The Woods family’s extended family session took place out at Hollybank at the end of April, just as the autumn leaves were starting to turn.

It was already looking beautiful and golden out there, with so much colour beginning to come through the trees. I think it was probably about a week or two away from being at its absolute peak, but even then, Hollybank had that magical autumn feeling that makes outdoor family photography in Northern Tasmania so special.

This session had been a long time coming, which made it feel even more meaningful.

Meet the Family:

Raylene and Rob were the Nana and Grandad at the centre of this session. Their children, Kate and Adam, had bought Raylene a gift voucher a few years ago — possibly for her birthday or Christmas — and Raylene had actually tried to organise these family portraits around a year ago.

At the time, it was just before I went on maternity leave with Casey, so we decided to put everything on hold. And now, finally, we made it happen.

Raylene and Rob were joined by their daughter Kate, her husband Darren, and their daughter Ruby, who was six. Their son Adam was also there with his wife Maree and their two boys, Finn and Elliot, who were almost seven and ten.

This was one of those extended family photography sessions where the plan had to stay very flexible.

Kate had been very honest with me at the planning appointment. She told me straight away that she hated having her photo taken, that she would be there because her mum wanted her to be, but she was not going to love the experience.

And honestly? I appreciate that kind of honesty. Not everyone walks into family photos feeling excited and confident. Some people would rather be anywhere else, and part of my job is to work with that gently, without making the whole thing feel worse.

Ruby was a little bit cut from the same cloth. She was not quite as firm in her feelings as Kate, but she definitely needed time to warm up. For a big part of the session, all she wanted was Nana.

So we started in a way I normally wouldn’t. Instead of beginning with each smaller family, I photographed Raylene and Rob with the three grandkids first, because Ruby was happiest when she was close to Raylene. From there, we worked our way through the rest of the combinations.

Finn and Elliot brought a very different kind of energy. They were busy, funny, and kept trying to photobomb the photos, which made everything feel lively in the best way.

Some of my favourite parts of this session were the little real-life moments that showed everyone exactly as they were.

Raylene and Rob with their grandkids felt especially important, because that was really the heart of the session. I also loved that we could get each of the grandkids individually, each smaller family together, and the whole family group at Hollybank surrounded by the beginning of those golden autumn colours.

And then there is the photo of Raylene and Rob with their two children, with Ruby’s cranky little face right on the edge of the frame. Honestly, I think that is going to be one of those images that gets funnier and more precious over time, because it tells the truth of the day so perfectly.

At the viewing appointment, Raylene chose a memory box of 12 matted prints.

Her box included one portrait of each grandchild, each individual family, Raylene and Rob together, Raylene and Rob with their children, Raylene and Rob with the grandkids, and the whole family together.

A memory box was such a lovely choice for this kind of session because extended family photos often tell more than one story. There are the big group photos, of course, but there are also the smaller relationships within the family — grandparents with grandchildren, parents with children, siblings, cousins, and all the little combinations that matter.

Printed family photos like these become something easy to hold, look through, share, and keep.

This Woods family session was beautiful, a little bit chaotic, very real, and exactly the kind of family photography that reminds me why these photos matter.

Not everyone has to love being photographed. Kids do not need to be perfectly cooperative. The session does not need to unfold exactly as planned.

Sometimes the best thing we can do is work with the family in front of us, keep things relaxed, and make space for the real personalities to come through.

If you have been thinking about organising extended family photos in Launceston or Northern Tasmania, you are very welcome to get in touch. We can start with a planning appointment and work through who needs to be photographed, where your session might happen, and what you would love to do with the photos afterwards.