Stanley Family Session

While this photo appears to be naturally lit, we actually brought 2 lights with us to cast soft, even light across the whole family.

When I first talked to Amanda about planning a family session for her in-law’s, she already knew they wanted to do the shoot on their family property. I am so glad they chose this location— the lush green trees and wild grasses made the most beautiful backdrop, and the fact that it’s a special place for everyone makes it priceless.

With a large group of 10 adults and 5 kids, we knew our biggest challenge would be getting all the kids looking and even smiling at the same time. I assured her, “IT CAN BE DONE…through the magic of Photoshop.”

In a situation like this, our strategy is to take lots of photos. I ask my adults to keep their biggest and brightest smiles, while our helpers are busy getting the attention of the little ones and I am busy snapping away. You wouldn’t have guessed it, but we were able to create this perfect family photo with a composite of 4 different images to get each child looking at the camera with their best expression.

Our next move was to try to get the grandkids on their own with Grandma and Grandpa. That didn’t go quite as well, as they were pretty anxious to not have to sit anymore. So we pivoted and gave the kids some free time to wander in the yard. After a few minutes, we gathered them back together and they were more willing to sit together in a group and then walk together with Grandma and Grandpa.

We also included a snapshot of Mom & Dad with just their kids to round things out.

At this point, the sun was setting and casting the most delicious light across the yard, so we opted to do one more family photo, all standing, to give us some variety.

Everyone looked so great! Good job, Stanley Family!

Family photography is an absolute treat. What a great excuse to bring everyone together and to capture your family as it is TODAY. Let’s plan your family photo session in a place that’s meaningful to you.