Family photographs become increasingly valuable as children grow, families change and opportunities to bring everyone together become less frequent.
This autumn family photoshoot at Dalkeith Country Park brought children, parents and grandparents together for a relaxed outdoor session. Rather than photographing only one household, we created a varied collection celebrating the wider family and the relationships shared across several generations.
With its mature trees, open spaces and warm autumn colours, Dalkeith Country Park provided a beautiful natural setting close to Edinburgh. During the session, I photographed the complete extended family, grandparents with their grandchildren, individual households and relaxed moments involving the children.
If you are considering your own extended-family session, this gallery shows what can be achieved during a natural family photography session in Edinburgh and the surrounding areas.
Family Photography Across Several Generations
Photographing a large family requires a slightly different approach from working with one couple or a single household.
Bring the Whole Family Together
Create a lasting collection of photographs featuring the people who matter most. Family sessions can include grandparents, children, individual households and the complete extended family.
Everyone needs to be included without making the experience feel overly formal or repetitive. It is also important to create photographs that will remain meaningful to different members of the family—not only one complete group portrait.
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During this session, I began by photographing everyone together before moving on to smaller family combinations.
An extended-family photoshoot can include:
- The complete extended family
- Grandparents with all their grandchildren
- Grandparents with their adult children
- Individual households
- Parents with their children
- Siblings together
- Cousins together
- Individual portraits of the children
- Natural interactions between different generations
Creating these different combinations gives each part of the family photographs they can display and enjoy. It also produces a more complete record of the relationships shared across the group.
Why Dalkeith Country Park Works for Family Photography
Dalkeith Country Park offers approximately 1,000 acres of parkland, walking routes and natural surroundings only a few miles from Edinburgh.
For an outdoor family photoshoot, the park provides plenty of room for children to move around while offering a varied natural background for portraits.
The location worked particularly well for this large family because we were not restricted to a small or crowded space. Everyone could stand comfortably for the complete group photograph, while the surrounding trees and open landscape gave the images a warm, relaxed appearance.
The natural setting also helped the session feel more like time spent together outdoors than a formal studio appointment.
Dalkeith Country Park provides:
- Open areas suitable for larger family groups
- Mature trees and woodland scenery
- Natural textures including grass, leaves and fallen wood
- Space for children to move and interact
- Attractive seasonal colour
- Different backgrounds within the same general area
Staying within one part of the park also allowed us to move efficiently between family combinations without asking children or older relatives to walk unnecessary distances.
Capturing the Complete Extended Family
One of the most important photographs from this session brought the complete family together, including the grandparents, their adult children and the grandchildren.
Careful positioning is important when photographing a larger group. Everyone should be clearly visible, but the finished photograph should still feel connected and natural.
A fallen tree provided a useful setting for arranging people at different heights. The grandparents and children could sit comfortably while other family members stood behind them. This helped create a balanced composition without making the family look like several disconnected rows.
The warm autumn setting also complemented the family’s coordinated clothing, creating a seasonal portrait without the need for props or an artificial setup.
A complete group portrait often becomes the central image from a multi-generation session. It can be printed for the grandparents, displayed in several family homes or given to relatives as a meaningful gift.
Grandparents and Grandchildren
Photographs of grandparents with their grandchildren are often among the most valuable images created during an extended-family photoshoot.
Children change quickly, while opportunities to bring every grandchild together with their grandparents may be limited. Photographing them as a group creates a record of their relationship at this particular stage of family life.
Alongside an organised group portrait, I also look for natural interactions that help everyone feel comfortable. Not every photograph needs to involve people sitting still and looking directly at the camera.
Depending on the children’s ages and personalities, this part of the session can include:
- Grandparents sitting with their grandchildren
- Children gathered naturally around their grandparents
- Walking photographs
- Cuddles and conversations
- Grandparents interacting with individual children
- Relaxed moments between the organised portraits
These less structured photographs often reveal the warmth and character of the relationship.
Individual Families and Smaller Groups
After photographing the complete extended family, I divided the session into smaller groups.
This is an important part of a multi-generation photoshoot because each household receives its own portraits while also benefiting from having the wider family together at the same location.
Smaller combinations can include:
- Each couple with their children
- Parents with individual children
- Siblings together
- Adult brothers and sisters
- Cousins as a group
- Couples without the wider family
- Individual portraits
Photographing smaller groups also gives children a break from participating in every photograph. While one household is being photographed, the others can relax nearby before returning for another combination.
The aim is to create a broad and useful collection without making the experience feel like a long list of formal poses.
Relaxed Photographs of the Children
Children are not always interested in standing still and smiling on command—and they do not need to be.
An outdoor family photoshoot gives them room to move, explore and gradually become comfortable with the photographer. This often produces more genuine expressions than repeatedly asking them to pose.
At Dalkeith Country Park, the natural surroundings offered opportunities to photograph the children both individually and together.
The session included a mixture of:
- Short organised portraits
- Siblings and cousins sitting together
- Walking and movement
- Natural laughter and conversation
- Children interacting with parents or grandparents
- Quiet individual portraits
I allow children time to settle into the experience. If someone needs a short break, I can photograph another family combination and return to them later.
A successful family gallery should reflect the children’s personalities rather than expecting every photograph to look the same.
Natural Family Photography Without Stiff Posing
A large group requires some organisation, particularly when everyone needs to appear clearly in the same photograph. However, the entire session does not have to feel stiff or overly posed.
My approach combines carefully arranged group portraits with more relaxed interactions.
I provide clear direction when positioning the complete family, helping everyone understand where to stand or sit. Once the essential group photographs have been captured, the session can become more flexible.
Families can walk, talk, cuddle and interact naturally while I continue photographing.
This creates a finished gallery containing both:
- Organised portraits in which everyone is clearly visible
- Candid photographs showing genuine relationships and personalities
Both styles are valuable. The complete group portraits are ideal for printing and sharing across the family, while the candid photographs preserve the smaller moments that happened throughout the session.
What to Wear for an Autumn Family Photoshoot
This family coordinated their clothing without dressing identically.
The combination of cream, green, brown, burgundy and other neutral tones worked naturally with the autumn landscape. Everyone’s outfit remained individual, but the overall group still looked connected.
For a large family photoshoot, it is usually better to agree on a general colour palette than ask everyone to wear exactly the same thing.
Consider:
- Neutral and earthy colours
- Two or three complementary shades
- Comfortable clothing suitable for the location
- Layers for changing autumn weather
- Limited use of large logos
- Avoiding too many competing patterns
- Suitable footwear for grass and woodland paths
Comfort is especially important for children. If they feel cold or restricted by their clothing, it can become more difficult for them to relax during the session.
I am happy to discuss clothing and colour ideas before the photoshoot.
Planning a Large Family Photoshoot
A little preparation helps a multi-generation family session run smoothly.
Before the photoshoot, it is useful to provide:
- The total number of people attending
- The number and ages of the children
- Details of each household
- Any mobility considerations
- The family combinations that matter most
- Any particular photograph requested by a grandparent or relative
Using this information, I can prepare a simple order for the session.
We will normally begin with the complete family while everyone is together and attentive. We can then photograph the grandparents and grandchildren, individual households, couples, siblings and children.
Starting with the largest group also means that older relatives or young children do not necessarily have to remain for every part of the session.
When Should You Arrange an Extended-Family Photoshoot?
You do not need to wait for a major occasion to bring everyone together.
A family photoshoot can be arranged to celebrate:
- A grandparent’s birthday
- A wedding anniversary
- A family reunion
- Relatives visiting Edinburgh
- A new baby joining the family
- A Christmas or birthday gift
- Several generations being together at the same time
- A family holiday in Scotland
Families visiting the city can also arrange an Edinburgh vacation photoshoot to create professional photographs while relatives are together in Scotland.
The photographs become a record of your family as it is now.
Children will grow, relationships will develop and family circumstances will change. Creating these photographs today means the memories can be shared across different generations in the future.
Family Photography Near Edinburgh
Dalkeith Country Park is a strong choice for families looking for a spacious outdoor setting close to Edinburgh.
However, every family has different requirements. Some may prefer a central Edinburgh location, a historic setting, a quiet park or somewhere with a personal connection.
My family sessions can be adapted around:
- The number of people attending
- The ages of the children
- Accessibility requirements
- Preferred scenery
- The season
- The type of photographs you want to create
You can view more examples and explore the available options on my Edinburgh family photography page.
Planning Your Own Family Photoshoot?
Whether you want photographs of one household or several generations together, I can help you plan a relaxed session that includes the combinations most important to your family.
Tell me how many people will attend, the children’s ages and whether you already have a preferred location.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Family sessions can include grandparents, adult children, grandchildren, individual households and the complete extended family.
Yes. Dalkeith Country Park offers open spaces and natural scenery suitable for complete group portraits and relaxed photographs of children. The meeting point can be agreed before the session.
Lucas’s current family photography packages provide between 1.5 and three hours of coverage, depending on the selected package. The most suitable length depends on the number of people, the children’s ages, the requested family combinations and whether more than one location is involved.
Yes. A multi-generation session can include the complete family, grandparents with their grandchildren, individual households, siblings, cousins and other requested combinations.
Yes. After photographing the complete extended family, time can be used to photograph individual households, couples, parents with their children and other smaller groups.
Coordinate complementary colours rather than asking everyone to wear identical outfits. Neutral, earthy and warm shades work particularly well with autumn scenery. Comfortable layers and suitable outdoor footwear are recommended.
Children are given time to settle into the session. I combine short organised portraits with movement and natural interaction so the finished gallery reflects their personalities.
Use the contact page to provide your preferred date, the number of people attending, the children’s ages and your chosen location. Lucas can then discuss the most appropriate package and session plan.
