Extended family photos at Lake Wilderness Arboretum
I have a photo of my grandparents on my desk that I look at daily so I know how special extended family photos are! We have snapshots taken on our phone, of our time with aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents but there's something SO special about a nice, frame-worthy photo where everyone is in the mix! As family members move around, grow older and change, it's so important to bottle up these moments when everyone is in town. I'll walk through how I scouted my location, helped with styling and prompts I used to make it fun!
Pick a location for your extended family photos.
This dear client reached out for an extended family photo session. I offered a few locations that met my criteria: 1) The location needs to have wide open spaces. 2) Even if the location is popular, there needs to be spots that are quiet for privacy. 3) The backdrops have variety. Lake Wilderness Arboretum in Maple Valley checked all the boxes! This 40 acre park has a lake for swimming, a layered garden, gravel paths and bonus... a public restroom too! When you see the yellow lines with numbers on these photos, it tells you the sun's location at a certain hour of the day. This sun tracker helps me figure out the best lighting for your extended family session.
Pick a color palette that works for your extended family photos.
My personal stylist styled this extended family session. The family filled out a questionnaire, answering questions about the vibe they were looking for (casual, boho, glam, etc), colors/tones they gravitated towards, price range, etc. Since this photoshoot was a gift for grandma, grandma got to pick her outfit first! She chose this gorgeous, bold and colorful floral dress. My personal stylist assembled cohesive outfits that fit with grandma's dress, the overall vibe and the scenery. The outfits are just a guideline though! Families can purchase the outfits or can look through their closets and see if they already have colors similar to the guidelines.
Show up ready to have fun!
We got the everyone-looking-at-the-camera photo right away! Then moved towards different groupings, posed and then candid shots. We played a few games of red-light-green-light, bubbles, chase and silly walks. Getting the adults involved in the games will alway elicit genuine laughs from the kids!
Lake Wilderness Arboretum is beautiful!
The lush, layered greenery, flowers and lake are a stunning backdrop for your family photos. This location is beautiful in the spring, summer and fall months. There is ample parking, public restrooms, flat pathways and all spots within this gallery are less than a 10 minute walk from each other. There is no permit required for a photo session here. Consider Lake Wilderness Arboretum for your next family photo session!
