Planning an On-Location Extended Family Portrait Session In Orange County

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That photo above was taken at Lake Tahoe, four months before my dad died.

It was very unexpected. There was no warning, no declining health, no window to prepare. He worked out almost daily, ate healthier than anyone I knew. One day he was here, and then he wasn’t. What I have left is that session — my brothers, my parents, my nieces and nephews, my kids, all of us together on those rocks in the late afternoon light. I look at it and I can still feel that day. We had no idea this was the last time we would all be together at the same time.

I think about that session on every extended family consultation call I take. When someone reaches out about an extended family portrait, I know what it took to make that happen — the coordinating, the convincing, the getting everyone to show up. And I know what it means to have it when you need it.

Some people reach out because a loved one’s health is declining and they feel the urgency. Most people don’t get that kind of notice. I didn’t. What I’d tell anyone reading this is: the visit is reason enough. The family being in the same place at the same time is reason enough. You don’t need another one.

If you’re planning an on-location extended family session in Orange County, here’s exactly what that looks like.

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Where We Shoot: Locations That Work for Large Groups

Orange County and the surrounding coastline offer some of the most consistently beautiful outdoor portrait locations in California. Here’s how I think about each one.

San Clemente Beach This is my home. I know the light here, the tides, the time of year when the beach clears out and when it doesn’t. San Clemente gives you dramatic cliffs, wide stretches of sand, and a warmth in the late afternoon light that photographs beautifully. It works especially well for families that want something coastal without the crowds you’ll find further north.

Dana Point The bluffs at Dana Point offer a different look — more elevation, more drama, ocean as backdrop rather than setting. Good for families who want something graphic and timeless rather than barefoot-on-the-beach.

Laguna Beach Laguna has incredible texture — coves, rocks, tidepools, the kind of location variety that lets us move through different looks in a single session. It’s busier than San Clemente, so timing matters more here. It is also more treacherous getting down to the beach at most places so that is a thought for the older families as well.

Private Property and Backyards If you’re renting a vacation home or staying at a property with real outdoor space, that’s often the best option for extended families. The location already means something. The grandkids know the backyard. There’s shade, there’s familiarity, and we’re not competing with the public for space or light. I’ll visit the space prior to the session to get a lay of the land and a plan in place as well.

The Family Home Same logic as private property. If the family gathering is at someone’s home and there’s outdoor space to work with, shooting there adds a layer of meaning the images carry forever.

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How Golden Hour Works and Why It Matters for Large Groups

Golden hour is the hour before sunset. The light is low, warm, and soft in a way that flatters everyone in the frame — the grandmother, the teenagers, the adults who feel self-conscious in front of a camera. Harsh midday sun does the opposite. It casts shadows under eyes, flattens features, and makes everyone squint.

For large groups, golden hour matters even more because I don’t have the luxury of repositioning a single subject. When I’m working with twelve or fifteen people, the light has to do a lot of the work. I plan every on-location session around it.

What this means practically: your session will almost always be scheduled in the late afternoon, typically one to two hours before sunset depending on the time of year and the specific location. I’ll give you the exact start time when we confirm the date.

With large multi-generation family sessions I have a perfect San Clemente location. We’ll start out in a shaded wooded area and get all the different relationships and families before going down to the beach to get that epic, beautiful beach shot. This makes sure we get everything before we are racing against the sun at sunset.

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What Practical Planning Looks Like

Timing and tides For beach sessions, I check tide charts before confirming the date. Low tide gives us more beach to work with. High tide can cut off access to the best spots. This is handled before you ever think to ask about it.

Weather Southern California weather is reliable enough that cancellations are rare. If something genuinely unusual is happening — a June gloom that won’t lift, Santa Ana winds — we reschedule. The retainer moves with you. I don’t leave families without a solution.

What to tell everyone in advance Send this to your family before the session:

• Arrive five minutes early, not on time. We lose the light if we wait on stragglers.
• Wear what we confirmed during the consultation. No last-minute substitutions.
• Bring a light layer if it’s a beach or bluff location — it gets cool fast once the sun drops.
• Leave the dog at home unless we’ve specifically discussed it.
• Kids should be fed and rested. A hungry four-year-old at golden hour is a harder problem than it sounds.

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What to Wear for an Outdoor Session

Outdoor sessions call for a slightly different approach than studio sessions.

For beach and coastal locations, I lean into the environment. Linen, soft cotton, flowing fabrics in neutral or muted tones. Cream, white, soft blue, warm tan, dusty sage. These colors hold up beautifully in coastal light without competing with it. Avoid neon, avoid busy prints, avoid anything stiff or formal that will look out of place on sand or a bluff, unless that is the look we are going for and discussed prior to session during consultation.

For backyard or property sessions, you have more flexibility. The palette can be a little warmer, a little richer. Deep navy, olive, rust, warm white. The same rules apply: coordinate, don’t match. One anchor color, neutrals around it.

For all outdoor sessions: wear shoes you can walk in. Heels on a beach path are a problem I’ve seen more than once.

I consult on wardrobe before every session. If you want to send me a photo of what everyone is planning to wear, that’s what the consultation is for.

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How I Direct a Large Group Without Walls or Furniture

This is the question people don’t always think to ask, and it’s a real one.

In the studio, I have backdrops, posing surfaces, chairs, and a controlled environment that tells people roughly where to stand. Outdoors, especially on the beach there is none of that, unless we have a few extra hands to bring down some light stools. And with fifteen or more people in a frame, the difference between a photograph that looks intentional and one that looks like a group snapshot comes down almost entirely to the person behind the camera knowing what they’re doing before the shutter opens.

I direct. I tell people specifically where to stand, which way to turn, where to put their hands, where to look. I work through the full group first, then move into smaller configurations — generations, branches of the family, couples, individuals. I do not leave people to figure out where they belong in the frame. That is my job, and I’ve been doing it for 20 years.

What this means for you: nobody has to manage anyone the day of the session. You show up, I handle the rest.

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What the Experience Feels Like on Location

For the grandmother organizing this: The moment the session starts, her job is done. Everything she coordinated to get the family together in one place, dressed and present — that part is over. From here, I’m running it.

For the kids: Outdoor sessions give kids room to move, and I use that. I’m not always asking them to stand still and smile. I’m also finding the moment when they’re already doing something real — chasing a sibling, sitting on a rock, looking at the water — and I’m there for it.

For the adults who don’t love being photographed: The outdoor environment actually helps. There’s more to interact with, more to look at, more ways to be natural. People tend to relax faster outside than they do inside a studio.

For the reluctant grandfather: Same as every group I’ve ever photographed. He will be glad he did this. I’ve never had one tell me otherwise.

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The Honest Trade-Off: Studio vs. On Location

I do both, and I do them both well. Here’s the real difference.

The studio gives you control — consistent light, no weather variables, a timeless editorial quality that ages well on any wall. On-location gives you something else: a sense of place. When this family gathers at the Laguna Beach house every summer, those images carry that. When the family trip in Lake Tahoe trip, that setting becomes part of the portrait. You can’t replicate that in a studio, and you wouldn’t want to.

Neither is better. They’re different. The right choice depends on your family, your gathering, and what you want the images to hold.

I’m happy to talk through which fits your situation during the consultation.

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What You Walk Away With

After the session, we schedule an ordering and design appointment — typically within one to two weeks. You’ll see your images for the first time, and we’ll design wall art and albums together. Most extended families invest between $3,500 and $15,000, depending on how many households are receiving portraits and albums.

Full pricing is on the investment page.

If you’re weighing studio versus outdoor, you might also want to read what to expect from an in-studio extended family session before you decide.

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One More Thing

The families who book these sessions are not waiting for a reason. They already have one — the family is together, the grandkids are still small, the grandparents are healthy right now. That’s the reason.

Don’t wait for a better time. There isn’t one.

Book your extended family session here

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_{Julie Irene Photography is a luxury portrait studio in San Clemente, California. Julie photographs extended families on location throughout Orange County including San Clemente, Dana Point, Laguna Beach, Laguna Niguel, Newport Beach, Mission Viejo, Coto de Caza, Ladera Ranch, Aliso Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, and San Juan Capistrano.}