McKinney Extended Family & Generational Photographer

Getting an entire extended family together for photos is no small task. Between work schedules, school, sports, babies, grown kids and everyone having their own lives, sometimes just finding a day when everyone can be in the same place feels like the hardest part.

But once you do, it’s worth taking the time to document it.

I recently photographed this large family session in McKinney, Texas, with grandparents, their grown children, spouses and all of the grandkids together. There were a lot of people, a lot of moving parts, and plenty of kids — which is pretty much exactly what I expect from an extended family session. My goal with sessions like this isn’t to make everyone stand perfectly still for an hour. It’s to make sure we get the photographs that matter while keeping everything moving and making the experience as easy as possible for everyone.

What an Extended Family Session Looks Like

Before a large family session, I like to know who is coming and how everyone is connected. It lets me plan our groupings ahead of time so we aren’t spending half of the session standing around deciding who needs to be in the next picture.

Of course we start with the big family portraits, but we don’t stop there. We’ll photograph the grandparents with all of their children and grandchildren, siblings together, cousins, each individual family, couples, grandparents alone, and any other combinations that are important to your family.

This is also why I love having enough time for these sessions. We can get the traditional portrait of everyone looking at the camera for Grandma’s wall, but there’s also room for things to loosen up a little. Kids can be kids. Cousins can laugh together. Grandparents can love on their grandbabies. Those in-between photographs usually end up being some of my favorites because they actually look and feel like the family I had in front of me.

And if your family has a lot of young kids, don’t let that be the reason you keep putting photos off. I don’t expect little kids to stand perfectly still, look at me and smile on command for an entire session. We work around them, keep things moving and get what we need while they’re still having fun.

Planning Large Family Photos in McKinney

One of the biggest things I tell families is not to overthink what everyone should wear. With a large extended family, coordinating usually looks much better than matching. Pick a few colors that work well together and let each household choose outfits within that palette. Different textures, subtle patterns and varying shades keep everyone looking connected without ending up in matching shirts.

Location matters too. For large family photos around McKinney and North Texas, I look for places that give us enough room to comfortably photograph the entire group while still having pretty light and some variety for the smaller family combinations. The location doesn’t need to be complicated. Good light, enough space and a family willing to roll with things will get us a long way.

These sessions are especially great when family is coming into town, grandparents have all of their children together, everyone is gathering for an anniversary or birthday, or you simply realize it has been years since you’ve had a photograph with everyone in it.

You don’t really need a special occasion, though. Families change so much from year to year that right now is reason enough.

McKinney Extended Family & Generational Photographer

Due to the planning and orchestrating multiple families, and dates – I only take on a limited number of extended family session each season. I like to be able to learn who’s who beforehand and give us enough time that the session doesn’t feel rushed.

As a family photographer, I schedule portrait sessions in McKinney and throughout North Texas, including Farmersville, Allen, Frisco, Plano, Prosper, Melissa, Anna, Wylie, Rockwall and the surrounding Dallas-Fort Worth area.

So if your family keeps saying, “We really need to get everyone together for pictures,” this might be the year to actually do it. We’ll plan for the big group, all of the smaller families, grandparents and grandkids, cousins, siblings and everything in between.

Because one day, having everyone in the same place will mean even more than it does today.