Extended family session in Virginia Beach
Virginia Beach is such a great meeting point for families! Every summer I travel to all the beaches around Hampton Roads to photograph family reunions. Extended family beach sessions are my gem!
Where should I have my extended family session in Virginia Beach?
First of all, you probably don’t want to travel far away from your accomodation. Chances are there are many small kids with you, grandparent and great-grandparents. So, easily accessible PRETTY location will be the best choice. Ask you photographer!
If you are staying at a beachfront villa at Sandbridge, let’s meet right there! You can just walk down the path to the beach behind your rental and that will be your best location.
If you are staying anywhere else, let me know, I will suggest the best location for your family.
How do extended family session work?
It’s super easy and fun! Over the years I have developed a work-flow that works every time. But I need your help! One person needs to coordinate the group and let me know the must-have pictures. Have a list or send it to me beforehand.
1. We will start with the group photos. I will take several of these, some formal and some fun.
2. Different group shots. Please have a list of different combinations that are important to you. This is the time for photos of grandparents and grandbabies, grandparents and their kids, spouses, men only, women only etc.
3. I will take aside each family unit (mom, dad and their children) and spend about 20 minutes with them to take their family photos. It does not matter if you are a couple without kids, you will still have your photos taken. For singles I am happy to take a few portraits as well!
4. At the end of the session we will try to gather everyone again and take few more group photos with the sunset.
How long does an extended family session last?
I reserve about 60-90 minutes for these sessions. It all depends on the number of people. I have done sessions with over 20 family members!
How much does it cost and what do I get?
The price is calculated as follows: $325 + $200 per each family unit. When you reach out, please, let me know who will be at the photo shoot and I will make the calculation for you. See my pricing here.
Let’s say the grandparents have 3 sons, each son is married with kids. The session price is: 325+ 3x200 = $725.
Within 2 weeks since your session you will receive an online gallery that can be easily shared between all the members of the family. The gallery will contain 50+ photos, depending on how many people were at the photo shoot. You can order professional high quality prints directly from your gallery.
“Eva was personable, professional and an incredible photographer. She has an eye for the best lighting and the beauty in everyone as an individual or the whole.
My daughter was fussy and pouty for our session and Eva rolled with it and still got a couple incredible shots. She was patient and excellent with our 3 very young, rambunctious kids. The turnaround to get the photos was super fast and I am still so impressed at her talent! Even her website for viewing our photos was user friendly. We will absolutely be using her again in the future.” - Renee
How do we coordinate outfits for an extended family session?
Getting the perfect outfits ready is hard for an immediate family session, so what if you are 15+ people? Follow these 3 simple rules.
1. Pick a mood board on Pinterest and share it with everyone. Is your session on the beach? Send them a color palette similar to this and let them know to pick outfits in these tones.
2. Tell everyone to avoid patterns or limit them to 1 person per family unit. Solid colors are the best.
3. Make sure everyone dresses for the same weather. You don’t want to have few people in summer dresses and few in sweaters and jackets. Make sure you all are either barefoot or wear shoes.
