The last time I photographed this beautiful family was nearly a lifetime ago, when a new, wide-eyed photographer was just starting to work with clients and their oldest was just barely a teenager. You can see these beautiful adults as children by clicking here.

Their kids went in together on a photo session as a gift for their parents 25th wedding anniversary. What a special gift and what a privilege to be invited along!

They chose the same spot as they did in 2012, Onanda Park located at the end of Canandaigua Lake. You can learn more about how to choose a great photography location by clicking here. The best thing about Canandaigua Lake is the beautiful willows. Great locations offer a wide visual variety in a small area.

Now all grown up and out of the house!

Individual photos are always welcome. A group shot with individual shots in the same location and the same clothing help make a cohesive wall display if that’s what you’re going for.

Solid colors are a good choice because they bring attention to the face instead of clothing. To learn more about how to dress your family for a photo session, click here.

Thank you so much Kim and Derrick for sharing you beautiful family with me!

Lauren’s daughter was graduating from high school and to celebrated they rented a lakehouse on Cayuga lake with their extended family. What an awesome way to celebrate!

I hope my kids do this as adults. It’s also a great time to have family photos taken because you’re all there together anyway. Carpe diem!

A ceiling tile was a place holder for a missing family member – photoshop is always an option if you’re missing someone.

Everyone did a fantastic job with their clothing coordination. It doesn’t have to be complicated – everyone wearing blue is often good enough to give cohesion to a group photo. To read more about what to wear to your photo session, click here.

The cousins had some serious fun.

The adults went a little bit more traditional.

The range of careers the adults had was super interesting from a private practice therapist to a philosophy professor to an oncologist. Sometimes I’d love to just sit and hear about people’s careers.

Thank you so much Lauren for sharing your beautiful family with me!

Maria’s inquiry came in the midst of several and somehow I lost track of the fact that she lives in Ithaca.  When I went to look up her address I realized my oversight and she was gracious and we met half way in Geneva.  She had just given birth to this precious piece of life.

Mia was just 16 months old when her brother was born. That’s a bit young to hold a newborn so for this image we laid Mia down on a large bean bag (custom made for newborn portraits – thanks Lauren!), and laid Kolbe down on her arm with a lot of support and both parents nearby. It goes without saying but also somehow is overlooked that the safety of a newborn is paramount.

I don’t remember his exact birth weight but he was a big little guy.

Outside portraits were important to Maria. We found a spot where the willows touched the lake and it was quite windy but also warm. He was indifferent to his baby Moses experience.

Kolbe was named after Saint Maximillian Kolbe, a martyr of charity.

It was lovely to spend the day with you all. Congratulations on your beautiful baby who’s not so new anymore!

They chose Charlotte Beach because they are beach loving people.  And really, can you ever spend enough time at the beach?

Followed by a big hug.

Followed by individual family groups in the sand. Of course, it was ridiculously bright and sunny, which is why I don’t ever count on natural light.  Since you don’t eat it, artificial light is pretty much fantastic.

When moms and dads have children that outgrow them, posing gets to be a bit trickier.

These guys were much more interested in rolling around in the sand than standing still, so we did a few jumping jacks between shots. But this is pretty much our line up with a few extra boys, so it was very familiar.

A huge congratulations on 50 years of marriage!!!

On the way to the car, John and I had a great conversation about his job planning summer camp for the Boys and Girls club and how he’s pursuing a masters degree in social services.  Thank you so much John for all your work in the community and also to you and Ellen for sharing your beautiful family with me!

This is a more “modern” posing set up with different groups. The best part of this setup is that it’s easy on the eyes. The drawbacks are that because the people are smaller, you need to print the images at a larger size. It can also make single people in the family feel a little awkward.

This is a more traditional posing setup. The best part of this setup is that it’s completely inclusive, we’re more used to looking at this type of portrait and prints can be smaller.

Megan recommends approximately one drink an hour (and just one) during portrait sessions – especially when it’s 90 something degrees outside. I do have to say her family was pretty cheerful and easy going!

During a test shot I had my first ever photobomb.

His family seemed used to it but I was pretty entertained.

We also did some other groupings. Extended family portraits are a great opportunity to also throw in other portraits – such as siblings, couples, immediate families, etc.

And just because they seemed like a jumping kind of family…

This blog post features Rachel and Adam’s favorites from the session with their beautiful children Thisbe and Finnegan, and remembering their oldest daughter who passed away six years ago.

Highland Park is a really popular photo location, but the Rochester beaches are a hidden gem for family photos. Kids generally are very relaxed and happy hanging out at the beach, which makes smiles and great facial expressions a breeze.  Rachel also did a great job dressing her kids in beach themed clothing that blended together without looking too “matchy.”  She thought this image looked like they were models for J. Crew.

Rachel said that Thisbe gives her this look a lot. It’s fun when you really capture a child’s personality in an image.

These were their two favorite whole family images. Beaches give a definite relaxed feeling to portraits since it’s such a relaxing environment for both adults and children.

And of course a few special father-son and father-daughter moments.

I didn’t get to spend a lot of time with this beautiful woman, but she was in incredible health.  May we all age so gracefully!

And if you’re having extended family portraits taken it’s a great idea to also take photos of each individual family group since you’ve already put in so much of the work!

Beforehand the kids were playing and we were able to catch some candid images, which turned out to be the favorites.

And then we caught some lollipop goodness afterward.