The Dobson Family - Extended Family Shoot at Grindlewald, Tasmania
A few months ago Simone contacted me to photograph her family. The entire extended family were coming together for a week from all over the state to celebrate her parents-in-law’s 40th wedding anniversary, and she wanted a photographer to capture the family.
She told me that their family was complete, in terms of grandchildren for Mary and Neville and thought it would be a great surprise for them to help celebrate their anniversary.
With 15 humans in total it was one of the largest family groups I have ever photographed. And it was a ball! I had the adults helping me make the kids smile, and the kids helping me make the adults smile and even though it was such a large group, it felt so easy.
This was the first time I’d photographed at Grindlewald so I arrived a little early to scope out the perfect location! when I found the decked picnic area by the lake I was ecstatic, it really was the perfect background for these images (and we only had to wait for folks using the paddle boats to get out of the background once!)
Normally I’m not one to focus on the “sitting and smiling at the camera” type posing, but I knew it was the type of images that Mary and Neville would love, so I chose to focus on that sort of imagery and try to sprinkle a little more candid images in amongst it. This is one of the reasons I always insist on a preshoot consult, it’s really important to me that I get to know my clients and can plan the type of shoot and images they’re after, because a photoshoot can go so many different ways but if I have a clear vision in my mind while shooting I can create the family portraits that you were hoping for and that you’ll LOVE!
