Y’all… I’ll be honest. Extended family sessions can be chaotic. Blending your adult siblings with their spouses & children, it’s not for the faint of heart. Planning what day, what to wear, what to expect, etc. It feels like aligning the stars. No offense guys, but it was probably the ladies trying to coordinate all this. Then it all aligns and nothing is going as planned. Kids are falling asleep on the way to the session, some are hungry, some are just 2 years old and being 2, babies not wanting to put down either pacis or your keys and some are grown and uninterested, some are maybe feeling some extra energy a little too much energy, and then trying to have a conversation with the photographer, parent your children in public without making them cry {LOL}, all while trying to look your BEST! It’s overwhelming, overstimulating and it’s exhausting. We were also experiencing a heat wave. It was 90degrees with a real feel of 107. I’m a terrible sales person by the way LOLOL Okay erase all that… BUT the proof is in the pudding. At the end of the day the the kids came around as they usually do, and we got it done!! I have 5 children myself. My life is the epitome of chaos. SO I GET IT!! haha! Working with big families is an undertaking. Both shooting the session and being IN the session. It’s a lot work. My biggest advice: Let it go. Let it all go. The point is to be together and document this time and see how little those little faces really were. The sweet connections between siblings and cousins is priceless. This is my 3rd time doing this for this family since 2018 and one in 2022. I love working them!! I coordinate with the moms who are married; Liz and Julie and omg I they are THE coolest. They have SIX CHILDREN {sorry im screaming so much in this post} But they are amazing and their kids are amazing. I love even if just for a brief moment spending time with each of them. We had clear expectations of getting cousin shots, grand parent with cousins, each individual family and individual of the kids IF we had time {which we did}. I knew what they were going through and I knew I was capturing gems and I was reassuring them it’s good it’s good! Look at this beautiful organized chaos. Until next time Anderson Family!!
