Why You Should Book an Extended Family Photoshoot

Gathering all of the family members from far and wide into one place to get reacquainted, celebrate with each other, have a cookout, and spend quality time together is a rare thing! And if you’ve managed to make it happen, it’s worth documenting the occasion. It might be a long time before this happens again, and you never know what changes will have happened in that time! Booking an extended family photoshoot is going to be fun, and you’ll have precious memories saved forever. 

The logistics!

Of course, you’ve already juggled so many pieces of the puzzle to pull the family together. Coordinating schedules, booking a vacation home, etc. Do you really want to spend more time juggling even MORE pieces to get an extended family photoshoot together?!

Rest easy, friend! Here’s how easy it will be: in the Bend area, it’s likely we won’t have to look further than the backyard of the location you’re staying in! Central Oregon is an absolute gem and anywhere you go is going to make the best photoshoot backdrop. So many local VRBOS and Airbnb’s in town are made to accomodate large families and have amazing yards/designs that would be great for a shoot.

Think of it this way: you plan a session for the whole fam the way you’ve already planned all your other vacation activities! Make sure everyone knows that this specific time is set aside, and ask them to bring an outfit that fits x/y/z color palette. And it’s as easy as that; I’ll show up and make sure the whole fam is comfortable and having fun in front of my camera!!

Speaking of locations…

Maybe you want to bundle a family outing with your photoshoot! That’s another great way to make an extended family session hassle free. If your Airbnb/hotel doesn’t have an outdoor space that really speaks to you, the great news is that Bend has a ton of fantastic places for you to visit with the family. And, they can be easy! There’s no need to drag the littles along for a 5 mile hike.

If you love the feel of the city or want to take the little ones to a local park, there are lots of great local places right off the main roads in Bend. Some spots like Sawyer Park or Shevlin Park will even make you feel like you’ve stepped into the wilderness even though you’re just moments away from the bustle of the city. 

If you do want to take the family out to visit some more landmark locations, Smith Rock State Park or any of the Cascade Lakes and trails are my top recommendations for easy travel choices. I have a whole guide here that lists great locations for family photoshoots if you want to browse some more gems in the Bend area!

Can I get photos of smaller family groups, too?

Absolutely yes! An extended family photoshoot is a great opportunity to also get a few shots of each family group on their own. You can update your own holiday greeting cards and save an album of the whole family together. We’ll even get things like the grandparents with all the grandkids, all the grown siblings together, and all the kids making memories with their cousins! An extended family shoot doesn’t have to exclusively be big group shots of everyone. There’s so much room to document the special relationships and memories within your whole group!

There is nothing more special to me than capturing these sweet moments in time. The last year that the littlest ones have round baby cheeks, the season of braces, the last year before the kids are taller than mom…things you may not even think about are going to make it into these photos and become so precious to look back on even a year from now! Life changes fast, and after the pandemic, gathering everyone together is even more special than before. 

Getting the whole extended family together for a photoshoot is guaranteed to be a blast, and an opportunity to document your lives that you’ll love to have later. Taking family photos is a special love of mine, so reach out to me here to book your session! I can’t wait to hear from you. 

For more resources:

Click here for help with prepping your kids for a session!

Click here to check out what your session could look like at Smith Rock!