Fall Extended Family Photos at Cullman Park in Ballantyne | Charlotte Family Photographer
/One of my favorite things about the holiday season is seeing entire families come together.
This extended family session at Cullman Park in Ballantyne included three generations, adult children, spouses, teenagers, grandchildren, and plenty of laughter. We photographed the full group first before breaking into individual family portraits, couples, sibling photos, grandparent portraits, and a few beautiful images of the family's matriarch.
That's one of the biggest advantages of an extended family session: everyone is already together. Instead of trying to coordinate multiple photo sessions throughout the year, you can capture updated portraits of every family combination in one evening.
Fall is especially popular because so many families travel home for Thanksgiving and the holidays. If you know everyone will be together this year, it's the perfect opportunity to schedule portraits while everyone is in town.
The biggest piece of advice I can give? Book early.
Every fall I receive last-minute inquiries from families hoping to squeeze in an extended family session over Thanksgiving weekend or Christmas. Unfortunately, by then my calendar is usually full, and I end up having to turn families away each year. If you're planning ahead for a holiday gathering, reaching out a few months in advance gives you the best chance of finding a date that works for everyone.
Extended family sessions may take a little more planning than a typical portrait session, but they're always worth it. Years from now, these are often the photographs that become family heirlooms—especially the images of grandparents with their children and grandchildren all together.
If your family will be visiting Charlotte this fall or over the holidays, I'd love to help you preserve this season together.
Ready to plan your own extended family session? Whether you're gathering for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or simply because everyone is finally in the same place at the same time, I'd love to help you create photographs your family will treasure for generations.