I don't photograph a lot of extended families but I do a fair share each year. But I don't usually do them in the studio. Most extended family sessions are done on-location because with so many family members you need space. I have a small studio in Northeast Minneapolis and actually wasn't sure if we'd get the whole family in it. But we did! I always like to start with the whole family first. Reason being is small kids last a full two minutes before the photo session is no longer fun, especially with so many family members. The larger the family the harder it is to get small children to participate. I think it becomes quite overwhelming for them. But once we get the whole big family done then we start with the smaller family groupings making sure the younger families go first. It just go smoother this way. And I always find when we deviate from this flow things don't go as planned. But in all fairness no photo session will go as planned. It's always best to not have expectations. And keep in mind the more people involved in the photo the longer and the more pictures of the same pose will be taken. 15 people? Expect approximately 15 shots fired of the same pose. Trying to make sure everyone is smiling, looking and participating at the same time is actually harder than you think even with adults. But if you arrive ready to go and follow the flow, things should go rather smoothly. Trust the process.

This beautiful family was perfect. We had one little girl who didn't want anything to do with the camera but that's bound to happen sometimes. But otherwise we had adorable boys and beautiful older sisters to fill the session and hopefully give grandma something she'll be thrilled to display.