Extended portrait sessions are the ones people put off for years and then treasure most: the parents with all of their grown children, the partners who have joined the family, and the photo of everyone together that ends up framed at every house. They are also the sessions most likely to feel rushed, because there are so many combinations to get. This is how a recent one ran by a lake in the Kansas City area, start to finish.
Session date: October 23, 2026. Parents, their grown children, and partners. Lakeside meadow, last hour before sunset.
The plan: groupings in the right order
With eight or more people, the session needs a running order, written down before anyone arrives. Here's the order we used, and why:
- The parents first. Two people, by the water, while the light was still even. Parents are often the ones who organized everything, and they relax once their own photos are done.
- One couple on a blanket by the lake. A few minutes on their own while the others got settled. Couples loosen up fastest when the rest of the family isn't watching.
- The whole family. Standing by the water and walking across the meadow hand in hand. Walking shots fix the problem of eight people trying to stand naturally.
- Each couple in the best light. As the sun dropped behind the trees, each couple got a few minutes of backlight: a kiss at sunset, a dip by the water, a lift in the tall golden grass.
- Everyone under the big tree at sunset. The three couples together, with the sun coming through the branches behind them.
- One more family photo after sunset, with the lake and the pink sky behind them.
- The siblings and the fun shots last. The sisters lying in the grass with their heels kicked up, Mom cheering with her arms in the air behind them. By then everyone was laughing, which is exactly when to take the silly ones.
Using the last hour of light
The session started around 5:25pm, a little over an hour before sunset. That hour has three different kinds of light, and each suits a different grouping:
- The first 30 minutes: soft and even. Best for big groups, because nobody is squinting and no one ends up in shadow.
- The last 20 minutes before sunset: warm backlight through the trees and the grass. Best for couples and close-ups, where the glow around hair and shoulders reads well.
- The minutes after sunset: the sky turns pink and blue, and the light on faces is completely even. Good for one last family photo with the water behind them.
The golden hour guide lists sunset times through the year.
Keeping a big group relaxed
- Give everyone something to do. Walk toward me, sit on the blanket, look at your partner, not at the camera. Instructions beat "say cheese."
- Keep the people who aren't in the shot busy. A couple who just finished can stand by the next spot so the transition takes seconds.
- Use a longer lens and stay back. I photographed most of this session with an 85mm f/1.4, which lets me stand far enough away that couples forget I'm there and still blurs the background into soft color.
What they wore
Black, navy, burgundy and cream, with one person in a lighter skirt. Nobody matched, but every couple looked like they belonged together and the full group read as one family against the green meadow and the lake. For large groups, choosing one palette for everyone works better than matching outfits. The what to wear guide has palettes by season.
What the family received
A private online gallery of 217 edited photos: the whole family, the parents, every couple, the siblings, and black-and-white versions of the favorites.
Booking an extended portrait session
For parents with grown children and partners, the Extended Family session is $395 for 90 minutes with 60+ edited images, and travel within 40 miles of Kansas City is included. Smaller groups can use the one-hour session for $275. Full details are on the family photography page, and couples can see engagement and couples sessions.