My mum’s 82. I nearly didn’t have this photo.
My kids and I drove down to Mittagong for Mother’s Day to have lunch with my Mum and the whole family.
That includes my brother & sister, their kids and now my great niece and nephews.
It was one of those days where everyone’s talking over each other and nobody wants to leave.
I took a photo of Mum with her three great-grandchildren and my nephew. She’s 82. It hit me afterwards that if I hadn’t grabbed my camera at that moment, it wouldn’t exist.
That photo is the reason I’m writing this.
The photo most families overlook
I photograph families every week. Mum, Dad, kids, dogs. And I love it.
But there’s one photo I think most families are missing, and it’s the one with the grandparents.
We always think there’ll be more time. Next Christmas. Next birthday. Next time they visit.
And then one day the kids are grown and your parents are older and you realise you don’t have a single proper photo of everyone together.
Not a blurry one from across the table at a restaurant. Not a group shot where half the faces are cut off. A real one. One that shows the way your mum holds your child’s hand, or the way your dad looks at them when he thinks nobody’s watching.
Your parents won’t be here forever. I know that’s not a comfortable thing to say, but it’s true. And the photo of them with your children, or your grandchildren, is the one your family will treasure more than any other.
It doesn’t matter if your dad says he hates having his photo taken. It doesn’t matter if your mum says she’s not dressed up enough. Get the photo. You will never regret having it.
This is my mum. She’s 82, and these are three of her great-grandchildren & one of her grandsons.
Levi’s five, Laila’s two and the baby Mahmoud is just three weeks old.
Laila is her only great-granddaughter and my Mum is enamoured with her.
You can see it in this photo. The two of them are just looking at each other and it says everything.
I took this on Mother’s Day and I’m so glad I did. This is the photo that will matter in twenty years. Not the one of the food. Not the one of the view. This one.
Bring the whole family in
If you’ve been thinking about getting the extended family together for a session, I’d love to help you make it happen.
Grandparents, grown-up kids, grandchildren, the dog.
I’ve been doing this for 23 years and I know how to make it relaxed and easy, even with a big group.
Get in touch or call me on 0421 577 579 and let’s get your family in the studio together.
Cheers
Kate x
From one mum to another
Call your mum. Not a text. An actual phone call. It doesn’t matter if you spoke to her last week. Call her again. One day you won’t be able to and you’ll wish you had.
Planning a session like this?
Can grandparents join a family session?
Yes, and it’s one of my favourite sessions to photograph. Grandparents, grown-up kids, grandchildren and the dog are all welcome.
How big a group can you photograph?
My Gordon studio is 175sqm with three big arch windows, so there’s plenty of room for the whole family. I can fit a group of up to 25 people in the studio.
Is the studio easy for older grandparents to get to?
My studio is upstairs but there are railings for grandparents to hold on to. There's a landing halfway up the stairs so they can come up slowly.
See more families in my Family Portraits gallery, or book your session here.