The Gathering · Orange County
extended family photography in orange county
Grandparents, adult children, grandchildren, the in-laws, the dog. When your whole family is finally in one place, you get one chance to photograph it properly.
Planning a reunion? Call (949) 510-3862
Session fee
$599 for everyone
Each family
collections from $895
Group size
10 to 30+ people
Session length
90 minutes to 2 hours
Where
the coast or your home
Multi-generational family portraits
the whole family is rarely in one place
Someone flies in from out of state. A milestone birthday lands on a weekend everyone can make. A wedding brings the cousins together. Whatever gets everyone into the same zip code, it usually doesn't happen twice — and the last real portrait of the whole family is from a decade and two grandchildren ago.
Most family photographers are set up for four people and a toddler. Twenty-four people across three generations is a different job: different lens, different light, different pacing, and a plan for every grouping before anyone arrives. As an Orange County family photographer since 2002, large groups are the sessions we're asked for most in the weeks when relatives are in town.
Just your own household? See our Laguna Beach family photographer sessions.
The Gathering
an extended family session, planned properly
The full group, every household within it, and the grandparents with each set of grandchildren — all in one relaxed session.
Built for three generations
Planned groupings, a shot list agreed in advance, and a pace that works for a two-year-old and an eighty-eight-year-old on the same afternoon.
Every household photographed
The full group, then each family within it. Nobody leaves with only a picture they're standing at the edge of.
At the coast or at home
Laguna's coves and bluffs, Salt Creek, Newport Coast — or your own back garden, often the better answer for a very large group.
Permits and logistics handled
Beach permits, timing around the tide and the sunset, and where twenty-six people should actually park. That's our job, not yours.
Locations
where we photograph extended families in orange county
The right location for six people is often the wrong one for twenty-six. These are the places that work when the group is large. More ideas in our guide to the best photoshoot locations in Orange County.
Heisler Park, Laguna Beach
Bluff-top lawns, stairs that work beautifully for tiered group posing, and the coastline behind. Best early, before the park fills.
Resorts and rentals
Staying at the Montage, the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel, Surf & Sand or a rental for the week? We photograph on-property regularly and know what each one allows.
Little Corona Beach, Newport Beach
A sheltered cove reached by a paved path rather than a staircase — which matters with grandparents or a stroller. Best at low tide.
Your family home
For the largest gatherings this is often the best option. No permit, no parking problem, nobody dropping out because of the drive — and the house means something to the family in a way a beach doesn't.
Newport Coast
Open bluffs and long, even light. Good for a group that wants the ocean in the frame without walking anyone down to the sand.
Investment
what an extended family session costs
Extended family sessions are priced differently from a standard family session, because they're a different piece of work: more planning, a longer session, and portraits delivered to several families rather than one.
Session fee
$599
for the whole extended family
Covers the planning call, the grouping list, permits where they're needed, and the session itself — however many individual families are in it.
Household collections
from $895
per family
Each family within the group chooses its own collection of prints, wall art and digital files, from images of their own family and of everybody together.
Anything else on our price list is available to every family as well — albums, larger wall pieces, duplicate copies for the grandparents. We'll walk you through the options at the design appointment, so there's nothing to decide on the day.
Heirloom artwork
artwork made for a wall, not a hard drive
A photograph of four generations in one frame deserves better than a folder on someone's laptop. Every Gathering ends with a design appointment where each household chooses what they want to live with.
Albums
Our 12x9 and 10x10 albums are the most requested for extended family sessions — twenty pages, hand-bound, with duplicate copies at half price so every household can have one. Albums begin at $999.
Wall art
Framed prints and canvases sized properly for the wall they're going on. We'll show you exactly how each option looks in your own room.
Digital files
Digital files are included with the larger collections, and the full set of session files comes with The Legacy collection.
“Always the best photos! I can't say enough great things about Kristin and her team. They have been shooting my family photos for over 10 years.”
Brooke Smith · GoogleYear round
the occasions families book the gathering for
The Gathering runs all year, not only at the holidays — for family reunions, milestones and every reason the family finally gets together.
- A milestone birthday — a seventieth, an eightieth, a ninetieth
- A wedding weekend, when the extended family is already assembled
- A family reunion
- Grandparents' anniversary
- The holidays, when everyone flies in
- A summer week at a Laguna or Newport rental
- No occasion at all — it's been eleven years and someone finally organized it
Booking for the 2026 holidays
November 20 is the last session date we can guarantee for holiday card delivery. December 20 is our last shooting date of the year. Thanksgiving week and the days between Christmas and New Year book first — if relatives are flying in, get the date on the calendar before they book their flights.
Good to know
extended family session questions
How many people can you photograph?
We regularly photograph groups of twenty to thirty, and we've done larger. Past about twelve people the session needs real planning rather than a bigger lens, which is what the session fee covers. Tell us the number when you enquire and we'll tell you honestly what's achievable in the time and light we have.
How long does the session take?
Plan on ninety minutes to two hours for a large extended family. Longer than that and the youngest children are finished, whatever the adults think.
How much does extended family photography cost?
A $599 session fee covers the whole extended family, however many individual families are in it. Each family then chooses its own collection, starting at $895, and anything else on our price list is available as well.
When should we book?
As soon as you know the date everyone will be in town. Holiday and summer weekends go months ahead, and the good light window at the coast is short.
Can you photograph us at our house?
Often the best answer for a very large group. No permit, no parking problem, and nobody drops out because of the drive. We'll look at the light at your house on the planning call.
What should everyone wear?
We send a styling guide once your date is booked, with color palettes that work at the coast. The short version: agree on a palette, not a uniform, and keep the pattern on one person.
What if someone can't be there on the day?
It happens with families this size. We can often photograph the missing family separately and blend them into the full group portrait — done properly, it's undetectable.
Do you travel outside Orange County?
Yes. Most Gathering sessions are between Newport Coast and San Clemente, but we travel for the right session — just ask.
Book the Gathering
get everyone in one frame
Tell us the date, roughly how many people, and where everyone's staying. We'll tell you what's possible and hold the date while you check with the family.
book the gatheringOr call (949) 510-3862