Why you need a family photo for Grandparents in your gallery
Let’s get one thing straight: I’m a documentary family photographer.
That means no stiff poses, no awkward “say cheese,” and definitely no fake smiles. I won’t line you up in front of a white wall and ask your kids to behave and smile.
What I do love is something else entirely: real-life moments. Genuine connection. The messy, beautiful chaos of everyday family life. The way your child reaches for your hand. The dog curled up in the middle of the living room. The half-eaten toast, the scattered crayons, the mundane moments you’ll miss one day.
But even in the most natural, unposed sessions… I always make space for one simple image, the “family photo for Grandparents”.
One where everyone is together, looking at the camera, and smiling. Why?
Because of Grandma.
The one photo she understands and treasures
That classic photo, where you’re all facing the lens, smiling, is the one image that will mean the world to her. It’s the kind of family photo grandparents love, the one they immediately recognise as “the photo.”
It’s the one they want to frame and place on the mantelpiece. The one they proudly pull out to show friends. The one that says, “That’s my family.”
She might not totally “get” the idea of documentary photography. My own mom would always ask me if I had any “real” photos of the kids instead, if I tried to send her cute candids.
She might wonder why you’d want a photo of your toddler having lunch or your baby chewing on a slipper.
But when she sees all of you, smiling at the camera, in one frame?
She lights up.
That’s her family. That’s the photo she’ll show to anyone who’ll look.
It’s just one photo, and takes less than a minute
I know you value honest, candid photos. You chose documentary photography because you don’t want the fake smiles, the stiff poses, the matching outfits you would never do in everyday life.
You want your family photographed as it really is.
I’m totally with you.
But here’s the thing: the smiling photo—the “Grandma photo”—is just one picture. It takes less than a minute in your 1.5-hour session. No big setup, no stress. Just a brief pause in the flow of your life. I will find a good spot and snap that picture in no time!
We take the shot, and then we’re back to reading stories, baking muffins, or chasing your toddler through the house.
And in that short moment, we’ve created something that will deeply matter to someone else, someone special.
To the person who might not be in the photo, but who loves you all fiercely from a step back.
A classic is a classic for a reason
The smiling, everyone-looking photo might not be the one you hang in your hallway or post on Instagram. It might not be the one that makes you tear up when you first see your gallery.
But over time, you might be surprised at how much it comes to mean to you.
There’s a reason this type of photo has lasted through generations.
It’s simple, clear, timeless.
It shows everyone together.
This might be the image your kids point to years from now, saying, “That’s us when I was little.”
It might be the photo that goes into albums, slideshows, and family trees.
The one that stays.
It’s always optional, but always offered
Of course, if that kind of photo doesn’t resonate with you, we skip it, simple as that.
Your session is entirely built around you, your rhythm, your values, your home, your comfort.
There’s no pressure, ever, to include something that doesn’t feel right.
But if you do want it, even just for Grandma (or Grandpa, or Great-Aunt Nora…), I’ll always happily make space for it.
It’s a small, quiet way of honouring those who love you and have watched your family grow from the sidelines.
And it will never get in the way of the authenticity and spontaneity of your session.
It’s not about a perfect shot, it’s about connection
We’re not trying to get the perfect frame. We’re pausing, just for a moment, to show that you were there, together.
Because the one family photo for grandparents isn’t about flawless styling or perfectly behaved children.
It’s about giving someone a window into your world, one that feels familiar to them.
That moment where your whole family is in one photo, smiling at the same time?
It may be fleeting, but it carries weight.
And years from now, you might be glad you took it.
Want your gallery to include both real moments and one photo for Grandma?
Let’s create a collection of photos that feel like you, honest, joyful, full of love, and maybe just one little frame for the people who’ll cherish it most.
Learn more about my documentary family sessions and get in touch with me! I can’t wait to meet you.
