Family sessions are always one of my favorite things to shoot. Being able to capture the family dynamics and personalities of each family member is such a joy. As fun as individual family sessions are, I love shooting extended families just as much.
I love spending as much time as I can with my whole family as I can. Our times together are always full of fun, laughter and love. Being invited into someone else’s extended family for the day and getting to experience their relationships, inside jokes and traditions will forever be special to me.
Shannon + Tyler are previous clients of Expressions. This year, Tyler’s family was gathering for an early Thanksgiving celebration which made it a perfect time to set up getting photos of the entire family. To Kim, this is the most special time of the year. She loves cooking and having family around during the holidays. Being able to capture these moments for her and her family is so special.
Tyler’s brother Brandon is quite the jokester. His commentary and puns kept the family laughing the entire session allowing me to capture beautiful, authentic smiles in every shot. Getting this many people to all look at the camera and smile can be tricky. However, without even knowing it, Brandon was the perfect assistant making it a breeze!
One of my favorite photos from this portion of our session involves Shannon + Tyler’s youngest daughter Hadlie. For one shot I asked the family to all look at each other and smile. Little Hadlie, who is less than one year old, unknowingly looked up at her great grandmother, Mammaw, at the perfect time with a sweet little smile on her face. It was a priceless moment to capture!
During the colder winter months, Tyler’s family loves gathering for game night. While the game often changes, one of their favorites is dominos. Towards the end of our session, they broke out the pieces and started a game. Seeing how much fun they all have together and being able to preserve those memories for them is the reason I do what I do.
Kim, thank you for inviting me to join your extended family for a day of fun, games and donuts. I loved seeing how much you all enjoy spending time together and didn’t stop smiling and laughing the entire time.