The Complete Guide to
Family Photography
Celebrating the People, Personalities and Connections That Make Your Family Yours
Families are always changing.
Children grow, relationships evolve and the people sitting around your table today will not always look quite the same. That is one of the reasons family photography matters so much. It isn't simply about getting everyone looking at the camera at the same time. It is about preserving the people you are together, the relationships between you and the personalities that make your family completely unique.
At MANAWA, family sessions are relaxed, guided and designed to create a full volume of work rather than just one photograph of everyone standing together.
There will be beautiful portraits of the whole family, but there will also be photographs of individuals, couples, siblings and different generations. The result is a collection that tells a much fuller story of your family.
If you're wondering what to expect, what to wear or what happens if your children aren't particularly keen on having their photograph taken, here's everything you need to know.
Who Is a Family Photography Session For?
Family photography at MANAWA is for families of all ages and stages.
Parents and children, teenagers, grandparents, siblings, extended whānau and multiple generations can all be included.
Whether you're celebrating a growing family, bringing everyone together for a generational portrait or simply realising that you haven't had a beautiful photograph of everyone together for far too long, the session can be shaped around your family.
There is one important distinction if you have a newborn.
If you would like detailed individual newborn portraits, your baby will need a dedicated Newborn Photography Session, as newborn photography requires a different approach, pace and environment.
A family session can absolutely include your newborn as part of the family photographs, but the focus is on the family together, rather than a full newborn portrait experience.
Why Family Photography Is About More Than One Group Photograph
When you think about family photographs, you might immediately picture everyone standing together. Of course, we will create that photograph. But it is only one part of your story. During a family session, I create a mixture of:
Individual portraits
Mum and Dad or couple portraits
Sibling photographs
Parent and child portraits
Individual family relationships
Whole-family portraits
Generational photographs
All-female generational portraits
All-male generational portraits
For children over the age of two, I also like to create individual portraits that allow their own personality to come through. Because when you look back at your photographs years from now, you don't just want to remember what everyone looked like. You want to remember who they were.
Capturing the Characters Within Your Family
One of my favourite parts of creating a full collection of family photographs is seeing the different characters emerge. Perhaps Mum is elegant and quietly confident. Dad is the strong one—the man of the house. One child is lively, mischievous and always making everyone laugh, while another is quieter, more thoughtful and serious.
Those differences are what make a family.
I don't want every person photographed in exactly the same way. I want to see those individual characteristics within the finished collection. The photographs should feel like your family, rather than a collection of perfectly identical poses.
And when you put all of those photographs together, something quite special happens. You begin to see the relationships, similarities and little characteristics that make your family what it is.
How Long Does a Family Session Take?
Family sessions usually last around two to three hours. That might sound like a long time compared with a traditional family photoshoot, but there is a reason for it. I don't want to rush through your family simply to get everyone photographed.
There are multiple people, different relationships and different combinations to capture, and I want everyone to have the opportunity to be photographed properly.
We also allow time for changing clothes, refreshments, children needing a little break and those moments when we simply need to pause. The aim is to create a relaxed experience while still producing a substantial collection of photographs.
What Happens When You Arrive?
Family sessions don't usually require the same amount of settling time as photographing a newborn or Little Sitter, particularly when older children are involved. But that doesn't mean we rush straight into posing everyone.
We'll have a chat, get everyone comfortable and talk through the session. I'll begin with gentle direction and simple portraits, allowing everyone to become familiar with me and the way I work.
For anyone who feels nervous about being photographed, I often begin with individual portraits that don't require you to look directly at the camera. Looking away, natural movement and relaxed posing can be much easier than immediately being told to smile.
I'll show you some of the photographs as we go, just as I do during my other sessions, and that often helps people relax because they can see how good they already look. Before long, the camera simply becomes part of the experience.
What About Grandparents and Extended Whānau?
They are very welcome. In fact, generational photography can become some of the most meaningful artwork you own. We can photograph grandparents with their grandchildren, different generations together, all the women in the family and all the men in the family, alongside the complete group.
These photographs preserve relationships that can be impossible to recreate later. A photograph of three generations together isn't simply a portrait. It becomes a record of where your family came from and who it is becoming.
Relaxed Doesn't Mean Unposed
Family photography doesn't have to mean choosing between beautiful posing and natural photographs. I use guided posing with natural flair. I'll give you direction so you know where to stand, how to position yourselves and what we're creating, but I also encourage conversation and interaction.
You might tell a funny family story. You might laugh together. There might be a little tickling. You might talk about something that happened earlier that day. These little interactions create genuine expressions and emotion without asking everyone to manufacture a smile.
The photographs remain beautifully considered, while the people within them still feel like themselves.
What If My Children Won't Behave?
This is probably one of the biggest concerns parents have before a family session. And I completely understand why. But please don't spend the morning beforehand telling your children that they must behave for the photographer.
It usually creates far more pressure than we need. Children are children. If someone isn't cooperating, I have a few tricks. Sometimes I'll ask them to become my assistant while I'm photographing Mum and Dad. Suddenly, instead of being told to stand still and smile, they're given an important job.
Children often respond incredibly well when they're trusted and treated like a little adult.
They might help me with something, watch what I'm doing or simply become curious about what is happening. Gradually, they relax.
And once they're comfortable, we can bring them back into the photographs naturally.
Sometimes they even become so involved that they forget they were ever reluctant to be photographed.
What If They Still Won't Join In?
Occasionally, despite everything we try, a child simply isn't ready. That's okay. We don't allow one difficult moment to stop the entire session. If they are willing to participate in some photographs but not others, we'll continue with the rest of the family. Perhaps we photograph Mum and Dad. Then siblings. Then grandparents. Then different generations.
We can complete everything that works on the day and, if necessary, arrange another session for the photographs your little one wasn't ready for. Sometimes having other family members around helps enormously too. A child who won't cooperate for Mum may suddenly be perfectly happy to pose for Great-Grandad or Grandma. There is always another way.
What Should We Wear?
Styling is an important part of creating beautiful family photographs. I recommend choosing clothing that complements one another rather than matching exactly. Think about colours that sit beautifully together and create harmony when your family members are photographed side by side.
I've created a dedicated MANAWA Styling Guide to help you with this, including guidance on colours and how to bring different outfits together.
I also recommend bringing two changes of clothing. One can be chosen specifically for your individual and couple portraits, while the second can be styled for the larger family and group photographs. If you're unsure about what works together, don't worry. We can talk through your choices before the session.
The most important thing is that you feel comfortable and that the clothing feels like you.
What Should We Bring?
You don't need to arrive with a suitcase full of props. The focus of a family session should always be the people within it. However, if there is something meaningful you'd like to include, you're very welcome to bring it. Perhaps there is a family heirloom, a favourite object or something that represents your family.
If you have something in mind, mention it when we're planning your session and we'll work out where it might fit naturally.
Why I Ask Parents to Trust Me
This is one of the most important things I can say before a family session. You don't need to control everything. In fact, I would much rather you didn't. It can be incredibly tempting when your child isn't listening to say: "Come here." "Look at the camera." "Smile." "Stand still."
But when everyone is giving directions at once, children can become overwhelmed and the atmosphere changes. Your job is to enjoy your family. My job is to direct the photography. Trust me to guide everyone through the session, even when it might feel like I'm doing something slightly unexpected. Sometimes what looks like chaos from behind the camera is actually the moment I'm waiting for.
There Is Time to Breathe
Two to three hours gives us something that a rushed session doesn't: time There are refreshments and a light snack available, and there is a changing area if anyone needs it. Children can have a break. Adults can take a breath. Clothing can be changed. And we can continue without everyone feeling as though we're watching the clock.
That time is particularly valuable when photographing multiple generations because there are simply more people, more relationships and more stories to capture.
What I Love About Family Photography
While family sessions can certainly keep me busy, there is something incredibly special about seeing the finished collection. You begin to notice the similarities. The expressions. The mannerisms. The laughter. The way someone looks at someone else.
The relationships that have been built over years.Sometimes you can see a parent's personality reflected in their child. Sometimes siblings could not be more different. Sometimes a grandparent's expression tells you everything about the relationship they have with their grandchildren. That is what I want your photographs to preserve. Not just faces. Connection.
Your Family Is Always Becoming
There is no such thing as the finished version of a family. Children grow. Parents change. Grandparents become older. New relationships are formed. And before you know it, the family photograph you once thought you could take "any time" becomes the photograph you wish you had.
You don't need a special occasion. You don't need everyone to be perfectly behaved.
You don't need to wait until the house is tidy, the children are older or life becomes less busy. Because life doesn't really become less busy. Your family simply keeps becoming.
A family photography session gives you the chance to stop for a few hours, be together, and preserve this particular version of your family exactly as it is today.
The laughter. The personalities. The relationships. The people you love.
Because every chapter deserves to be remembered.
About the Author
Emma is the photographer and founder behind MANAWA, based in Auckland, New Zealand. With over 20 years' experience photographing maternity, newborn, and family sessions, she is an award-winning photographer through the International Newborn Photography Competition and Awards (INPCA) and a regular contributing photographer for Bump, Baby & Beyond magazine. Emma's work is bold, soulful, and editorial — creating images designed to help every child feel they truly belong.
