like to get together, do yourself and your photographer a huge favor and make a list. An aunt who has one niece and wants a photo together? Maybe all the boys or Grandparents with just the grandchildren - whatever combinations you want, make sure you take some time to list the important ones to be sure it doesn't get forgotten in the mix of everything!
Other things to keep in mind:
While all the posed, group shots are wonderful, I find it's the natural moments in-between the posed shots that families love the most. Don't put too much pressure on yourself or rush things and trust your photographer to get the smiles from the kids. Making sure you show up on time, have 60-90 minutes for the session will allow you to get the widest range and best photos possible.
Also, keep in mind: photographing large groups are like doing several sessions at once for a photographer. Expect the rates to be a little higher than your average shoot for just one family - there are more people to keep track of, more children to keep feeling comfortable in front of the camera, and more photos to sort through and edit. However, this can also be a great money saver if multiple family groups are able to chip in - you all get family photos, as well as capturing your time together as an extended family. It's a win-win for all!
I hope this offers some insight as you consider whether you'd like to hire a photographer for your extended family vacation and if you find yourself visiting Bend or surrounding areas in Central Oregon, reach out! I'd love to work with you.
-Bec
"Wow, wow, wow! You were such a joy to work with, you threw in a TON of extras [photos] and they're all beautiful!" - Sara L., extended family session client
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