Photographing My Own Extended Family

Fall 2022 | My First Time in Front of and Behind the Camera

Taking photos of your own family is something else—especially when you also have to be in them. This was my very first time photographing my personal extended family: my parents, my sisters and their families, and my own little crew.

We started with my sister’s family and her three boys. Since young ones get distracted (and tired) quickly, I always start with the toddlers. They did so well, and we got some sweet shots right off the bat.

Then came the BIG one—the full family photo. The one I know my mom cherishes the most, the one that always ends up printed huge and displayed for everyone to see. For this, I had my best friend step in. I positioned everyone, set the camera exactly how it needed to be, handed it over, swapped places, and jumped into my spot. I told her to just shoot-shoot-shoot so I could splice together the perfect image later for my mom.

After that, we did grandparents with grandkids, fun little constellations of different family groups, and finished with my youngest sister’s family. Was it hectic? Absolutely. Was it totally different from my usual sessions? Yes! But I’m so proud of these images.

This was one of the first times I could confidently say—without hesitation—“I am a photographer.”