An Extended Family Photoshoot in London: What to Expect
An extended family photoshoot in London is exactly what it sounds like: grandparents, parents, grown-up children, partners and grandchildren, all together in one set of photos, taken on location around this beautiful city.
And yes, it works, even with a very big group. Just recently I photographed seventeen members of one family in a single session, celebrating the grandparents' 57th wedding anniversary, and it was one of the most joyful shoots I've done in a decade of photographing families across London.
So if you're wondering whether a group your size is too big, too spread out or too chaotic to photograph well: it isn't. You just need a photographer with a plan. Here's everything you'll want to know.
Why book an extended family photoshoot?
Because getting everyone in one place is rare. That's the whole of it, really.
Most families are scattered across cities, countries, sometimes continents. When everyone finally lands in London together, for an anniversary, a reunion, a milestone birthday or a once-in-a-lifetime trip, that gathering IS the occasion. The photos are how you keep it.
The family of seventeen I mentioned had come together for mum and dad's 57th wedding anniversary: the couple, their eight adult children, and their spouses. The grandchildren stayed home in the States for this one; it was a special adults-only trip. Fifty-seven years of marriage, one city, one afternoon. Nobody in that family will ever wonder why they booked a photographer.
And extended family shoots come in every shape. Last Christmas I photographed a wonderful extended family, kids very much included, among London's Christmas displays. I've photographed big birthday gatherings in families' own homes, grandparents and grandchildren piled onto one sofa. Call it what you like: a multi-generational family photoshoot, a large family photoshoot, or, as my American families say, a family reunion photoshoot. Same thing, same joy, one big gallery everyone shares.
Where are the best places in London for an extended family photoshoot?
This is where an experienced London family photographer earns their keep, because the honest answer is: not always the places you'd first think of.
The anniversary family originally wanted Big Ben in their photos, at half past four on a Saturday afternoon. I understood completely. It's the London photo. But Westminster on a Saturday is crowded and closed-in, and with seventeen people, including two grandparents in their late seventies and eighties who liked to take things at a gentle pace, we'd have spent the whole shoot being jostled. I didn't want anyone rushed. I wanted them to have fun.
So I suggested a different plan. They were coming off a lunchtime cruise at Tower Bridge Pier, and I know the quieter corners around Tower Bridge that work beautifully for a big group, even on a Saturday. I met them straight off the boat and we made an easy, unhurried route of it:
St Dunstan in the East, a ruined church wrapped in greenery just minutes from the Tower. One of London's loveliest hidden spots, and blissfully calmer than the landmarks around it. We got loads of wonderful photos here.
Past the Tower of London, taking it slowly. It was heaving, so we simply enjoyed the stroll and kept the cameras down. When a location isn't working, you don't force it: we already had the shots.
Under Tower Bridge and along to St Katharine Docks, picking up photos with the bridge behind them from the far side. Tower Bridge is every bit as iconic as Big Ben, and far kinder to a group of seventeen.
And because I believe every good family shoot should end well, I made the group an announcement: "Right, people. It's going to be a little bit of a walk to our final destination. But the good news is, we're going to finish your photoshoot right by a pub." Seventeen people have never walked so happily.
At St Katharine Docks they fancied a bit of cheesy fun, so we finished with some very funny photos around the red telephone box. And here's the moment I'll remember: it was the couple's actual anniversary that day, and at the docks a newly married couple were having their wedding photos taken. Two couples, a few feet apart, who will now share the same wedding anniversary, 57 years apart. London does that sometimes.
That's one route of many. Notting Hill is another favourite for big family groups: the pastel houses give you colour in every frame, and the quieter residential streets have room for everyone to spread out. Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens offer space no group can outgrow, Richmond Park adds a wilder backdrop for families out west, and if Big Ben is non-negotiable for your family (it usually is!), St James's Park gives you that view with room to breathe. Whenever I'm weighing up photoshoot locations in London for a large family, I'm thinking about the practical things you shouldn't have to: space, step-free routes, places to pause, loos and cafés close by. For more ideas, my guide to London's best parks for family photos is a good place to browse.
How do you organise a photoshoot for a large family?
With a plan, and with play. Seventeen people at once is no harder than seven, as long as the thinking happens before anyone arrives.
Big groups fall flat when a photographer tries to line everyone up like a school photo and hold them there. So I don't. We do the big everyone-in group shots, of course, because those are the photos that end up framed. But around them I break the group into its natural little clusters: the couple on their own, each child with their parents, the siblings together, the in-laws hamming it up. Everyone gets moments in the photos AND moments to relax and chat, so no one spends an hour holding a smile.
The other half of it is logistics you never have to think about: a meeting point that's impossible to miss, a route with no wasted walking, locations chosen for space and light, and a running order I've worked out before you arrive. One of the family, Paul, put it like this in his review afterwards: "She met us right where she said she would meet us, when she said she would meet us. We were a pretty big group and she had the photo shoot all planned out."
What if some of the family are older or less mobile?
Then we plan around them, without ever making them feel planned around.
This matters to me a great deal. For the anniversary shoot, the whole reason we moved from Westminster to the Tower Bridge area was so that mum and dad could enjoy the afternoon at their own pace. Short distances, places to pause, no racing the crowds. The grandparents are usually the heart of an extended family shoot, and the photos should show them relaxed and delighted, not tired out.
If anyone in your group uses a wheelchair, tires easily or just prefers a slower afternoon, tell me when you book and I'll build the route around it. That's not a special request. It's the job.
Can we book an extended family photoshoot in London at Christmas?
Yes, and if Christmas is when your family gathers in London, I'd say book sooner rather than later: the Christmas enquiries have already started arriving this year.
Last Christmas I photographed a brilliant extended family photoshoot with the whole gang, grandparents down to the little ones, and London dressed up for Christmas did half my job for me. For large groups at Christmas, my preferred location is Covent Garden: the Christmas displays are spectacular, and it's a far easier place to photograph a big group than most of London's festive spots. Room to move, beautiful decorations in every direction, and plenty nearby for a warming hot chocolate afterwards.
Christmas dates are limited and visiting families snap them up early, so if you're planning a festive trip to London with the whole family, get in touch now and let's get your date in the diary.
Can we have our extended family photoshoot at home?
You can! For UK families, an extended family photoshoot in the comfort of your own home is a lovely option, and one I do more often than you might think.
Big birthday gatherings, milestone celebrations, three generations squeezed round one dining table: some family moments belong exactly where they happen. At home, grandparents are comfortable, little ones have their own toys, nobody has to travel, and the photos are full of the real, relaxed, mid-laugh moments that make family photos worth having. If getting seventeen people across London sounds like herding cats, bring the shoot to you instead.
How much does an extended family photoshoot in London cost?
If you're comparing family photoshoot London prices, mine are simple, and the same as for any of my family photoshoots:
One-hour session: £695 on weekdays, £795 at weekends. This is the most popular choice.
Two-hour session: extends from the one-hour session, with extra half-hours at £100 each. For larger extended family groups, two hours is often the sweet spot, because it gives us time for the big group photos and all the smaller family combinations without any rush.
30-minute midweek mini: £525, though for a big multi-generational group I'd honestly steer you towards a longer session so nobody gets short-changed.
A £175 non-refundable deposit secures your date, with the balance due one week before the shoot. Your session includes a pre-shoot chat, location recommendations tailored to your group, and professionally edited digital images delivered in a private online gallery: at least 40 edited images from a one-hour session and at least 60 from two hours, though I nearly always deliver far more, especially with a big group giving me so much to work with.
How quickly will we get our photos?
Your full gallery of edited digital images arrives within 10 to 14 days of the shoot, delivered through a private online gallery you can download and share from anywhere in the world. Perfect for a family that's about to scatter home in eight different directions: everyone gets everything, wherever they live.
How do we plan a London family vacation photoshoot from the US (or anywhere overseas)?
Easily, I promise, and extended families visiting London on vacation are some of my favourite people to photograph. Everything happens by email and a friendly pre-shoot chat: we'll pick a date, I'll suggest locations and timings that fit your plans (I can even meet you off a Thames cruise, as you now know), and your gallery lands online after you're home. As Paul wrote after the anniversary shoot: "If your coming from US and your looking for a great photographer, try to get Kristy on the books, were glad we did." I'll forgive him the spelling of my name. Seventeen people had just had a very good day.
The anniversary family, by the way, holidays together every single year, the whole family, grandchildren included. Their next one is a Disney cruise: all forty-five of them. They told me they wished they could bring me along to photograph it. Sadly, nobody is flying me to Florida. Gutted.
And one more from another visiting extended family, because it says everything about what I want these shoots to feel like: "From timely and responsive communication, to making each member of the extended family feel at ease during the shoot, to the absolutely stunning photos delivered to our inbox... we only have positive things to say" (Kerry S, April 2024).
Ready to get everyone in one photo?
If your family is gathering in London, for an anniversary, a reunion, a big birthday or simply because you finally can, I would love to photograph you all together. These are the photos that get passed down. Fifty-seven years from now, somebody will be very glad you booked it.
Get in touch to book your extended family photoshoot or read more about my London family photoshoots.
Good Questions: Honest Answers
-
There's no fixed limit. I regularly photograph large multi-generational groups, and recently photographed an extended family of seventeen in a single session. For groups of ten or more, a one-hour or two-hour session works best, so there's time for the big group photos and all the smaller family combinations.
-
The Tower Bridge area is hard to beat: St Dunstan in the East for a quiet, beautiful backdrop, Tower Bridge itself for the iconic London shot, and St Katharine Docks for a relaxed finish. Notting Hill, Hyde Park, Richmond Park and St James's Park (for the Big Ben view) are wonderful for big groups too. I choose spots that give large families room to spread out, rather than fighting the crowds at the busiest landmarks.
-
A one-hour session is £695 on weekdays or £795 at weekends, and a two-hour session extends from there with extra half-hours at £100 each. A 30-minute midweek mini is £525, though longer sessions suit big groups better. A £175 deposit secures your date.
-
Your full gallery of professionally edited digital images is delivered within 10 to 14 days, through a private online gallery the whole family can download and share, wherever in the world they live.
-
Yes! For large family groups at Christmas, my preferred location is Covent Garden: the Christmas displays are spectacular and there's room for a big group to spread out. Christmas dates are limited and go early, so book as soon as your travel plans are set.
-
For UK families, yes. Big birthday gatherings and milestone celebrations photographed in the comfort of your own home are a relaxed alternative to a location shoot, and lovely for grandparents and little ones alike.