Sarasota large & extended family photographer
Large and extended family photographer in Sarasota
Everyone in the frame, and everyone on their own. Three generations, four households, one hour on the beach. Large families start at $410 for six people, and your exact number is on this page before you book.
What it costs
Most large families land between $550 and $900
That is the hour on a weekday for roughly nine to fifteen people. The exact number depends on how many of you come, so count everyone who will be in the photos, babies included, and the panel shows the whole price before you commit to anything. Friday to Sunday evenings and holidays add $100 for a smaller group. From eight of you the extra shrinks, and from nine there is none: a big family pays the weekday price for the weekend light.
Your session
Family session
- Length
- 60 min
- Where
- Siesta Key
- People
- 5
I photograph every session myself. For a group this big you can also add a second photographer, for more angles at the same moment. It is optional, just ask.
Need to keep it under that? The thirty-minute mini session on Siesta Key is $270 for up to five of you, and each extra person adds $50, up to ten. More than that, or want a full hour, another beach, or more time for all the combinations? Take the family session: add everyone above, up to twenty, and the price updates as you go.
What families tell me before we start
If you are thinking one of these, you are in good company
“My dad hates having his picture taken.”
Most dads say so. He gets a few minutes with everyone at the start, then a grandchild in his arms instead of a pose. That is usually the photo the family keeps.
“Our two-year-old will not stand still.”
They do not have to. I photograph the little ones early, before the meltdown, and a toddler running at the water line is often the best frame of the hour.
“We have never had all of us in one photo.”
That one comes first, at the top of the hour, while everyone is still tidy and patient. Then every combination you care about.
“Grandma cannot walk far on sand.”
Tell me when you book. I pick an access with a short walk and firm ground, and I photograph the grandparents early, while they are fresh.
“I am always the one holding the phone.”
Not this time. You are in the photos with everyone else, and you get to watch your family instead of framing it.
“Nobody in our family knows how to pose.”
You do not need to. I tell you where to stand, and I tell you when to stop standing. Many of the best frames happen between the posed ones.
How I shoot a big family
The group photo is the first ten minutes. The rest of the hour is for you.
The full-group portrait is only the start. I photograph everyone together while the kids still have patience, then work through the grandparents, each household, couples, cousins and children. The goal is not one picture of fourteen people - it is a complete gallery where every part of the family gets photographed.
- First
Everyone together. The full group at the top of the hour, while the light is soft and nobody has wandered off yet.
- Then
The grandparents. With all the grandchildren, then with each one. This is usually the photo that ends up on a wall.
- Then
Each household. Every family on its own, the couples without the kids, the cousins as a pack, the siblings who have not been in one photo since school.
- Last
The children. By themselves, running, in the water. By now they have forgotten the camera, and that is the point.
Why an hour works
A large family is more than one group portrait. We move through the full group, grandparents, each household, couples and kids without rushing anyone. More people also means more combinations and more editing, so the calculator adjusts the price by group size.
The practical part
Which beach
Siesta Key from the small accesses, to the side of the busy stretch, is my first suggestion for ten to fourteen. Lido Key gives a big group two different backdrops in one hour. If you are all staying on Longboat Key, we shoot on your own stretch of sand. Anna Maria Island works too and adds $70 for the drive.
Grandparents and toddlers
Tell me who walks slowly and who is two years old. I pick the access with the short walk and firm ground, and I plan the order so the grandparents are photographed early and the toddler is photographed before the meltdown, not after.
Arriving
Come five to ten minutes early. I meet you at the water, not at the car, and with fourteen people a late start eats into the only light we have. I send the parking pin and the exact meeting point as soon as you book and pay the deposit, and with a group this size it helps if one person is in charge of getting everyone there.
What to wear
The sand here is bright white, so almost any color works. Solid white blends into it. You do not need to match, just avoid big logos. Beyond that, wear what feels like you: comfortable people photograph better than well dressed ones, every time.
From families this size
Yuriy was a wonderful photographer. We had a large group with lots of children and he worked great with them. He was very patient with us and was able to capture our whole group, all the way down to individual pictures. We would most definitely book him again on any future vacations.
Yuriy was wonderful to work with. There were 11 of us - 6 adults and 5 children, and he made the shoot easy and fun. He was very organized, kind, and professional. He captured every shot we were hoping for and so much more. Yuriy is truly talented!
Yuriy is fantastic! He was very professional, he got everyone involved and took amazing pictures. He really captured the essence of our family. We have a large group but he was able to be flexible with us and get amazing shots! We highly recommend him!
What big families ask me
Do we get photos of each family separately, or only the group?
Both, and that is the whole point of the hour. At least 85 finished photos for a group this size, more as the group grows, and most of them are the combinations: each household, the grandparents, the couples, the kids. Tell me what matters to you and I make sure it is in there.
Do babies count?
Yes. Count everyone who will be in the photos, including the baby. That is the number the price is built on, and the number I plan the hour around.
Can we do it in thirty minutes to save money?
Sometimes. The thirty-minute Mini on Siesta Key is $270 for up to five people, and each extra person adds $50, up to ten. If your group fits that, use the Mini calculator to see the exact price. For a larger group, another beach, or a full hour, use the Family session above.
Is this a family reunion?
Often it is. How I run a reunion session, the order of the groupings across generations and what to wear are on my family reunion photographer page.
More than twenty of you?
The panel above counts up to twenty. Past that I want to talk first, so with your dates and how many of you there are, and I will come back with a plan and a price.
What if someone is late or cannot come?
We start with whoever is there and fold the others in when they arrive. If the whole group is late, the time comes out of the session, because the light does not wait and the family after you is already on its way.
What if it rains?
Florida rain usually passes. If the evening is genuinely gone we move the date, and you do not lose the retainer because of weather.
Can we bring our dog?
Yes. I photograph families with dogs too. Because beach rules vary, contact me before choosing the location. Family photos with dogs
