The Sondergeld Family — Extended Family Session at Home
This session was a big one — the kind that’s equal parts beautiful, chaotic, exhausting, and completely worth it.
Andrea and David gathered their entire family together for an extended family session here in Launceston, including their three adult children, partners, four little grandkids, and two very loved dogs. We had originally planned to head out to Hollybank, but the weather had other ideas. Instead of calling it off, we shifted gears and brought everything back to their home — and honestly, it suited them perfectly.
Meet the Family:
Andrea and David are the heart of this family. Their three adult children — Georgia, Molly, and Harry — were all there with their partners, along with four grandkids ranging from three months old to freshly two.
And of course, Elsie and Benson made sure they were included too.
What I loved most was how clearly connected they all are. Loud, warm, overlapping conversations. Babies being passed around. Someone always laughing. It felt full — in the best way.
The Session Story:
Tasmanian weather doesn’t always cooperate, and that Saturday was one of those days. With heavy rain rolling in, we made the call to photograph everyone at home instead.
Their house isn’t huge — especially not for that many people — but that’s never really the point. With a bit of furniture shuffling (yes, I moved the couch to chase the best window light) and some flexibility, we created space where we needed it.
We moved between the deck when the rain eased and inside near the windows when it didn’t. Natural light, quick resets, deep breaths.
The session started at 3pm, which meant the little ones were very aware it was late in the day. Theo, the eldest, found the crowd overwhelming and wasn’t overly interested in participating. Macie had very strong opinions about who was allowed to hold her (mostly Mum… definitely not Dad). Rowan had fallen asleep in the car and woke up unsure about life in general. And baby Henry? The calmest little soul in the room.
This is exactly why extended family photography isn’t about perfect behaviour.
It’s about reading the room.
It’s about patience.
It’s about knowing when to push through and when to pivot.
There was singing. There was dancing. There were ridiculous noises coming from behind my camera that I’m very glad nobody filmed.
And despite the chaos, we captured everything we needed — each individual family, Andrea and David with their children, Andrea and David with their grandkids, the full extended family together, and of course the dogs.
Favourite Images:
Large family sessions often require a little extra behind-the-scenes magic. Sometimes that means blending expressions so everyone looks their best. Sometimes it means grabbing the split second where everything aligns.
What you see in the final images looks calm and connected.
What you don’t see is the teamwork it took to get there.
I particularly loved the quieter frames — Andrea and David sitting with their grandkids close, tiny hands wrapped around fingers, that softness grandparents have when they look at their family. Those are the images that will matter more and more as time moves on.
I also loved photographing each smaller family unit on their own. These weren’t just extended family photos — they were individual family portraits too, ready to live in four different homes.
Artwork Choice:
The viewing appointment reflected the size of the session — it was essentially four viewings in one.
Andrea and David chose a custom canvas wall collection of 13 pieces. We began with a nine-piece layout and added four additional canvases so each grandchild had their own dedicated artwork. It’s going to look incredible on their large wall — a full visual story of their family right now.
They also selected a 10×10, 30-page album filled with their favourite images. Albums are such a practical way to hold onto lots of moments without needing endless wall space.
Georgia and Jake chose a Quintet canvas collection, a hero 20x30" canvas surrounded by four 9×9 canvases of their own little family — artwork that will grow more meaningful every year.
Molly and Reese selected three framed prints — one 20×14 and two 10×14 — and Molly added a small ice tile for her bedside table.
Ash and Harry chose three small matted prints and one larger piece. With another baby on the way, they wanted something meaningful now while leaving space for the next chapter of their family story.
Every family made decisions that suited their home, their season of life, and their budget — and that’s exactly how it should be.
Wrap-Up:
Extended family photography in Launceston often comes with a little unpredictability — weather, toddlers, space constraints — but it also comes with something really special.
A whole family, together, in one place.
This session wasn’t quiet or perfectly polished. It was real. And now Andrea and David have their walls filled with proof of this stage of life — not a filtered version of it, but the genuine, connected, slightly chaotic version that makes their family theirs.
If organising something like this feels overwhelming, you don’t have to have it all figured out. That’s my job. I’ll walk you through it, step by step.
