I have to be honest… this one got me. Like really got me. I left this session feeling so full and so grateful and so honored to do what I do. As a Cleveland family photographer multigenerational sessions are something I truly believe in – and this one is exactly why. Let me tell you about it!

by Alison Nicole Photography | Cleveland Lifestyle Photographer

The Setup

This was a big family gathering at their home – the kind where some family members had traveled from across the country just to be together. With that comes so much love, so much catching up, and so much joy packed into a short amount of time. Most of the session happened outside in their backyard which was just perfect.

I was welcomed in like I was part of it all and even got to hear some incredible stories about them growing up. These are the kinds of sessions I live for. We knocked out the “everyone looking and smiling” photos right at the beginning – including a beautiful shot of the parents and grandparents together in front of their home – and then I just said go. Be together. Do what you do. And what followed was honestly some of the most beautiful and real documentary work I have gotten to make.

Cleveland Family Photographer – Plan Things to Do Together

This is something I really want every family to hear, and this session is a perfect example of it. When you give people something to DO together, everything changes. The stiffness goes away. People forget the camera is there. Real connections and real laughter start to come through in a way that no amount of posing could ever create.

For multigenerational sessions especially – where you might have grandparents, parents, kids, and grandkids all in one place – having planned activities is everything. Think about what your family actually loves to do together. A card game. Baking something. Working in the garden. Blowing bubbles with the little ones. A birthday celebration. Whatever it is, bring it into the session. Those are the moments that become the images you will treasure most. I promise!

The Moments That Made This Session

I do not even know where to start because there were SO many good ones…

Grandma’s Garden

Some of my favorite images from the entire session came from watching Grandma in her garden with the grandkids right there alongside her. She was teaching them and they were helping her – the connection between them was just so pure and so real. That kind of moment cannot be staged or asked for. You just have to be there and ready when it happens.

Bubbles

We got the bubbles out in the backyard and both the kids AND the adults were blowing them together. The kids’ wonder and joy just came through in every single frame. Pure kid joy is one of my absolute favorite things to photograph and this did not disappoint for one second!

The Card Game

A card game got started outside with so much laughter around that table. In the middle of all of it I noticed one little girl sitting on her mom’s lap while her mom played with her hair without even thinking about it. Just an automatic, loving, everyday gesture. That is the stuff. That right there is why I do this.

The Joy of It All – Cleveland Family Photographer Style

Ok so at one point everything was happening at once and it was absolute magic. The card game was still going. Bubbles were still happening. And then their dog came out and was absolutely beside himself over the bubbles – honestly one of the funniest and most joyful moments of the whole session. Then Grandpa started twirling his granddaughters and the dog got even MORE excited about that too! Pure chaos, pure joy, and some of my absolute favorite images from the entire day. You truly cannot plan moments like that. You just have to show up and let it all unfold!

The Birthday Celebrations

Two of the girls were celebrating birthdays outside! And since some family members live across the country, getting to be together for it made everything even more special. There were homemade birthday cakes – one of them had pretzels and gummy bears on it which I absolutely loved, ha! – singing, candles, presents, the whole thing. And of course I had to capture the kids with leftover cake all around their mouths – those are honestly some of the best shots from the whole day. So much joy out there in that backyard. I also got some really sweet photos of the aunts with their nieces which were so tender and loving – another layer of connection that made this session feel so complete!

The Tree Photo Recreation

Ok this one had everyone absolutely cracking up. The four kids who grew up in this house – now adults – climbed back up on a tree in the front yard together because they had a photo of themselves doing the exact same thing as kids. The laughter while they were trying to get up there was honestly so good. I love when a session has a moment like that!

Why This Cleveland Family Photographer Loves Multigenerational Sessions

Time moves fast. Families grow and change and spread out across the country. Furthermore the generations that are here right now will not always be here in the same way. And the little ones who are running around in the garden and chasing bubbles today will be the adults trying to climb trees for a recreation photo someday.

As a Cleveland family photographer multigenerational sessions are some of the most meaningful work I get to do. Not in a posed, stiff way – but in a TRUE way. The way it actually felt to be together on that day. The laughter around the card table. The way Grandma’s hands looked in the garden with her grandkids right beside her. The cake with the pretzels and gummy bears that someone will laugh about for years.

One thing I also love about sessions like this is the variety of groupings you end up with. Beyond the whole family together I got so many beautiful shots of the smaller families within the big family – each little unit with their own kids, their own dynamic, their own story. And of course the original family – the ones who grew up in that house together – back together again. Those shots are so special because they tell a whole other layer of the story. We also got a really fun shot of all the women and girls together which I absolutely loved – there is something so powerful and joyful about that kind of image. These are the images that will matter most. I truly believe that.

A Little Something Extra from This Cleveland Family Photographer

I also got to use one of my Lensbaby lenses for a few images during this session as well as my film camera, which always makes me so happy. There is something about adding those elements to a session that makes certain images feel even more special and one of a kind. If you would like to see more sessions where I used Lensbaby lenses check out the blog here: Sessions with Lensbaby. And if you love film photography as much as I do check out more film sessions here: Film Photography Sessions!

Want to Gather Your People?

If you have been thinking about getting multiple generations together for a session – please do it. Do not wait for the perfect time because the perfect time is now. Think about what your family loves to do together and let’s plan around that. I would be so honored to come document your family the way this one let me document theirs.

Let’s chat!

Blog Circle

This blog post is part of a blog circle among photography friends of mine. Before you go I want you to check out Erica’s Ventura County beach family photos blog that shares factors to consider when planning a family session at the beach in Ventura County.

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Alison Nicole Photography is a Cleveland family photographer serving Westlake, Bay Village, Rocky River, Lakewood, Fairview Park, Avon, Avon Lake, North Olmsted, Olmsted Falls, and beyond – and always up for travel!