There’s something special about extended family photography sessions.

I think one of the reasons I love them so much is that they feel like multiple mini photoshoots wrapped into one. Grandparents, siblings, cousins, individual family units, everyone has their own story to tell, and somehow they all come together to create one beautiful gallery.

From a photographer’s perspective, it keeps things exciting. No two moments are ever the same.

I really should do a behind-the-scenes video of one of these sessions someday.

I’ve been told that I appear calm during a photoshoot, but if I’m being honest, I often feel like a chicken running around without its head. Everything happens so quickly. These cousins are running circles around each other. Those siblings are laughing together. A baby is smiling from dad’s shoulders. Grandma is wiping sand off a little foot. Someone is telling a joke that has half the family doubled over laughing.

Snap, snap, snap.

The beach is constantly changing, and so is the energy of the people in front of me.

Then there are the moments when things go in the complete opposite direction.

Occasionally, a little one in the family I’m photographing just isn’t interested in having their photo taken at that moment. And honestly? That’s perfectly okay. One of the advantages of an extended family session is that there are always other combinations to photograph. I can pivot to another family group, capture grandparents with the grandchildren, photograph cousins together, and then circle back when that child has had a chance to reset.

Flexibility is everything.

Timing is another important part of these sessions. Small children have small attention spans, and the beach offers endless distractions. There are waves to chase, shells to collect, sand to dig in, and adventures waiting around every corner.

Rather than expecting children to stand still for long periods of time, I prefer to work with their natural rhythm. We spend a little time with one family, move to another, and then circle back again. The goal is to keep the experience light, enjoyable, and stress-free for everyone involved.

And, whenever possible, I try to photograph everyone before they become completely covered in sand.

Although, let’s be honest—there’s only so much success one can have with that on a Costa Rica beach.

By the time the session is over, I sometimes feel a little overwhelmed just thinking about everything that happened in the span of an hour.

But then comes my favorite part.

Almost every extended family session includes someone saying something like:

“Hopefully there are at least one or two decent ones.”

I always smile when I hear that.

Because I already know the gallery is going to be filled with beautiful moments.

Extended family sessions are often wonderfully chaotic in the very best way. Between the laughter, the movement, the unexpected moments, and the genuine connections, there is so much magic happening right in front of us.

Of course, I make sure to capture the classic family portraits that will look beautiful framed on the wall for years to come. But I also love documenting the playful interactions that tell the real story of your family—the cousins holding hands as they walk along the shoreline, grandparents sharing a quiet moment with their grandchildren, siblings laughing together, and children running freely along the beach.

Those candid moments often become the images families treasure most.

My goal is always the same: although we’re photographing one large extended family, I want each smaller family unit to walk away feeling as though the session was created specifically for them.

I want every family to have a collection of images that tells their story.

The result is a gallery filled with connection, personality, and memories that extend far beyond a single photograph.

And there is no better backdrop for those memories than the beautiful beaches of Costa Rica.