The Bourne Family - Family Photography Session at Home in Evandale, Tasmania

Jacqui and Ashley’s family photography session took place at their home in Evandale, under the big tree in their front yard — and it was one of those afternoons that just felt easy.

With their adult children, Alistair (21) and Zoe (19, home from uni in Brisbane for Christmas), it was such a lovely change of pace. No chasing toddlers, no negotiating snacks, no trying to convince anyone to look at the camera for half a second. Just relaxed conversation, a bit of laughter, and time to move through all the different combinations without anyone feeling rushed.

It was calm, comfortable, and genuinely enjoyable.

Meet the Family

Jacqui and Ashley are at that beautiful stage of family life where the kids are grown, but everyone still comes home.

Alistair is 21, and Zoe is 19 and currently studying in Brisbane — so having her home for Christmas made this session feel even more meaningful. These windows where everyone is under the same roof again don’t happen as often as they used to.

And of course, we had to include their dog for a few photographs too. Because if they’re part of the family (which they always are), they belong in the photos.

We photographed everything right there at home in Evandale, under the big tree in their front yard.

There’s something special about photographing families in their own space. It immediately feels more relaxed. No one’s navigating a new location or worrying about where to stand. It’s familiar. It’s theirs.

With grown-up kids, the rhythm of the session is completely different. Instead of high energy and quick reflexes, it’s more about subtle connection. A shoulder lean. A quiet laugh. The way parents still instinctively stand slightly closer to their children.

We moved through all the combinations:

• Jacqui and Ashley together
• Each parent with each child
• Alistair and Zoe together
• The full family
• And then the whole crew including the dog

Because there was no rushing or wrangling, we had the space to really refine each grouping. Small adjustments. Natural expressions. Nothing forced.

It’s a reminder that family photography isn’t just for families with little kids. It matters just as much — sometimes even more — when the children are grown.

There’s something particularly powerful about photographing adult siblings together.

The image of Alistair and Zoe side by side has this beautiful mix of maturity and familiarity. You can see who they’ve become — but you can also see the shared history between them.

And the full family portrait under the tree feels grounded and solid. Four adults who genuinely enjoy being together.

Adding their dog into one of the family images brought a little bit of personality and movement — and those are often the photographs that feel the most “them” when they look back on this season.

At their viewing appointment, Jacqui chose a 30-inch quintet canvas wall collection.

The main, larger canvas features a photograph of the whole family together — the anchor image.

Surrounding it are four 9x9 canvases:

• Alistair on his own
• Zoe on her own
• The two of them together
• Another full family image including their dog

It’s such a thoughtful combination.

It allows Jacqui to celebrate her children as individuals, honour their sibling relationship, and still have that strong central image of the whole family.

While I was at their home in Evandale for the session, I also photographed the wall Jacqui was planning to hang the artwork on. That means when she came in for her viewing appointment, I was able to show her the different layout options to scale — right on her own wall.

Instead of guessing about sizing or spacing, she could see exactly how each arrangement would look in her space before making a decision.

Canvas collections work beautifully for this stage of life because they tell a fuller story. Not just “this is our family” — but “this is who we are right now.”

And seeing that displayed every day in their home will feel very different to having the files sitting on a hard drive somewhere.

Photographing families with adult children is always such a privilege.

These sessions are less about chaos and more about presence. About recognising that even though everyone is older, busier, and building their own lives, they’re still very much a family.

If you’ve been thinking about updating your family photos — especially while everyone is home — you don’t need to overthink it.

It can be simple. It can be relaxed. And I’ll guide you through the whole process, from planning to choosing artwork for your home.

Because these seasons don’t last forever. And they’re worth seeing on your walls.