Absolutely.
In fact, some of the most meaningful family sessions I photograph include grandparents.
While parents often book family photos to capture their children as they are right now, these sessions become even more valuable when multiple generations are involved. They tell a bigger story—one of family history, connection, and the people who helped shape the lives of your children.
Years from now, your children won’t just see photographs of themselves. They’ll see the way their grandparents looked at them, held them, laughed with them, and loved them.
Those moments quickly become priceless.
Why Include Grandparents in Family Photos?
Life moves quickly.
Children grow. Families change. Grandchildren get older. Grandparents get older too.
Family photographs are one of the few ways we can preserve those relationships exactly as they are today.
Many parents tell me they book family photos for their children, but later realise some of their favourite images are the ones that include grandparents.
The quiet cuddle.
A hand held while walking along the beach.
A shared laugh.
A grandparent looking at their grandchild with pure pride.
These are the photographs that often become family treasures.
What Happens During an Extended Family Session?
One concern families often have is whether including grandparents will make the session feel complicated.
The answer is not at all.
My approach remains relaxed and child-led, just as it would during any family session.
We’ll capture a variety of combinations throughout the session, including:
- The whole family together
- Individual family units
- Grandparents with all grandchildren
- Grandparents with individual grandchildren
- Sibling groups
- Parents with their children
- Natural interactions and candid moments
There’s no expectation for children to sit perfectly still or smile at the camera the entire time.
Instead, I guide everyone into situations that encourage genuine connection and natural interaction.
I usually get you to write a list of most important family combinations and then everything else is a bonus.
Family Photos Become More Valuable Over Time
One thing I’ve noticed over the years is that the value of family photographs often increases with age.
The images that feel important today become even more meaningful ten, twenty, or thirty years from now.
This is especially true when grandparents are included.
Photographs have a way of preserving everyday moments that we don’t realise we’ll miss one day.
The way someone smiled.
The way they held your child’s hand.
The way they looked at the people they loved.
These details become part of your family’s story.
Why Albums Are the Perfect Way to Preserve Multi-Generational Memories
When grandparents are included in a session, I often encourage families to consider a keepsake album.
While digital files are wonderful to have, albums create an entirely different experience.
They allow your family story to be held, shared, and enjoyed together.
Children love sitting with grandparents and turning pages filled with memories.
Grandparents love having something tangible they can keep on a coffee table rather than hidden away on a hard drive.
And unlike a single framed photograph, an album allows you to preserve every important relationship from the session.
The cuddles.
The laughter.
The portraits.
The tiny moments in between.
It’s often impossible to choose just one favourite image from a multi-generational session, which is exactly why albums become such a meaningful way to tell the complete story.
The Gift Future Generations Will Treasure
Family photographs aren’t just for us.
They’re for our children.
And one day, for their children too.
Including grandparents in your family photos creates a visual record of your family’s history that future generations will never be able to recreate.
It’s a chance to preserve not only what your family looked like, but what it felt like to be together.
And that’s something truly worth holding onto.
If you’ve been considering updating your family photos, don’t wait for the perfect time.
The most meaningful family photographs are often the ones that capture everyone exactly as they are right now.
If you are looking for a family photographer in Cairns, I’d love to be considered. You can contact me here or see here for more information.
