How to Coordinate an Extended Family Session

How to Coordinate an Extended Family Session

If you’ve ever considered doing a shoot with your extended family and wondered how it works, you’ve come to the right place. It can be overwhelming to coordinate multiple family members (especially if any are from out of town), so here are some tips on making this kind of session happen:

1. Begin by gathering interest. Text the family members who would be included and gauge who might be interested. Decide if you’re okay doing a shoot if people drop out or if one or two families cannot attend. Begin by contacting your photographer (me!) and finding general timelines and availability and send out a group text to lay out tentative details. 
2. Consider the distance people have to travel. If family members are traveling from out of town, confirm that they could get travel times (flights or driving) for the day of, and make sure they have ample cushion on the travel times so no one is at risk of missing the session.
3. Decide on who will be paying for the session. Money discussions can be awkward, but it’s best to get them out of the way right off the bat. Decide on the total fees that will be needed, and divide them up among family members, or if one person is paying for the shoot, figure out how you will get the photographer paid and get everyone access to the finished gallery. If you are having everyone split the fees, decide a date when you will need those turned in. Be clear and considerate so that you won’t be stressing as the shoot approaches. 
4. Consider complications and cancellations: It’s possible that people may drop out as the time approaches. Whether COVID concerns, financial complications, or other scheduling issues arise, it’s good to decide ahead of time how you will handle these. Come up with a clear plan and put it in writing for everyone involved, to avoid hurt feelings and confusion. If your family is high-risk for cancellations for any reason, please let me or your photographer know so we can help you come up with the proper verbiage that you can share.
5. Remember that you won’t regret doing the photos: Life is short, and sometimes people we love leave us sooner than we hope. It’s sobering but many people regret not having enough photos of the people they care about, or photos with grandkids, grandparents, adult children, etc. Having extended family photos taken ensures that you will never look back and regret having heirloom portraits done. They will be treasured for generations to come.