Why Extended Family Sessions Are Priceless And What Goes Into Creating Them
There’s something truly special about having everyone together in one place. Grandparents, adult children, in-laws, cousins, college-aged kids home for the holidays. It is one of those rare moments where time slows down just long enough to gather, laugh, and remember what matters.
That’s why extended family sessions are some of the most meaningful work I doThey’re also one of the most common sessions where clients say, “Wow… we had no idea how much goes into this.”
Today, I want to pull back the curtain a little to help you understand the why behind the pricing, the time involved, and the value of having these moments documented beautifully and honestly.
01. Extended Family Sessions Are More Than a Quick Group Photo
One of the biggest misconceptions I hear is, “Can we just do a quick 15-minute session and get one big family photo?”
I completely understand why people ask this question. Everyone is busy, schedules are tight, and it seems simple. This could not be further from the truth.
Multi-generational family sessions are far more layered than they appear.
Behind that one “everyone looking at the camera” photo are:
grandparents trying to stand comfortably
toddlers who need time to warm up
teenagers who come alive once they feel relaxed
adults who need gentle direction so they don’t feel stiff
multiple households arriving and settling in
natural moments that unfold only when people aren’t rushed
It takes time and not because the group is difficult, but because there are so many relationships to honor.
A true extended family session captures:
the whole group
each individual family
grandparents with grandkids
siblings
adult children with their parents
candid in-between moments that become the heart of the gallery
These aren’t “quick snapshots;” they are legacy images. The kind of photos that get printed, framed, and looked at for generations.
In order to create those heirloom-quality photos, I slow things down intentionally. It’s not about rushing everyone into one frame…it’s about documenting the people you love in a way that feels natural, connected, and meaningful.
Why Extended Family Sessions Can’t Be Rushed
More people = more combinations of groupings
More faces = more blinking, swapping, and editing
More generations = more time needed for comfort and mobility
More relationships = more moments worth documenting
A 15-minute session simply can’t create the depth, variety, or emotional honesty that families want — and deserve — from this kind of session.
02. The Time Commitment Is Much Bigger (Before + During + After)
A typical extended family session includes:
Before the session
location planning for a group of 10–20
coordinating arrival, parking, timing around sunset or sunrise
styling support for multiple households
answering questions and preparing everyone so the session feels calm and smooth
During the session
Most extended family sessions run 60–90 minutes, even if the listing says 60.
Why? Because with multiple adults, varying mobility, toddlers, babies, teens, and grandparents, we often adjust, regroup, and move at the pace that feels right. If there are multiple toddles or babies involved, we often need to take lots of breaks to get those posed images most clients want included in the gallery.
After the session (the part most clients never see)
This is where the real time investment happens:
culling hundreds of frames
editing every keeper with artistic attention
color-matching skin tones across different families
removing distractions in the background
and yes…face swaps. Lots of face swaps.
When there are 15–20 people in an image, someone is always blinking, looking away, or mid-laugh. To create that one perfect portrait for Grandma, it’s completely normal for me to blend 2–8 frames together.
An extended family gallery often takes 2–3x longer to edit than a standard family session and that’s part of why the pricing reflects the true scope of the work.
03. These Sessions Are Truly Priceless (And Families Tell Me This Every Time)
Every time I deliver an extended family gallery, I get a message back that sounds something like:
“We didn’t realize how much these photos would mean.”
or
“This is exactly how I want to remember my parents.”
Because these images become heirlooms.
Not just for the adults, but for the children who will one day look back and feel the love that surrounded them.
These are the photos people print for their walls…
the ones shown at graduations…
the ones pulled out years later when everyone needs a reminder of how much joy there was in simply being together.
You truly can’t put a price on that.
04. So, How Is Extended Family Pricing Structured?
Every photographer structures pricing a little differently, but here’s what my extended family sessions include:
up to 60 minutes of session time
all artistically edited final images (typically 70+)
posing guidance + relaxed, connection-focused direction
styling support for the whole crew
access to my client closet (for moms and little ones)
hand-edited final images delivered in a private online gallery
option for scenic locations across Ponte Vedra Beach, Nocatee, St. Augustine & beyond
The pricing reflects:
the time investment
the complexity of photographing large groups
the extensive editing
and the heirloom-quality final gallery families receive
My goal is always to make the process easy, meaningful, and beautiful and to deliver photos that feel like your family, not a stiff lineup of forced smiles.
05. When Families Are Together, That’s the Time to Document It
If you only get everyone in the same place once a year — or once every few years — that is the perfect moment to schedule an extended family session.
Florida brings so many families together for holidays, beach trips, and reunions.
If you know your family will be here in Ponte Vedra, Nocatee, St. Augustine, or Jacksonville, I’d love to help you plan something special.
Ready to start planning your extended family session?
Let’s create something your family will treasure for decades.