A Meaningful Family Session in Carmel, Indiana

When Amy reached out to me about photographing her mom’s 90th birthday, I immediately loved the idea.

Instead of a traditional birthday gift, Amy wanted to give her mom something that included the whole family: her adult children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren. They planned a family photo session before heading off to a nice dinner together to celebrate. Amy had it all planned out, photos at Central Park then dinner at The Meridian.

Honestly, I think this is one of the best gifts you can give someone.

As a Carmel Indiana family photographer, I get to photograph families in so many different seasons, but there is something especially meaningful about getting everyone together across multiple generations.

And this family was so much fun to photograph.

Family Photos That Include Everyone

One of my favorite parts of photographing a large family is that we don’t just take one big family photo and call it a day.

We take ALL the combinations.

The whole family together.

Grandparents with the grandkids.

Grandparents with the great-grandkids.

Each individual family.

Siblings together.

Couples.

Parents with their children.

And, of course, plenty of individual photos of the kids.

That is what I love about these larger family sessions. You aren’t just getting one family photo for the wall. You are creating an entire collection of photographs that represents your family and all of the relationships within it.

And honestly, I think it is the biggest bang for your buck when you have a large family together.

Everyone walks away with photos that are meaningful to them.

Why I Love Multigenerational Family Photography

The sentimental side of me really believes that we don’t take enough photos with our grandparents and great-grandparents.

Especially when they are still themselves.

When they are still mobile.

When they are still laughing, hugging, talking, and enjoying time with the people they love.

We tend to think we’ll always have another opportunity to take the photo.

Another birthday.

Another holiday.

Another family dinner.

But those seasons change.

That is one of the reasons I loved Amy’s idea so much. Her mom’s 90th birthday wasn’t just an excuse to get everyone together for photos. It was an opportunity to document who their family is right now.

Three generations together. Little kids growing up alongside their grandparents and great-grandparents. Adult siblings. Couples. Parents. Grandkids.

All of it.

Those photographs become part of the family’s history.

A Carmel Family Photography Session Before Dinner

I also loved that this session was part of their actual celebration.

They weren’t spending an entire day making a production out of family photos. Everyone got together, we photographed all of the combinations, and then they headed off to dinner to celebrate Mom’s 90th birthday.

It felt easy and natural.

And that is exactly how I want family photography to feel.

There is definitely some organizing involved when you have this many people, but once we get started, I keep things moving so we can get through all of the important combinations without spending the entire day taking pictures.

The result is a gallery full of both beautifully composed family portraits and the little in-between moments that make the photos feel like your family.

A Gift for the Whole Family

I think what I love most about an extended family session is that it really is a gift to everyone.

Amy was giving her mom photographs for her 90th birthday, but she was also giving her siblings, children, nieces, nephews, and grandchildren photographs they will have for years to come.

A grandmother gets photos with all of her grandchildren.

Parents get photos with their adult children.

Kids get photos with their grandparents and great-grandparents.

And someday, those little kids will be the ones looking back at these photographs and realizing just how many people loved them.

That is pretty special.

Carmel Indiana Family Photographer

If you are looking for a Carmel Indiana family photographer, I would love to photograph your family, whether you’re looking for updated photos of your immediate family or you’re planning a special gathering with multiple generations.

You don’t need a milestone birthday as an excuse, either.

A family reunion, anniversary, holiday, birthday, or simply having everyone together for the first time in years is reason enough.

Because the truth is, getting everyone in the same place at the same time is often the hardest part.

When you finally do, take the photo.

Your future self will be so glad you did.

I loved working with this family and getting to document such a special milestone for their family. And I hope it inspires more families to think beyond the traditional family photo and make time for photographs with the people they don’t want to forget.