There are some photographs that become more valuable with every passing year.
The photo of your kids laughing with Grandma. The way Grandpa’s hand rests on your son’s shoulder. Three generations together on a park bench. Your parents surrounded by all of their grandchildren. A photograph of four generations together when you’re lucky enough to have them all in the same place.
These aren’t necessarily the photos we think about when we schedule family pictures. We update the family portrait for the wall. We photograph our kids as they grow. We document senior year, birthdays, graduations and other milestones.
But how often do we intentionally photograph the generations together?
Your Kids Will Want These Photos Someday
When children are little, grandparents can feel like a permanent part of their world. Grandma has always been Grandma. Grandpa has always been Grandpa.
But childhood moves quickly, and so does life.
Years from now, your children won’t care whether everyone was wearing perfectly coordinated outfits or whether every child looked at the camera at exactly the same time. They’ll want to remember what Grandma looked like when she laughed. They’ll want the picture of themselves tucked next to Grandpa. They’ll want to see how small their hand once looked inside his.
Those ordinary relationships become an important part of their family story.
Photographs give them something tangible to hold onto.
Multi-Generational Family Photos Tell a Bigger Story
I love a beautiful family portrait, but there is something especially meaningful about photographing multiple generations together.
Grandparents with all of their grandchildren.
Grandma with her daughter and granddaughter.
Grandpa with his son and grandson.
Adult siblings with their parents.
Cousins piled around their grandparents.
Three or even four generations together in one photograph.
These images show more than what your family looked like at one moment in time. They show where your children came from and the people who helped build the family they know today.
And you don’t have to choose between the big group portrait and smaller combinations. During a full extended family photography session, we can create both: the photograph of everyone together and the smaller groupings that often become some of the most treasured images from the session.
Don't Wait Until Everyone Looks "Photo Ready"
One of the biggest reasons families put off professional family photos is that someone doesn't feel ready.
Someone wants to lose weight. Someone doesn't like having their picture taken. The kids are at a difficult age. Grandpa doesn't want to dress up. Grandma says she doesn't need pictures of herself.
Take the pictures anyway.
The people who love you aren't going to look at those photographs years from now and wish you had been thinner, younger or dressed differently.
They're going to be grateful you're in them.
And that includes you.
Parents are often the ones taking the everyday pictures, which means they're frequently missing from their family's photographic history. A multi-generational family session is an opportunity to make sure everyone is part of the story.
Consider a Place That Is Part of Your Family's Story
A family portrait doesn't always have to happen at a park or another traditional photography location. Sometimes the best place for your session is somewhere that already means something to your family. Maybe it's Grandma and Grandpa's home, where the grandkids have spent countless afternoons. Maybe it's the family property where everyone gathers for holidays. It could be a favorite park, a ranch, a garden, a lake or another place your family has returned to year after year.
If there's a location that immediately makes your family say, "That's our place," consider having your family photographed there. A meaningful location adds another layer to the photographs. You're not only documenting the people you love—you’re preserving a piece of your family's history along with them.
You Don't Need a Special Occasion
You don't need to wait for a 50th anniversary, a milestone birthday or a family reunion to photograph your family together. Being together is enough of a reason.
If you live in the Orangevale, Folsom, Fair Oaks, Roseville, Granite Bay, Citrus Heights or greater Sacramento area, I'd love to help you create photographs of the people who matter most to you. A full family or extended family photography session can be scheduled throughout the year. Full sessions give us more time for larger families, more combinations of people and the flexibility to choose a location that's especially meaningful to your family.
Grandparents Day Generations Mini Sessions
If you've been meaning to get photographs of your children with their grandparents but aren't ready for a full family session, I'm also offering special **Generations Mini Sessions on Grandparents Day** at Norma Hamlin Park in Orangevale. These short sessions are designed specifically to celebrate grandparents, grandchildren and the generations they connect.
They're a wonderful opportunity to finally get Grandma and Grandpa into the pictures instead of promising, "We'll do it someday." And I may just have to make celebrating Grandparents Day with Generations sessions a yearly tradition!
If a quick Grandparents Day session sounds perfect for your family, you can reserve one of the available mini-session times. Message me for more details.
If you'd rather slow things down, include more family members, create more combinations, or photograph your family somewhere that holds special memories, a **full family session** will be the better choice - and those can be booked throughout the year.
Whichever you choose, don't wait for the perfect year, the perfect outfits or the perfect moment.
Get the generations together.
Take the photograph.
Someday, it may be one of the most important pictures your family owns.
