Extended family birthday anniversary reunion photoshoots 1A family photoshoot is the perfect way to celebrate a family reunion If you have a big birthday coming up, an anniversary or even a family gathering with everyone together for the first time in a while, a photoshoot is a perfect way to celebrate the occasion.

If the last few years have taught us anything, it's that family are the most precious thing we have. A photoshoot for your extended family captures precious memories with those you love.

In this blog post, I share some tips for planning a successful photoshoot with your extended family along with some tips on what to wear.

Extended family birthday anniversary reunion photoshoots 4When it comes to choosing locations for an extended family photoshoot, I'm looking for benches or ways to stagger your group for an attractive portrait Location

For large family groups, I suggest an outdoor location to keep it relaxed and enjoyable.

There are a number of things to consider when choosing your location, including convenience if you have different family members coming together from around the country. If you're all staying in one place, then it may be ideal to meet there, whether it's a hotel or your own garden. If it's a hotel, it's worth checking that they're happy for us to use the grounds for your photoshoot.

There are three main things I'm looking for in a location: 1. Shade. It's ideal if there is shade from the sun to avoid harsh shadows and squinting. 2. Backdrop. We want to ensure you have an attractive backdrop for your photos. 3. Staggering. By this, I mean ways of staggering the family so you're not all standing in one line - this may be steps to position you at different levels, fallen tree trunks that can be sat on, or a bench that you can gather round.

Extended family birthday anniversary reunion photoshoots 2Deciding which family groups you'd like photographed ahead of the day will ensure your photoshoot runs smoothly Planning

Once you've found a date and location that works for you all, it's always a good idea to have an idea of what groupings you'd like. This will help keep everyone organised and avoid any last minute drama!

Aside from one of everyone together, you may wish to consider the following: each smaller family unit, each generation, parents with their children, grandparents with their grandchildren, sibling groups, etc. If you're unsure, then I'm happy to make suggestions.

It's worth compiling a list so I can tick it off as we go to ensure we don't miss any. And share the plan with the rest of the family to ensure that everyone knows what to expect on the day.

Extended family birthday anniversary reunion photoshoots 3Co-ordinating what you wear for your family photoshoot will make a big difference to your photos What to wear

With a large family group, it can be difficult to co-ordinate clothing but it really will give your pictures an edge if you all agree what to wear. The best advice is to avoid patterns and instead dress in block colours, picking a colour scheme that you can all work from. This could be any of the following: different shades of one or two colours, all in neutrals, all in pastels, or all in bold colours. The key is to look co-ordinated but not all 100% matching! Again, I'm always happy to discuss and offer advice. Extended family birthday anniversary reunion photoshootsWondering what to wear? There are many different colour palette options you can choose to dress from for your family photoshoot

Whatever the occasion you're celebrating, a photoshoot is a perfect way to mark it and capture memories when you're all together. Please get in touch if you have any questions or would like to book for your family. If you're booking for a celebratory occasion, then I provide a boxed gift voucher free of charge when you book your shoot.