photo essay family reunion

How to Create a Family Photo Essay

A Post By: Miki DeVivo

The way your son wraps his little arms around your leg to hug you. The way your daughter leaves little notes for you around the house. How it feels to snuggle, dance, and play. His crooked smile. Her knobby knees. Eyelashes. Elbows. Ankles sticking out from socks.

As parents, these are the little moments that we live for, the ones that make our hearts swell, the ones that reflect the spirit of the people we hold most dear.

And yet, as photographers, these are the very moments that we tend to gloss over in their familiarity.

We’re drawn to that moment that makes us feel something. It’s often what leads us to pursue photography in the first place. Reminding ourselves why we love this art form so much, how it connects us to the world around us and brings our experiences to life, places it into a larger context.

Enter the family photo essay!

The family photo essay puts your technical know-how to work in service of telling an emotional and meaningful story.

You see articles on family life in parenting magazines, but in them everything and everyone looks so perfect and polished. And yet, you know that real life looks nothing like that. Your kids go to school with un-brushed hair, mismatched socks, and cream cheese on their faces. Your floors need sweeping, your dishes need washing, and your laundry needs folding.

And that’s ok. That’s real. That’s true. That’s you. You don’t need to vacuum the carpet in order to find beauty in your everyday life. In many ways, the most important story is the perfectly imperfect one you live every day.

Turning your lens toward home to create a photo essay of your family allows you to capture not only what you look like, but also what it feels like to be you, belonging to your family, at this moment in time. And in this way, you can literally show your loved ones just how much they mean to you.

There are three stages to creating an effective photo essay: photography, selection, and structure. Here’s what to focus on in each stage of the process.

• Phase one – photography

This is the time to ignore the old saw about “picture takers” and “picture makers” and give yourself permission to shoot A LOT. Yes, be intentional, be careful, be thoughtful. But also let yourself experiment. Let yourself play. Take a different angle than you do in your other styles of work.

Create a diverse body of work from which to draw: close ups, details, wide angle. The more variety in your images, the more complete your story will be.

Life moves quickly. Life is messy. Kids don’t sit still. It’s ok to let go of the pressure to create the “perfect” shot in the service of capturing real life. What to look for:

• 1) The moment

“Photographers deal in things which are continually vanishing and when they have vanished there is no contrivance on earth which can make them come back again. We cannot develop and print a memory.” ~ Henri Cartier-Bresson

As you move through your day with your family, pay close attention to your rituals and routines, the things you do every day with each other. Take a step back from habit and mine these moments for your story. When people are actively engaged in something that matters to them their essence shines through.

The messes, the tears, the comforts and the struggles—these are the things that make our real lives so beautiful. These are the moments that matter. These are the moments that we look back on and wonder, “Where did the time go?”.

Let yourself slow down. Pay attention. When the moment arises, keep shooting all the way through it. Your attention is an act of love, and as you let the love well up inside you, you’ll find that the moment becomes clear.

Shape is often the thing that helps bring the moment into focus in a beautiful way. Often, when discussing photography the discussion centers around the general term “composition”, but when I think about it as “shape,” it helps me really see what I’m looking for.

That moment when her head tilts ever so slightly. The moment when he jumps in the air and his feet lift off the ground.

Shape and moment are almost inextricably intertwined. Shape is what gives the moment form, interest, impact.

As you look through the viewfinder, look for shapes between people, shapes between kids and their environment, the shape of their body as they lay on the floor reading. Diagonals, s-curves, c-curves, triangles–shape is what gives an image it’s life.

• 3) Simplicity

“There’s a lot of beauty in ordinary things. Isn’t that kinda the point?” ~ Pam, from the final episode of The Office

One of the struggles of documentary photography is how to get your subject to stand out from all the other stuff around you. Remember that the camera is only a tool; it can only see what you tell it to see.

As you compose your image, look for simplicity and harmony between subject and environment. Can you frame your images in such a way that the background and surroundings add to the story you’re telling? Don’t be afraid to move your feet.

Notice how the environment also impacts the meaning of your image. Your home, even on its messiest days, holds so much love. The way your kids interact with their surroundings says so much about who they are as people (not to mention gives you a reminder of just how big, or small, they are at this moment in time).

As the photographer, you get to choose what to focus on. You get to show us what’s important to you. You get to show us how you see the world, your unique view on your unique life.

NOTE: For those of you whose kids are old enough, I highly recommend getting them involved in this project. Get them access to a camera and let them show you what they see. And that way, images of you will be included in the essay as well.

• Phase two – selecting images

After you finish gathering your images, sift through them and see what stands out to you. What do you notice? Are there moments that feel like they “sing”? Moments, themes, or attitudes that recur throughout your collection? You’ll begin to see what matters, what you value.

Look for patterns and through lines in your images. Look for moments that take your breath away or that “just feel right.” The images to include in your essay are the images that tell a story, reveal a truth, capture an essence, or evoke an emotion. Who is this person? What is their essence? What matters to them?

For each image you select ask yourself why it’s important. What story does it tell? And then ask again, why is that story important? You may also enjoy writing these stories down and adding them to your final product.

• Phase three – deciding on structure

Once you’ve created and selected your images, it’s time to give them structure. There are several ways to go about this depending on the story you’re trying to tell:

• A day in the life
• The same event over time
• A theme that emerged that represents what matters to you
• A focus on each member of your family and the things that make them special

How you choose to structure your images may change from project to project, but the most important thing is to make a tangible copy. Print it, bind it, collage it, but make it a living document you share with your family and not just something that sits on your hard drive.

A family photo essay will grow to be a cherished part of your family’s legacy, giving your children a sense of belonging. Your story does indeed matter. It’s time to reclaim the art of the family snapshot.

Please share any other tips or comments you have below, as well as your family photo essay images. Have you done a project like this? Tell us about it.

Table of contents

Family photography.

• 10 Tips for Doing Your First Family Portrait Session
• Family Portraits Dos and Don'ts
• A Behind-The-Scenes Look at a Family Photo Session
• 4 Lessons for Aspiring Family Portrait Photographers
• How to Find Good Locations for Family Portraits
• Essential Family Photo Session Preflight Checklist
• Tips for Posing Large Families and Groups
• Unposed Posing: Tried and True Tips for Photographing Families in Natural and Fun Ways
• 8 Tips for Getting Great Expressions in Family Portraits
• 15 Quick and Easy Poses for Family Photographs
• Tips for Taking the Torture out of Extended Family Portrait Sessions
• 5 Tips for Doing Lifestyle Photo Sessions with Families
• How to Photograph Your Everyday Family Life
• 8 Tips For Capturing Family Gathering Candids
• 3 Tips for Capturing Connections in Family Portraits
• 5 Tips for Young Family Portraits
• How to Create Memorable Family Albums Using the Lightroom Book Module
• The Truth About Becoming a Professional Family Photographer

Read more from our Tips & Tutorials category

is a lifestyle photographer, family story chronicler, and creator of The Book of Love. She is passionate about collecting and tending stories, capturing moments of everyday tenderness and beauty, and reflecting back to people the very best parts of themselves. When not behind the camera, she plays nerdy board games, reads everything she can get her hands on, and knits soft things. She lives in Phoenix with her two kiddos and her hubby. Connect with her at Miki deVivo.com , on Pinterest , and on Instagram.

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How to Create an Engaging Photo Essay (with Examples)

Photo essays tell a story in pictures. They're a great way to improve at photography and story-telling skills at once. Learn how to do create a great one.

Learn | Photography Guides | By Ana Mireles

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Photography is a medium used to tell stories – sometimes they are told in one picture, sometimes you need a whole series. Those series can be photo essays.

If you’ve never done a photo essay before, or you’re simply struggling to find your next project, this article will be of help. I’ll be showing you what a photo essay is and how to go about doing one.

You’ll also find plenty of photo essay ideas and some famous photo essay examples from recent times that will serve you as inspiration.

If you’re ready to get started, let’s jump right in!

Table of Contents

What is a Photo Essay?

A photo essay is a series of images that share an overarching theme as well as a visual and technical coherence to tell a story. Some people refer to a photo essay as a photo series or a photo story – this often happens in photography competitions.

Photographic history is full of famous photo essays. Think about The Great Depression by Dorothea Lange, Like Brother Like Sister by Wolfgang Tillmans, Gandhi’s funeral by Henri Cartier Bresson, amongst others.

What are the types of photo essay?

Despite popular belief, the type of photo essay doesn’t depend on the type of photography that you do – in other words, journalism, documentary, fine art, or any other photographic genre is not a type of photo essay.

Instead, there are two main types of photo essays: narrative and thematic .

As you have probably already guessed, the thematic one presents images pulled together by a topic – for example, global warming. The images can be about animals and nature as well as natural disasters devastating cities. They can happen all over the world or in the same location, and they can be captured in different moments in time – there’s a lot of flexibility.

A narrative photo essa y, on the other hand, tells the story of a character (human or not), portraying a place or an event. For example, a narrative photo essay on coffee would document the process from the planting and harvesting – to the roasting and grinding until it reaches your morning cup.

What are some of the key elements of a photo essay?

• Tell a unique story – A unique story doesn’t mean that you have to photograph something that nobody has done before – that would be almost impossible! It means that you should consider what you’re bringing to the table on a particular topic.
• Put yourself into the work – One of the best ways to make a compelling photo essay is by adding your point of view, which can only be done with your life experiences and the way you see the world.
• Add depth to the concept – The best photo essays are the ones that go past the obvious and dig deeper in the story, going behind the scenes, or examining a day in the life of the subject matter – that’s what pulls in the spectator.
• Nail the technique – Even if the concept and the story are the most important part of a photo essay, it won’t have the same success if it’s poorly executed.
• Build a structure – A photo essay is about telling a thought-provoking story – so, think about it in a narrative way. Which images are going to introduce the topic? Which ones represent a climax? How is it going to end – how do you want the viewer to feel after seeing your photo series?
• Make strong choices – If you really want to convey an emotion and a unique point of view, you’re going to need to make some hard decisions. Which light are you using? Which lens? How many images will there be in the series? etc., and most importantly for a great photo essay is the why behind those choices.

9 Tips for Creating a Photo Essay

Credit: Laura James

1. Choose something you know

To make a good photo essay, you don’t need to travel to an exotic location or document a civil war – I mean, it’s great if you can, but you can start close to home.

Depending on the type of photography you do and the topic you’re looking for in your photographic essay, you can photograph a local event or visit an abandoned building outside your town.

It will be much easier for you to find a unique perspective and tell a better story if you’re already familiar with the subject. Also, consider that you might have to return a few times to the same location to get all the photos you need.

2. Follow your passion

Most photo essays take dedication and passion. If you choose a subject that might be easy, but you’re not really into it – the results won’t be as exciting. Taking photos will always be easier and more fun if you’re covering something you’re passionate about.

3. Take your time

A great photo essay is not done in a few hours. You need to put in the time to research it, conceptualizing it, editing, etc. That’s why I previously recommended following your passion because it takes a lot of dedication, and if you’re not passionate about it – it’s difficult to push through.

4. Write a summary or statement

Photo essays are always accompanied by some text. You can do this in the form of an introduction, write captions for each photo or write it as a conclusion. That’s up to you and how you want to present the work.

5. Learn from the masters

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Making a photographic essay takes a lot of practice and knowledge. A great way to become a better photographer and improve your storytelling skills is by studying the work of others. You can go to art shows, review books and magazines and look at the winners in photo contests – most of the time, there’s a category for photo series.

6. Get a wide variety of photos

Think about a story – a literary one. It usually tells you where the story is happening, who is the main character, and it gives you a few details to make you engage with it, right?

The same thing happens with a visual story in a photo essay – you can do some wide-angle shots to establish the scenes and some close-ups to show the details. Make a shot list to ensure you cover all the different angles.

Some of your pictures should guide the viewer in, while others are more climatic and regard the experience they are taking out of your photos.

7. Follow a consistent look

Both in style and aesthetics, all the images in your series need to be coherent. You can achieve this in different ways, from the choice of lighting, the mood, the post-processing, etc.

8. Be self-critical

Once you have all the photos, make sure you edit them with a good dose of self-criticism. Not all the pictures that you took belong in the photo essay. Choose only the best ones and make sure they tell the full story.

9. Ask for constructive feedback

Often, when we’re working on a photo essay project for a long time, everything makes perfect sense in our heads. However, someone outside the project might not be getting the idea. It’s important that you get honest and constructive criticism to improve your photography.

How to Create a Photo Essay in 5 Steps

Credit: Quang Nguyen Vinh

1. Choose your topic

This is the first step that you need to take to decide if your photo essay is going to be narrative or thematic. Then, choose what is it going to be about?

Ideally, it should be something that you’re interested in, that you have something to say about it, and it can connect with other people.

2. Research your topic

To tell a good story about something, you need to be familiar with that something. This is especially true when you want to go deeper and make a compelling photo essay. Day in the life photo essays are a popular choice, since often, these can be performed with friends and family, whom you already should know well.

3. Plan your photoshoot

Depending on what you’re photographing, this step can be very different from one project to the next. For a fine art project, you might need to find a location, props, models, a shot list, etc., while a documentary photo essay is about planning the best time to do the photos, what gear to bring with you, finding a local guide, etc.

Every photo essay will need different planning, so before taking pictures, put in the required time to get things right.

4. Experiment

It’s one thing to plan your photo shoot and having a shot list that you have to get, or else the photo essay won’t be complete. It’s another thing to miss out on some amazing photo opportunities that you couldn’t foresee.

So, be prepared but also stay open-minded and experiment with different settings, different perspectives, etc.

5. Make a final selection

Editing your work can be one of the hardest parts of doing a photo essay. Sometimes we can be overly critical, and others, we get attached to bad photos because we put a lot of effort into them or we had a great time doing them.

Try to be as objective as possible, don’t be afraid to ask for opinions and make various revisions before settling down on a final cut.

7 Photo Essay Topics, Ideas & Examples

Credit: Michelle Leman

• Architectural photo essay

Using architecture as your main subject, there are tons of photo essay ideas that you can do. For some inspiration, you can check out the work of Francisco Marin – who was trained as an architect and then turned to photography to “explore a different way to perceive things”.

You can also lookup Luisa Lambri. Amongst her series, you’ll find many photo essay examples in which architecture is the subject she uses to explore the relationship between photography and space.

• Process and transformation photo essay

This is one of the best photo essay topics for beginners because the story tells itself. Pick something that has a beginning and an end, for example, pregnancy, the metamorphosis of a butterfly, the life-cycle of a plant, etc.

Keep in mind that these topics are linear and give you an easy way into the narrative flow – however, it might be difficult to find an interesting perspective and a unique point of view.

• A day in the life of ‘X’ photo essay

There are tons of interesting photo essay ideas in this category – you can follow around a celebrity, a worker, your child, etc. You don’t even have to do it about a human subject – think about doing a photo essay about a day in the life of a racing horse, for example – find something that’s interesting for you.

• Time passing by photo essay

It can be a natural site or a landmark photo essay – whatever is close to you will work best as you’ll need to come back multiple times to capture time passing by. For example, how this place changes throughout the seasons or maybe even over the years.

A fun option if you live with family is to document a birthday party each year, seeing how the subject changes over time. This can be combined with a transformation essay or sorts, documenting the changes in interpersonal relationships over time.

• Travel photo essay

Do you want to make the jump from tourist snapshots into a travel photo essay? Research the place you’re going to be travelling to. Then, choose a topic.

If you’re having trouble with how to do this, check out any travel magazine – National Geographic, for example. They won’t do a generic article about Texas – they do an article about the beach life on the Texas Gulf Coast and another one about the diverse flavors of Texas.

The more specific you get, the deeper you can go with the story.

• Socio-political issues photo essay

This is one of the most popular photo essay examples – it falls under the category of photojournalism or documental photography. They are usually thematic, although it’s also possible to do a narrative one.

Depending on your topic of interest, you can choose topics that involve nature – for example, document the effects of global warming. Another idea is to photograph protests or make an education photo essay.

It doesn’t have to be a big global issue; you can choose something specific to your community – are there too many stray dogs? Make a photo essay about a local animal shelter. The topics are endless.

• Behind the scenes photo essay

A behind-the-scenes always make for a good photo story – people are curious to know what happens and how everything comes together before a show.

Depending on your own interests, this can be a photo essay about a fashion show, a theatre play, a concert, and so on. You’ll probably need to get some permissions, though, not only to shoot but also to showcase or publish those images.

4 Best Photo Essays in Recent times

Now that you know all the techniques about it, it might be helpful to look at some photo essay examples to see how you can put the concept into practice. Here are some famous photo essays from recent times to give you some inspiration.

Habibi by Antonio Faccilongo

This photo essay wan the World Press Photo Story of the Year in 2021. Faccilongo explores a very big conflict from a very specific and intimate point of view – how the Israeli-Palestinian war affects the families.

He chose to use a square format because it allows him to give order to things and eliminate unnecessary elements in his pictures.

With this long-term photo essay, he wanted to highlight the sense of absence and melancholy women and families feel towards their husbands away at war.

The project then became a book edited by Sarah Leen and the graphics of Ramon Pez.

Picture This: New Orleans by Mary Ellen Mark

The last assignment before her passing, Mary Ellen Mark travelled to New Orleans to register the city after a decade after Hurricane Katrina.

The images of the project “bring to life the rebirth and resilience of the people at the heart of this tale”, – says CNNMoney, commissioner of the work.

Each survivor of the hurricane has a story, and Mary Ellen Mark was there to record it. Some of them have heartbreaking stories about everything they had to leave behind.

Others have a story of hope – like Sam and Ben, two eight-year-olds born from frozen embryos kept in a hospital that lost power supply during the hurricane, yet they managed to survive.

Selfie by Cindy Sherman

Cindy Sherman is an American photographer whose work is mainly done through self-portraits. With them, she explores the concept of identity, gender stereotypes, as well as visual and cultural codes.

One of her latest photo essays was a collaboration with W Magazine entitled Selfie. In it, the author explores the concept of planned candid photos (‘plandid’).

The work was made for Instagram, as the platform is well known for the conflict between the ‘real self’ and the one people present online. Sherman started using Facetune, Perfect365 and YouCam to alter her appearance on selfies – in Photoshop, you can modify everything, but these apps were designed specifically to “make things prettier”- she says, and that’s what she wants to explore in this photo essay.

Tokyo Compression by Michael Wolf

Michael Wolf has an interest in the broad-gauge topic Life in Cities. From there, many photo essays have been derived – amongst them – Tokyo Compression .

He was horrified by the way people in Tokyo are forced to move to the suburbs because of the high prices of the city. Therefore, they are required to make long commutes facing 1,5 hours of train to start their 8+ hour workday followed by another 1,5 hours to get back home.

To portray this way of life, he photographed the people inside the train pressed against the windows looking exhausted, angry or simply absent due to this way of life.

You can visit his website to see other photo essays that revolve around the topic of life in megacities.

Final Words

It’s not easy to make photo essays, so don’t expect to be great at it right from your first project.

Start off small by choosing a specific subject that’s interesting to you –  that will come from an honest place, and it will be a great practice for some bigger projects along the line.

Whether you like to shoot still life or you’re a travel photographer, I hope these photo essay tips and photo essay examples can help you get started and grow in your photography.

Let us know which topics you are working on right now – we’ll love to hear from you!

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Ana Mireles is a Mexican researcher that specializes in photography and communications for the arts and culture sector.

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How to Make a Photo Essay

Last Updated: September 27, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Heather Gallagher . Heather Gallagher is a Photojournalist & Photographer based in Austin, Texas. She runs her own photography studio named "Heather Gallagher Photography" which was voted Austin's Best Family Photographer and top 3 Birth Photographers in 2017, 2018, and 2019. Heather specializes in family Photojournalism and has over 15 years of experience documenting individuals, families, and businesses all over the world. Her clients include Delta Airlines, Oracle, Texas Monthly, and her work has been featured in The Washington Post and The Austin American Statesman. She is a member of the International Association of Professional Birth Photographers (IAPBP). There are 11 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 289,489 times.

Photo essays are an increasingly popular medium for journalists, bloggers, and advertisers alike. Whether you’re trying to show the emotional impact of a current news story or share your hobby with friends and family, images can capture your topic in a personal, emotional, and interesting way. Creating a photo essay can be as easy as choosing a topic, getting your images, and organizing the essay.

Things You Should Know

• Reflect long and hard on your topic, considering your audience, current events, and whether to go for a thematic or narrative approach.
• Create an outline, including your focus image, establishing shot, clincher, and other image details.
• When you finally take your photos, remember to take more photos than you think you need and don't be afraid to let the project change as you create it.

Finding Your Topic

• Offer a photo essay of your place of business as a training tool.
• Use a photo essay about your business as a sales or social tool by publishing it on your website or social media page.
• Create a how to photo essay to help others learn about your hobby, so they can take it up as well. [4] X Research source

• Thematic subjects are big ideas including things like local gun laws, at-risk youth, or welcoming home soldiers.
• Narrative essays can include a day in the life, how to tutorials, or progression series that show changes over time such as tracking a building project.
• If you have been given a commission or specific publication to work with, you may need to choose a topic that will fit a thematic or narrative approach as outlined by the publication. Make sure you are aware of any publication guidelines in advance.

Organizing Your Shoot

• Consider how difficult it will be to get permission to photograph your subjects. If you already have relationships established, it will be easier. If not, allow for extra time to get permission and/or waivers.
• Schools, daycares, and other places with kids typically have more regulations on who can be photographed and for what purposes. You’ll usually need to get parental approval, in addition to permission from those in charge. [7] X Research source

• Consider doing interviews with people involved prior to the shoot. Ask things like, “What’s the most interesting thing you do during this event?” or “How long have you been involved with this organization?”
• These interviews are also a great opportunity to ask for permission and get waivers.
• If you’re going to visit a job site, charitable event, or other large group activity, ask the person or persons in charge to explain what you’re doing to everyone before you arrive. [8] X Research source

Capturing Your Images

• Many new photographers stay away from high ISO shots because they allow more light through producing a “busy” image. However, these images are often easier to edit later as there’s more information to work with. [11] X Research source
• If it’s very bright in your location or you’ve set up artificial lighting, a low ISO is likely adequate, For darker areas, you’ll likely need to use a higher ISO.
• If you need one second to capture an image with a base ISO of 100, you’ll need one eighth of a second to capture with an ISO of 800. [13] X Research source

• Even snapping candid shots, which you may need to capture quickly, take a few moments to think about how objects are placed to make the most impact.
• Always think about how the main subject’s surroundings play into the overall image, and try to create different levels and points of interest.
• You can change composition as part of the editing process in some cases, so if you can’t line up the shot just right, don’t let it deter you from capturing the image you want. [14] X Research source

Organizing the Essay

• If you’re doing a day in the life photo essay about a frustrated person working in an office, an image of that person struggling to open the front door against the wind might be an apt focus shot.
• If your essay is about the process of building a home, your focus image may be something like a contractor and architect looking at blue prints with the framed up home in the background.
• If your essay is about a family reunion, the focus image may be a funny shot of the whole family making faces, pretending to be fighting, or a serious photo of the family posed together. Capture whatever seems natural for the family. [18] X Research source

• Regardless of essay type, you’ll need a focus image to grab attention.
• Use an overall shot to give context to your essay. Where is it, when is it happening, who’s involved, what’s going on, and why should someone be interested? The five “W’s” of journalism are a great way to determine what your overall shot should capture.
• Find your final image. This should be something provocative that asks your viewer to think about the topic.
• Between the focus and overall shot and ending image, include a series of images that move the viewer from the lead-in shots to its result. Use images that build in intensity or draw the viewers further into the essay.

• If the images aren’t telling the story, ask your friends to look at your other photos and ask, “I wanted this image to make this point. You got a different idea. Would any of these images make this point to you more clearly?”
• If the others like the images you’ve chosen, you may still want to ask them to look at your other photos and tell you if they think any of the images you didn’t include should be added in. They may see something you missed. [20] X Research source

• If you're commissioned to add photos to an essay, you should make sure images reflect the written word, but also add emotion and context the writing could not capture. For example, an essay on poverty may include an image of a child and parent living on the street could capture more emotional context.
• Captions should only include information the viewer could not derive from the photo itself. For instance, you can include a date, the subject’s name, or a statistic relevant to your subject in the caption.
• If you choose not to have any text or just a title and some introductory and/or closing words, make sure you convey all necessary information succinctly. [21] X Research source

Expert Q&A

• Be creative with your topics. However, something as simple as "things I like" will suffice so long as you stay creative. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Make sure you're familiar with your camera. It will make the photo composition a lot easier. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Don't get discouraged. It may take several tries to get the desired results in your photos. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0

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• ↑ http://digital-photography-school.com/5-photo-essay-tips/
• ↑ Heather Gallagher. Professional Photojournalist & Photographer. Expert Interview. 8 April 2020.
• ↑ http://improvephotography.com/30816/10-ideas-creative-photo-essays/
• ↑ http://www.apogeephoto.com/how-to-create-a-photo-essay/
• ↑ https://petapixel.com/how-to-create-a-photo-essay/
• ↑ http://photo.journalism.cuny.edu/week-5/
• ↑ http://clickitupanotch.com/2010/12/creating-a-photo-essay/
• ↑ https://photographylife.com/what-is-iso-in-photography
• ↑ https://wiredimpact.com/blog/how-to-make-a-photo-essay-nonprofit/
• ↑ http://digital-photography-school.com/5-tips-for-creating-a-photo-essay-with-a-purpose/
• ↑ https://www.format.com/magazine/resources/photography/how-to-make-photo-essay-examples

About This Article

To make a photo essay, start by selecting a subject that is easy to capture and that inspires you, like a friend or a family pet. Then, decide if you want to present your photo essay as thematic, which shows specific examples of a big idea, or narrative, with a beginning, middle, and end. Next, create an outline of your essay to determine which photos you’ll need, like an establishing shot. Finally, take your photos, select which images you want to use in your essay, and organize them according to your theme before adding text to explain the essay. To learn how to capture the best images, keep scrolling! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to Create a Photo Essay in 9 Steps (with Examples)

Photo Editing & Creativity , Tutorials

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What is a photo essay?

• Photo essays vs photo stories
• How photo essays help you
• 9 Steps to create photo essays

How to share your photo essays

Read Time: 11 minutes

Gather up a handful of images that seem to go together, and voila! It’s a photo essay, right? Well… no. Though, this is a common misconception.

In reality, a photo essay is much more thoughtful and structured than that. When you take the time to craft one, you’re using skills from all facets of our craft – from composition to curation.

In this guide, you’ll learn what makes a photo essay an amazing project that stretches your skills. You’ll also learn exactly how to make one step by step.

• Photo essay vs photo story

A photo essay is a collection of images based around a theme, a topic, a creative approach, or an exploration of an idea. Photo essays balance visual variety with a cohesive style and concept.

What’s the difference between a photo essay and a photo story?

The terms photo essay and photo story are often used interchangeably. Even the dictionary definition of “photo essay” includes using images to convey either a theme or a story.

But in my experience, a photo essay and a photo story are two different things. As you delve into the field of visual storytelling, distinguishing between the two helps you to take a purposeful approach to what you’re making .

The differences ultimately lie in the distinctions between theme, topic and story.

Themes are big-picture concepts. Example: Wildness

Topics are more specific than themes, but still overarching. Example : Wild bears of Yellowstone National Park

Stories are specific instances or experiences that happen within, or provide an example for, a topic or theme. Example: A certain wild bear became habituated to tourists and was relocated to maintain its wildness

Unlike a theme or topic, a story has particular elements that make it a story. They include leading characters, a setting, a narrative arc, conflict, and (usually) resolution.

With that in mind, we can distingush between a photo essay and a photo story.

Themes and Topics vs Stories

A photo essay revolves around a topic, theme, idea, or concept. It visually explores a big-picture something .

This allows a good deal of artistic leeway where a photographer can express their vision, philosophies, opinions, or artistic expression as they create their images.

A photo story  is a portfolio of images that illustrate – you guessed it – a story.

Because of this, there are distinct types of images that a photo story uses that add to the understanding, insight, clarity and meaning to the story for viewers. While they can certainly be artistically crafted and visually stunning, photo stories document something happening, and rely on visual variety for capturing the full experience.

A photo essay doesn’t need to have the same level of structured variety that a photo story requires. It can have images that overlap or are similar, as they each explore various aspects of a theme.

Photo essays can be about any topic. If you live in a city, consider using your nature photography to make an essay about the wildlife that lives in your neighborhood . 

The role of text with photos

A photo story typically runs alongside text that narrates the story. We’re a visual species, and the images help us feel like we are there, experiencing what’s happening. So, the images add significant power to the text, but they’re often a partner to it.

This isn’t always the case, of course. Sometimes photo stories don’t need or use text. It’s like reading a graphic novel that doesn’t use text. Moving through the different images that build on each other ultimately unveils the narrative.

Photo essays don’t need to rely on text to illuminate the images’ theme or topic. The photographer may use captions (or even a text essay), or they may let the images speak for themselves.

Definitions are helpful guidelines (not strict rules)

Some people categorize photo essays as either narrative or thematic. That’s essentially just calling photo stories “narrative photo essays” and photo essays “thematic photo essays.”

But, a story is a defined thing, and any writer/editor will tell you themes and topics are not the same as stories. And we use the word “story” in our daily lives as it’s defined. So, it makes far more sense to name the difference between a photo essay and a photo story, and bask in the same clarity writers enjoy .

Photo stories illustrate a particular experience, event, narrative, something that happened or is happening.

Photo essays explore an idea, concept, topic, theme, creative approach, big-picture something .

Both photo essays and photo stories are immensely powerful visual tools. And yes, the differences between them can certainly be blurred, as is always the case with art.

Simply use this distinction as a general guideline, providing extra clarity around what you’re making and why you’re making it.

To dig into specific types of images used to create powerful photo stories, check out this training: 6 Must-Have Shots for a Photo Story. 

Meanwhile, let’s dig deeper into photo essays.

Photo essays are a chance to try new styles or techniques that stretch your skills and creativity. This image was part of an essay exploring simplicity and shape, and helped me learn new skills in black and white post-processing.

How photo essays improve your photography

Creating photo essays is an amazing antidote if you’ve ever felt a lack of direction or purpose in your photography. Photo essays help build your photographic skills in at least 3 important ways.

1. You become more strategic in creating a body of work

It’s easy to get stuck in a rut of photographing whatever pops up in front of you. And when you do, you end up with a collection of stand-alone shots.

These singles may work fine as a print, a quick Instagram post, or an addition to your gallery of shots on your website. But amassing a bunch of one-off shots limits your opportunities as a photographer for everything from exhibits to getting your work published.

Building photo essays pushes you to think strategically about what you photograph, why, and how. You’re working toward a particular deliverable – a cohesive visual essay – with the images you create.

This elevates your skills in crafting your photo essay, and in how you curate the rest of your work, from galleries on your website to selecting images to sell as prints .

2. You become more purposeful in your composition skills

Composition is so much more than just following the rule of thirds, golden spirals, or thinking about the angle of light in a shot.

Composition is also about thinking ahead in what you’re trying to accomplish with a photograph – from what you’re saying through it to its emotional impact on a viewer – and where it fits within a larger body of work.

Photo essays push you to think critically about each shot – from coming up with fresh compositions for familiar subjects, to devising surprising compositions to fit within a collection, to creating compositions that expand on what’s already in a photo essay.

You’re pushed beyond creating a single pleasing frame, which leads you to shoot more thoughtfully and proactively than ever.

(Here’s a podcast episode on switching from reactive shooting to proactive shooting .)

3. You develop strong editing and curation skills

Selecting which images stay, and which get left behind is one of the hardest jobs on a photographer’s to-do list. Mostly, it’s because of emotional attachment.

You might think it’s an amazing shot because you know the effort that went into capturing it. Or perhaps when you look at it, you get a twinge of the joy or exhilaration you felt the moment you captured it. There’s also the second-guessing that goes into which of two similar images is the best – which will people like more? So you’re tempted to just show both.

Ultimately, great photographers appear all the more skilled because they only show their best work. That in and of itself is a skill they’ve developed through years of ruthlessly editing their own work.

Because the most powerful photo essays only show a handful of extraordinary images, you’re bound to develop the very same critical skill (and look all the more talented because of it).

Photo essays are also a great stepping stone to creating photo stories. If you’re interested in moving beyond stand-alone shots and building stories, shooting photo essays will get your creative brain limbered up and ready for the adventure of photo stories.

A photo essay exploring the natural history of a favorite species is an exciting opportunity for an in-depth study. For me, that was a photo essay on emotive images of the American dipper (Cinclus mexicanus) as it hunts in streams. 

9 Simple steps to create your photo essays

1. clarify your theme.

Choose a theme, topic, or concept you want to explore. Spend some time getting crystal clear on what you want to focus on. It helps to write out a few sentences, or even a few paragraphs noting:

• What you want the essay to be about
• What kinds of images you want to create as part of it
• How you’ll photograph the images
• The style, techniques, or gear you might use to create your images
• What “success” looks like when you’re done with your photo essay

You don’t have to stick to what you write down, of course. It can change during the image creation process. But fleshing your idea out on paper goes a long way in clarifying your photo essay theme and how you’ll go about creating it.

2. Create your images

Grab your camera and head outside!

As you’re photographing your essay, allow yourself some freedom to experiment. Try unusual compositions or techniques that are new to you.

Stretch your style a little, or “try on” the style of other photographers you admire who have photographed similar subjects.

Photo essays are wonderful opportunities to push yourself outside of your comfort zone and grow as a photographer .

Remember that a photo essay is a visually cohesive collection of images that make sense together. So, while you might stretch yourself into new terrain as you shoot, try to keep that approach, style, or strategy consistent.

Don’t be afraid to create lots of images. It’s great to have lots to choose from in the editing process, which comes up next.

3. Pull together your wide edit

Once you’ve created your images, pull together all the images that might make the cut. This could be as many as 40-60 images. Include anything you want to consider for the final essay in the wide edit.

From here, start weeding out images that:

• are weaker in composition or subject matter
• stand out like a sore thumb from the rest of the collection
• Are similar to other stronger images in the collection

It’s helpful to review the images at thumbnail size. You make more instinctive decisions and can more easily see the body of work as a whole. If an image is strong even at thumbnail size to stand out from similar frames while also partnering well with other images in the collection, that’s a good sign it’s strong enough for the essay.

4. Post-process your images for a cohesive look

Now it’s time to post-process the images. Use whatever editing software you’re comfortable with to polish your images.

Again, a photo essay has a cohesive visual look. If you use presets, filters, or other tools, use them across all the images.

5. Finalize your selection

It’s time to make the tough decisions. Select only the strongest for your photo essay from your group of images.

Each image should be strong enough to stand on its own and make sense as part of the whole group.

Many photo essays range from 8-12 images. But of course, it varies based on the essay. The number of images you have in your final photo essay is up to you.

Remember, less is more. A photo essay is most powerful when each image deserves to be included.

6. Put your images in a purposeful order

Create a visual flow with your images. Decide which image is first, and build from there. Use compositions, colors, and subject matter to decide which image goes next, then next, then next in the order.

Think of it like music: notes are arranged in a way that builds energy, or slows it down, surprise listeners with a new refrain, or drop into a familiar chorus. How the notes are ordered creates emotional arcs for listeners.

How you order your images is similar.

Think of the experience a viewer will have as they look at one image, then the next, and the next. Order your images so they create the experience you want your audience to have.

7. Get feedback

The best photographers make space for feedback, even when it’s tough to hear. Your work benefits from not just hearing feedback, but listening to it and applying what you learn from it.

Show your photo essay to people who have different sensibilities or tastes. Friends, family members, fellow photographers – anyone you trust to give you honest feedback.

Watch their reactions and hear what they say about what they’re seeing. Use their feedback to guide you in the next step.

8. Refine, revise, and finalize

Let your photo essay marinate for a little while. Take a day or two away from it. Then use your freshened eyes and the feedback you received from the previous step to refine your essay.

Swap out any selects you might want to change and reorder the images if needed.

9. Add captions

Even if you don’t plan on displaying captions with your images, captioning your images is a great practice to get into. It gives context, story, and important information to each image. And, more than likely, you will want to use these captions at some point when you share your photo essay, which we dive into later in this article.

Add captions to the image files using Lightroom, Bridge, or other software programs.

Create a document, such as a Google or Word doc, with captions for each image.

In your captions, share a bit about the story behind the image, or the creation process. Add whatever makes sense to share that provides a greater understanding of the image and its purpose.

Photo essays allow you to explore deliberate style choices, such as a focus on shapes, patterns, textures, and lines. Since each photo is part of a larger essay, it encourages you to be bold with choices you might not otherwise make. 

5 Examples of amazing nature photo essays

1. “how the water shapes us” from the nature conservancy.

This gorgeous essay, crafted with the work of multiple photographers, explores the people and places within the Mississippi River basin. Through the images, we gain a sense of how the water influences life from the headwater all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. Notice how each photographer is tasked with the same theme, yet approaches it with their own distinct style and vision. It is a wonderful example of the sheer level of visual variety you can have while maintaining a consistent style or theme.

View it here

2. “A Cyclist on the English Landscape” from New York Times’ The World Through A Lens series

This photo essay is a series of self-portraits by travel photographer Roff Smith while “stuck” at home during the pandemic. As he peddled the roads making portraits, the project evolved into a “celebration of traveling at home”. It’s a great example of how visually consistent you can be inside a theme while making each image completely unique.

3. “Vermont, Dressed In Snow” from New York Times’ The World Through A Lens series

This essay by aerial photographer Caleb Kenna uses a very common photo essay theme: snow. Because all images are aerial photographs, there’s a consistency to them. Yet, the compositions are utterly unique from one another. It’s a great example of keeping viewers surprised as they move from one image to the next while still maintaining a clear focus on the theme.

4. “Starling-Studded Skies” from bioGraphic Magazine

This beautiful essay is by Kathryn Cooper, a physicist trained in bioinformatics, and a talented photographer. She used a 19th century photographic technique, chronophotography, to create images that give us a look at the art and science of starling murmurations. She states: “I’m interested in the transient moments when chaos briefly changes to order, and thousands of individual bodies appear to move as one.” This essay is a great example of deep exploration of a concept using a specific photographic technique.

View it here   (Note: must be viewed on desktop)

5. “These Scrappy Photos Capture the Action-Packed World Beneath a Bird Feeder” from Audubon Magazine

This photo essay from conservation photographer Carla Rhodes explores the wildlife that takes advantage of the bounty of food waiting under bird feeders . Using remote camera photography , Rhodes gives viewers a unique ground-level perspective and captures moments that make us feel like we’re in conversation with friends in the Hundred Acre Woods. This essay is a great example of how perspective, personality, and chance can all come into play as you explore both an idea and a technique.

25 Ideas for creative photo essays you can make

The possibilities for photo essays are truly endless – from the concepts you explore to the techniques you use and styles you apply.

Choose an idea, hone your unique perspective on it, then start applying the 9 simple steps from above. 

• The life of a plant or animal (your favorite species, a species living in your yard, etc)
• The many shapes of a single species (a tree species, a bird species, etc)
• How a place changes over time
• The various moods of a place
• A conservation issue you care about
• Math in nature
• Urban nature
• Seasonal changes
• Your yard as a space for nature
• Shifting climate and its impacts
• Human impacts on environments
• Elements: Water, wind, fire, earth
• Day in the life (of a person, a place, a stream, a tree…)
• Outdoor recreation (birding, kayaking, hiking, naturalist journaling…)
• Wildlife rehabilitation
• Lunar cycles
• Sunlight and shadows
• Your local watershed
• Coexistence

As you zero in on a photo essay theme, consider two things: what most excites you about an idea, and what about it pushes you out of your comfort zone. The heady mix of joy and challenge will ensure you stick with it. 

Your photo essay is ready for the world! Decide how you’d like to make an impact with your work. You might use one or several of the options below.

1. Share it on your website

Create a gallery or a scrollytelling page on your website. This is a great way to drive traffic to your website where people can peruse your photo essay and the rest of the photography you have.

Putting it on your website and optimizing your images for SEO helps you build organic traffic and potentially be discovered by a broader audience, including photo editors.

2. Create a scrollytelling web page

If you enjoy the experience of immersive visual experiences, consider making one using your essay. And no, you don’t have to be a whiz at code to make it happen.

Shorthand helps you build web pages with scrollytelling techniques that make a big impression on viewers. Their free plan allows you to publish 3 essays or stories.

3. Create a Medium post

If you don’t have a website and want to keep things simple, a post on Medium is a great option.

Though it’s known for being a platform for bloggers, it’s also possible to add images to a post for a simple scroll.

And, because readers can discover and share posts, it’s a good place for your photos to get the attention of people who might not otherwise come across it.

4. Share it on Instagram

Instagram has changed a lot over the last couple of years, but it’s still a place for photographers to share their work thoughtfully.

There are at least 3 great ways to share your photo essay on the platform.

– Create a single post for each image. Add a caption. Publish one post per day until the full essay is on your feed. Share each post via Instagram Stories to bring more attention and interaction to your photo essay.

– Create a carousel post. You can add up 10 photos to a carousel post, so you may need to create two of them for your full photo essay. Or you might create a series of carousel posts using 3-4 images in each.

– Create a Reel featuring your images as a video.  The algorithm heavily favors reels, so turning your photo essay into a video experience can get it out to a larger audience.

I ran a “create a reel” challenge in my membership community. One member created a reel with her still images around a serious conservation issue. It gathered a ton of attention and landed her opportunities to share her message through YouTube and podcast interviews and publishing opportunities. Watch it here.

5. Exhibit it locally

Reach out to local galleries, cafes, pubs, or even the public library to see if they’re interested in hanging your photo essay for display. Many local businesses and organizations happily support the work of local artists.

6. Pitch your photo essay to publications

One of the best ways to reach an audience with your work is to get it published. Find publications that are a great fit for the theme and style of your photo essay, then pitch your essay for consideration. You gain a fantastic opportunity to share your work widely and can earn a paycheck at the same time.

Remember that if you want to get your photo essay published, you may want to hold back from sharing it publicly before you pitch it to publications.

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5 Family Reunion Ideas & Large Group Photo Tips

Jul 15, 2022

Family Reunion Ideas

Planning a family reunion photoshoot may seem like a daunting endeavor, but trust us— it’s not only a great idea , but it’s also totally doable with the help of Flytographer! 👍 With hundreds of professional photographers all around the world, chances are there’s someone near your reunion who is ready and happy to capture your crew all together. Big or small, with your family members gathered together, make sure to capture your fun family reunion with professional photos! 📸

The group vacation is booked. Itineraries are well underway. Travel arrangements are meticulously monitored. 🗺 Making a family gathering happen isn’t easy, so a get-together that includes layers of your family tree is certainly an occasion to capture on more than just a couple (dozen) iPhones. 🤳 Grandparents, aunts, uncles, babies … there are lots of people, lots of personalities, and lots of limbs that may need to be wrangled, so let us share some helpful poses to keep in your bag of tricks when it’s time to make those group photos happen — and then keep reading along for more fun family reunion ideas!

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“We could not have had a better experience with Whitney! We had a larger group, an early start and three young kids and she did AMAZING! She is so personable and easy going and made everyone feel at ease. We got a lot of great posed family photographs that we asked for, but my favorite pictures were the sweet little moments she captured without us even knowing. The candid moments were the best. I highly recommend Whitney if you’re looking for photos in Oregon!”

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Everything you need to know about family reunions.

Written by  Shutterfly Community Last Updated: Mar 13, 2019

Every family has a different set of traditions and expectations for family reunions. Some treat reunions as their opportunity to go on a vacation with their loved ones. Others look forward to seeing their whole family for the same Holiday plans, year after year. Whatever your family traditions are, if it’s up to you to plan your family reunion this year, you may be looking for a little extra guidance. If so, we’re here to help.

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What is a family reunion, why should you have a family reunion, how to plan a family reunion, how to start a family reunion letter, tips for hosting a family reunion, where to have a family reunion, what to do at a family reunion, what to wear to a family reunion, how to keep in touch after the family reunion.

A family reunion is a meeting, which can occur annually on the same date or by availability, of immediate and/or extended family members. Family reunions can serve as a way for a family to reconnect and strengthen bonds while providing an opportunity for a vacation. There is no minimum party size, frequency, or duration for a family reunion and the reunions may even include a few close friends outside of the family bloodline.

Common family reunion activities and plans include outdoor excursions, shared meals, party games , and passing down family history and stories.

Family reunions have several important benefits. Most importantly, these reunions improve familial bonds. These bonds need constant work and effort to remain strong through the years, and reunions are a great way to do this. Without constant contact and time spent together, family bonds can weaken and leave you feeling isolated. Other benefits for attending reunions include giving you time to relax and catch up on significant events in family’s lives. They also give young family members a chance to learn family history and older family members the chance to see everyone together.

Ready to start planning your next family reunion? Simply follow the steps below to get started, and make your reunion one to remember.

• Plan head. You’ll want to give yourself at least a year to plan, especially for larger family events. Planning far ahead gives your whole family enough notice to take time from work, plan transportation, and decide on a date that works for the most people.
• Set a budget ahead of time. Decide on a budget each family will contribute well ahead of time. You don’t want to surprise any family member with the burden of a bill that they can’t pay at the end of the reunion.
• Give family options for date and location. When you have a budget and time frame established, send out a poll to each family member asking for availability across certain dates and desired locations.
• Send out invitations early. Send out informal notices as early as possible, and formal invitations at least six weeks in advance. Read our resource on when to send party invitations for additional help.
• Delegate some responsibilities to other family members. Ask for volunteers to help you with the planning of the reunion, or else you’ll quickly feel overwhelmed. Planning committees may include budget, reservations, food coordination , travel and lodging, entertainment, and a communications liaison.
• Start off the reunion on the right foot. Plan a welcome receptions for the beginning of the reunion. This might include food and drinks, a few games, and a welcome speech from a senior member of the family.

Looking for guidance to help you write your family reunion letter? Look to the guidelines and sample below to make sure you don’t end up leaving any details out.

What to Include:

• Announce reunion. Include the family name(s) and the number of years it’s been put on.
• Give Location.
• Provide Date.
• Give Lodging and Travel Information.
• Include Additional Information. Make sure everyone knows what’s expected on them in terms of budgeting, dress code, and timing. If you’re also creating family reunion T-shirts, make sure to include this info here as well.
• Ask for help. Do you need committee volunteers or family heirlooms? Let them know here.
• Include additional sentiments. Feel free to share a few past memories and/or reasons why it’s so important for everyone to attend. You can also share a meaningful family quote or two.
• End with closing statement and contact information.

Sample Reunion Letter:

Dear (Name),

Get ready for some fun in the sun! It’s time for the 14th Annual Janson Family Reunion!

Based on our previous family survey, this year we are planning to host the family at Green Lakeside Campgrounds, CA during the weekend of August 12th-14th. We’ve reserved campground C, which hosts space for tents and camper vans.

Directions to the campground are attached, as well as a sign up sheet for extra space available RV’s and tents.

As we prepare for a family-filled weekend, we are asking for donations of $50 to help supply food and other necessities for the whole family. Please send any donations to the contact information below.

Additionally, we’re still looking for volunteers to help with lodging and entertainment.

We can’t wait to see you all there! We’re hoping for a super fun weekend without any mishaps (so we’ll be keeping Uncle Stan away from the cooking!) and can’t wait to get started!

(Your Name)

123-456-7890

[email protected]

From organization to execution, you’ll want to make sure you’re keeping the following tips in mind while planning your family reunion.

• Make your own T-shirts. Making themed T-shirts ahead of time not only provides everyone with a special keepsake and souvenir, but they also give you some fun family photos.
• Plan for off-peak travel season. This helps keep costs down and making finding open hotels and flights easier.
• Raise extra funds beforehand. Small fundraisers organized by them family can increase your budget while giving you a few fun bonding opportunities.
• Look for group rates for hotels and travel. Many flights, hotels, restaurants, and more offer group discounts if you ask them directly.
• Offer a range of activities. Make sure there’s something to do for all skill levels. Refer to our guide on family activities for additional guidance.

There’s no end to the possibilities of where to host your family reunion. You may want to go back to the same place you’ve always hosted it, or you may be looking for a fun new adventure. Here’s a list of some of the most popular destination choices:

• Your house or a family member’s house
• Summer home
• Hotel or resort
• Rented cabin
• Community center
• Favorite restaurant

When you’re ready to start building your family reunion itinerary, keep a few of these common traditions in mind:

• Play some games. Games help involve the whole family and set a cheerful and playful mood. For specific game ideas, read our resource on fun family games.
• Plan a large potluck. Ask each family member to bring their favorite dish, or a dish that has significance to the family history.
• Make a family reunion photo book. Ask for family members to provide old photos and take new ones during the reunion. Then craft a family reunion photo book using these family photo album ideas .
• Go for a hike. Exercise is a great way to bond and stay healthy as a family!
• Host a BBQ party.  BBQ’s are a family reunion classic for a reason. Check out our BBQ party ideas for more inspiration.
• Take a family photo . Schedule a professional photography session during the reunion for a reunion photo the whole family can look back on.
• Go on a family trip . Take a day trip somewhere special. Read our family trip ideas for help picking the right trip.
• Do some arts and crafts. Arts and crafts are as kid friendly as they are fun for the creative members of the family. Check out our art projects for kids for some ideas.
• Family Traditions
• Thanksgiving Traditions
• Family Christmas Traditions

The best clothes to wear to a family reunion most often depends on the environment and weather. If your reunion is in a cabin in the woods, you may want to plan for warm clothes that cover arms and legs from bugs. Whereas lighter clothing would be more appropriate for a family beach vacation. You also want to dress in a way that’s respectful and appropriate in front of older family members. And if you’re planning your wardrobe for family reunion photos, visit our guide on what to wear for family photos .

Once the family reunion is over and everyone has said their goodbyes, you’ll want a plan to keep in touch. Nowadays social media has made this a lot easier. However, it’s also a good idea to keep a constant email list and updated list of addresses (which is great for sending family reunion gifts ) for regular correspondence.

Resources Related to Family Reunions

If you liked this guide on everything you need to know about family gatherings and you’re looking for additional content, make sure to visit the resources:

• Family Inspiration
• Holiday Inspiration

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How to Share Pictures at Family Reunions

Photography: family reunion tip. best ideas for celebrating family reunions with pictures..

When extended families safely gather together again this summer–from grandparents to siblings and first cousins–the convergence of multi-generational ancestors is made extra memorable when everyone shares pictures. Not just those recent activities stored on mobile devices but also generations of analog photo snapshots, 35mm slides, and negatives from yesteryear. This helps build a legacy of storytelling to unite families on a genealogical tour to recall ancestors and the whole family’s history.

Photo Tip: Ask Guests to Share Decades-Past Scanned Pictures

Family Reunion Ideas That’ll Help You Celebrate Together in 2021. You’ve got the casseroles. Let us bring the festivities. [SOURCE: Southern Living].

FAMILY REUNION PHOTO TIP

1) SCAN . Start by asking each family member to gather all their photographs and have each one digitized. There are several easy ways to affordably digitize pictures, from the ScanMyPhotos.com pay-per-scan option to its popular fill-the-box services to scan about 1,800 pictures, and the much larger Family Generations Collection, where more than 10,000 photos are digitized with free shipping and completed in days.

2) NARRATE AND RECORD . At the reunion, gather together in front of a large television and sync to the photo files. Set up a camcorder in the rear of the room to record the narratives as each person shares the stories behind the picture. This is always emotional, and filled with laughter and even weeping chronicles of past events and remembrances from deceased relatives. Provide all the attendees with a copy of the recorded walk down the genealogical path to preserve your family’s timeline.

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We saw these wonderful questions by RootsTech to engage and help identify your family history. Provided by Maegan Kasteler:

This list of RootsTech questions should be thought provoking and open-ended. Be cautious, however, that you don’t get too attached to your questions. Let the conversation ebb and flow as naturally as possible.    

To give you a jumpstart compiling your list of questions, here is our curated list of suggested questions:

• What do you know about the day you were born?
• What was it like living where you grew up?
• What weekly rituals or traditions did your family have?
• What chores, if any, did you have around the home growing up?
• What was your schooling like?
• What would you and your friends do to have fun?
• What was dating like when you were young?
• What was it like living (where your relative lived) during (historic events, such as war, 9/11/2001, a specific political event, a natural disaster, and so on)?
• How did your family resolve familial conflicts?
• Were you ever involved in any accidents? What happened?
• Where was your first job, and what did you do?
• What were your hobbies? Is there anything you picked up when you were young that you still enjoy today?
• Did your family have any pets? What kind? How many? What were their names?
• How and when did you meet your significant other?
• What was your wedding day like?
• Do you remember any weird or crazy or wonderful gifts you received at your wedding?
• When did you know you wanted to have kids?
• How did you find out from or tell your significant other that you would be parents?
• What was early married life like? What struggles did you face?
• Have you been on any memorable vacations? Where did you go? What made them so memorable?

For a wealth of photo digitizing tips, visit ScanMyPhotos.com .

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About scanmyphotos.com.

ScanMyPhotos.com is a leading provider of photo scanning and digitizing services . They specialize in bulk photo scanning and offer professional and high-quality photo scanning services, including old photo scanning and photo restoration . They also offer a range of digitizing services, including slide , negative , and film digitizing services . With their photo-to-digital conversion and online photo scanning services, they make it easy for customers to convert photos to digital and preserve their memories for years to come. Additionally, they offer photo scanning and archiving services, allowing customers to easily access and share their digital photos. If you're looking for photo scanning near you, ScanMyPhotos.com is a reliable and convenient option for all your picture digitizing needs.

Welcome to "Picture This! The Photo Scanning Journal," where we unlock your cherished photo memories' hidden potential and help you preserve them for generations to come. In this digital age, where vintage photos, slides, and home movie film are hidden in boxes, our editors provide vital insights, practical solutions, and expert guidance to transform your photo collection into a treasured storytelling masterpiece. Whether you're seeking inspiration to unleash your creativity, advice on organizing your digital photos, getting digital copies of old snapshots, or learning of the latest trends in photo preservation, our articles offer a wealth of knowledge tailored to your needs. Because we understand that your memories hold immense value, we are dedicated to helping you preserve them. Embark on this journey with us, and together, let's bring your photographs to life, ensuring their significance endures for generations to come.

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What you should know about photos of family reunions

Family reunions are so important. They hold a special place in our hearts, particularly for families that live far from each other. It is challenging to get families together with some of its members having travel restrictions or health issues. However, prioritizing a time to do so is so crucial. Certainly, I have learned this on a personal note as well. Being a part of my own family reunions has taught me the importance of these precious moments.

My experience with family reunions

During the time when my wife and I worked on cruise ships, I organized to have my parents from Macedonia come to visit and cruise with us. My brother’s family was living in Canada at the time and they came down as well so that all of the family could be together in one place. Our next family reunion was a few years later when we settled back in Canada. Again, my parents flew over from from Macedonia. However, this time my brother and his family were living in Miami. They arranged to fly up so that we could all be together in Brampton.

Being a photographer, it goes without saying that I made sure to bring out my camera during these events. And those memories I was able to capture and document them for us all. The photos I took during the last family reunion are the last ones I have of my mom as she passed away only 5 months after we got together. From these moments, I have photos that I’ll always cherish and remember vividly. Of course, these images would not have been complete without being able to showcase the entire family together. Looking back, I feel incredibly blessed that I was able to freeze these precious memories. I’m so thankful that I have them on paper, even though I would trade it all to have the opportunity for one more family reunion.

Connect to your photographer(s) from anywhere

Being a witness to the joy and sorrow of family reunions, I’m a firm believer in organizing a photo session for your next one. Just because I happened to be a photographer, I was able to take some photos of the moments during my own reunion. However, in almost every single image, I am not in it. Therefore, I strong suggest to hire a professional photographer for your get-together. You absolutely need to be part of your family photos.

Weddings and their events have the potential to be pretty stressful to organize. I can tell you from experience that family reunions can be pretty much the same. For that reason, it’s important to choose a photographer that can give you the best value, quality and experience. Nowadays, it is very rare to have all of your family living near each other. I have traveled to reunions all across Ontario, outside of the province and even have been flown to an event in the United States.

Nadine’s family reunion planning process

When Nadine first reached out to me, I was a bit dubious for a moment. Her phone number was from Las Vegas. I’m sure we’ve all received those phishing phone calls from an out of country number, right? Being a Toronto area photographer, it is not everyday that I receive a call for a photo session from Vegas, for sure. However, I soon began to understand that it was a family reunion inquiry. Knowing that the majority of these are planned from outside the area, I quickly connected the pieces to the puzzle and began establishing a connection with Nadine.

Interestingly, in my experience almost all of the organizers for family reunion photos have been the family members living the furthest away from the session. I have had bookings created from California, Nevada, British Columbia to UAE and so on. The people initiating these really understand how important those special photos are in order to keep seeing their missed family members when they are away.

It usually starts with a Google search for a local family photographer as they begin looking for the best option. For them, it is not a matter of the cheapest options or being frugal. The price isn’t a deal breaker. These clients are instead looking for value of service, experience and trustworthiness of the photographer-client connection. They sound like they are talking my language, right?

Nadine was absolutely one of these clients. My client. Born in Canada, she later moved down to Las Vegas. Presently, Nadine was planning to come back with her husband to visit her mom and two sisters here who live in Brampton.

Plan and get ready to stick with it

Nadine started planning for the photo session around the same time she booked her flight tickets. This meant that we had more than enough time to start planning her family reunion photos. We set a date and I suggested a location. She already had an idea for the family outfits and with that the session was organized. We acted quickly and worked together to make their family reunion action plan happen seamlessly. Now, the only thing left was for me to capture their perfectly designed photo session.

For the location of the family reunion, Nadine liked my suggestion and chose to go to Heart Lake Conservation area. This location was ideal because it was close to other members in her family. Heart Lake can offer so much in terms of photography, if you just know where to look for it. On the day of the session, the weather started to get interesting as I was en route to the location. Dark clouds were forming and the smell of rain was in the air.

Mother Nature had her own plans

Ignoring the sky for the moment, it was time to meet the family. Their amazing energy was so contagious. The entire family was so excited to be photographed. Harnessing this enthusiasm, I started to immediately take some photos. The clouds may have been rolling towards us, but we remained focused on the task at hand. We were having fun so much fun and keeping up with the amazing atmosphere that nobody noticed the weather changing.

Nadine asked me to replicate a family photo that they take whenever they get together. Of course, I made sure to take the photo and in addition I also took another with my own twist on it. For this, I used their energy to remember the moment and bring this photo experience to whole other level.

We visited and changed a couple of locations within Heart Lake Conservation area. We took family photos with the small family groups, siblings, couples, cousins and other combinations. A few times someone would ask if it was important to take that many photos. With that, I would smile and say, “Not really, but we’re here so why not have a bit of fun and document it. Maybe you might like it!”

No obstacle too big for this family to overcome

Then, the darkest clouds began to arrive and the rain started to pour down hard! As this had been building for some time, I knew to bring the session to be closer to the public washrooms in case of a rain emergency. At the first drops of the downpour, Nadine’s family went inside to shelter from the much needed summer rain. It was perfect because they also had a chance to retouch their hair and make-up as well as take a bit of a break too. Without this shelter available, our session would inevitably be over. Honestly, we would be wet beyond repair! Instead, the break saw us rejuvenated and ready to continue with the second part of the session.

When the rain stopped, we set out again for the tail end of the session. Once I had earned their trust as a true professional and “saved” them from the storm, our new and improved connection was next level!

They laughed, smile, danced and enjoyed their happy, family fun. I was so pleased to witness how they thoroughly enjoyed their session. It was satisfying to be able to document another set of amazing family reunion photos. Nadine’s was thrilled that her plan worked and that she was able to organize this year’s group photos. After such a great time, they were off to have an early dinner before Nadine and her husband’s flight was leaving in the late afternoon.

Act fast, select your photos

Once I had these beautiful images documented, I made sure to move quickly to provide the images to the family. The amazing feelings we left the session with would be diminished with too much time in between taking and viewing the images. That is not a feeling I want my clients to associate with my services. This also helps the family get together yet again to view the images together. While sometimes they can do this in person, there is also the opportunity to view them together online to select their favourites.

When the selection process is complete, I always leave them with one word of advice. Print, print and print some more. (That’s probably considered more than one word?) While living in a world of the online instant gratification of photo moments, we sometimes lose the sense of a printed photo’s power. I’m here to remind you how important it is and am a huge advocate of it. For this reason, I always offer prints of the images my clients purchase. In my collections, these prints are my gift to you.

Digital images often become victims to our ever-changing digital world. Computers, storage devices, phones, etc hold so much information and pictures that we don’t take the time to revisit and reflect on these memories. On the other hand, printed photos are tangible moments that can be brought out and cherished for many generations to come. I am reminded of this every time I see my own photos of our family reunions of 2007 and 2011. I wouldn’t loose these for anything!

My connection with couples outside my local community

The immeasurable value of family is something that I innately understand. Offering photography services that centre around this, I am able to build an incredible bond and connection with my clients based on this core value. I am a father, husband, son and brother first and use this experience to guide my approach when capturing my clients and their families moments together. This authentic human connection is crucial to the level of family photography that I provide.

I’m looking forward to continuing to provide many other families with documenting their family reunion moments. When these challenging times are behind us, we will be able to reunite with the loved ones we are missing so much. When the countries’ borders open and travel is an option, I’ll be here to capture your family reunions while giving you a one of a kind experience.

If you like to get in touch with me contact me here and I’ll be happy to document your family fun and happiness.

My passion and biggest asset is taking the time to make every client comfortable and relaxed before I even pick up the camera. The result? Photos of you that actually look like you at your best! I can prove to you how much you can enjoy having your picture taken. Lifestyle photography is about the experience that happens to be served up along side of some great photos.

Specialties: Family Photography for families that like to move around and enjoy their photo time, Wedding Photography for couples looking for a mixture of photojournalistic, contemporary and traditional images and Professional Corporate headshots that are far from cheesy and stiff.

How to Plan a Family Reunion: Tips and Tricks for Bringing Generations Together

Here’s my first tip for how to plan a family reunion: Pick a memorable date and stick with it.

For over 50 years, my dad’s family has reunited on the second Sunday of October. It’s typically the end of harvest. The fall leaves *might* (depending on Iowa’s weather) be at their peak colors. And the weather has a 50/50 shot of being nice for an outdoor event.

Our annual fall picnic and family reunion is a pretty simple affair: a big bonfire, all the hotdogs you care to eat, a table of chips and salads, and a table of desserts. We bring our own lawn chairs and drinks. We roast hotdogs, eat chips by the handful, share beer and bottles of whiskey, and have a great time catching up with relatives we rarely see. The highlight for me is the afternoon hayride around our century family farm. Each new generation hears the same stories and is shown the same special landmarks.

It’s one of my favorite fall events. However, there’s a lot more we could do to take advantage of that special time with family members that we might only see one day a year, or every few years.

How to Plan a Family Reunion

Family reunions hold a special place in many people’s hearts. It’s a time for all the generations to come together to celebrate, update one another on life happenings, and share favorite family stories.

However, if your family reunions are anything like ours it can be a struggle to get different branches of the family tree to talk to one another, and nearly impossible to get different generations to share time together. (By the way, we created a handy How to Plan a Family Reunion Checklist that you can download for free on our Resources page . It starts with tasks to begin one year before the reunion!)

In this guide, I’ll give you ideas to ensure your next family reunion creates meaningful connections and lasting bonds across generations. I’ll provide tips for fostering open conversations, explore the importance of sharing and preserving stories, and introduce you to some tools and services that can help you capture your family’s priceless memories.

Bringing Family Together

At the heart of a family reunion is the treasure trove of shared life experiences and stories that bind your family together. These connections are extremely important for all generations, and can even make our children more resilient and emotionally stronger. Why? Because family stories hold the power to strengthen bonds between grandparents and grandchildren, parents and children, aunts and nieces, uncles and nephews, and cousins of all ages! Your family may be crazy, but there’s something wonderful in knowing that they’re yours and will be there for you.

When we acknowledge the importance of family stories, we can set the stage for meaningful connections that will be cherished and remembered for years to come.

Setting the Stage for Connections

To create genuine connections at your family reunion, it is essential to design an atmosphere that encourages open and relaxed conversations. While planned activities and structured events can be enjoyable, start with ample free time for family members to reconnect and catch up.

Here are some tips on setting the stage for meaningful conversations:

• Arrange your furniture strategically. Position your seating in ways that promote conversation and interaction. Create cozy areas with comfortable chairs where small groups can gather and engage in conversation. Have some larger group seating options around a fireplace or scenic view, to encourage face-to-face interactions. Create table signs that promote different groups of people sitting down together: First names that start with A-H. Winter birthdays. Dog lovers. Sauerkraut fans. You get the idea.
• Create conversation starter cards. Place conversation starter cards on tables or near the food area to spark discussions. These cards can be thought-provoking questions or prompts related to your family history, favorite memories, or family members. Make your own cards or buy a premade set, like these .
• Set up a memory-sharing station. Dedicate an area where family members can share and display old photographs, scrapbooks, and other memorabilia. It’ll prompt great stories about past events and memories of family members who are no longer with you.
• Make an accomplishment board. Hang blank posterboards, dry erase boards, or just blank sheets of paper on a wall and encourage everyone to write down something good or exciting that happened to them in the past year (or since your last reunion). Make sure they sign their names so other people can ask them for more details!
• Provide fun, easy game areas. Set up a bags/cornhole game or two. Borrow a Giant Jenga or Giant Connect Four game.  If you have outdoor space, consider horseshoes or a croquet set. The point is to offer games that encourage people to gather, engage in conversation, and have fun together. Don’t forget to provide spectator seating for those who would rather cheer than play!

Preserving Family Stories

For the most part, your family reunion really should be all fun and games and good food. The point is to allow people to relax and enjoy one another. However, a family reunion is an amazing opportunity to finally record memories and stories from your family members. One of the simplest and most convenient ways to capture family stories is through video or audio recordings using your smartphone.

There are lots of free and inexpensive apps and tools available to enhance the recording experience and make it even more enjoyable. Consider popular audio recording apps such as Voice Memos  or video recording apps like FilmicPro or OpenCamera. These apps offer features like high-quality recording, easy editing, and the ability to add timestamps, ensuring that the captured stories are both well-preserved and easily accessible.

Next, designate an official camera person or interviewer. Choose a family member that most people know. Someone who is tech-savvy and also has an approachable, friendly manner. Set up a quiet area with two comfortable chairs. Casually invite people to the recording area to tell a short story or 10 minutes of family memories. Consider bringing in long-time married couples to interview together. Or brothers or sisters. But limit it to one or two people at a time.

Your interviewer/camera person can ask questions or let your family members wing it. It is helpful to have a few questions for shy or reserved personalities who might need help getting started. Not sure what to ask? Download our free 200+ biography questions to help get you started.

Finally, thank all the interview participants for their time. Tell them how you will share their stories/memories with them, and with the rest of your family. And then, follow-through and do it! This will be a fun and wonderful way to remember your reunion after it’s ended.

Enlisting the Pros to Help

As you consider how to plan your family reunion, think about the importance of capturing your family’s stories and memories. Enlisting the help of professionals can elevate the experience and take the pressure off you! The Circa Legacy team can help you record and save your family stories. With our experience and skills, we can interview your family members, create the audio and/or video recordings, turn those stories into a treasured keepsake, and make it a fun, memorable experience for everyone involved!

In conclusion, as you prepare for your next family reunion, remember the immense value of capturing and preserving your family’s stories. These narratives hold the essence of your family’s legacy, connecting generations and providing a sense of identity and belonging.

To ensure that no story goes untold, consider enlisting the help of the experienced interviewers at Circa Legacy. Having a professional on-site during your reunion adds a unique and invaluable touch to the storytelling process. Circa Legacy will bring their expertise, equipment, and passion for preserving memories, ensuring that each cherished moment is captured with care and authenticity.

Email Keesia at [email protected] to discuss availability and ideas for your next family reunion. Remember, the time to capture these stories is now, while you have the opportunity to gather your loved ones and create a lasting legacy for generations to come!

P.S. The photo above was taken by Kait Miller Photography at my family’s 50th annual fall reunion!

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An Ode to the Family Reunion

These days, it’s all too easy to swap facetime for face time—but maintaining genuine connections with loved ones remains important. here, one writer makes the case for getting the whole family together once a year..

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Since the early 1980s, the Healys have organized a family reunion every year without fail.

Courtesy of Annie Daly; design by Emily Blevins

Every single year without fail, my extended family on my mom’s side gets together for a family reunion during the first weekend of August. There are about 40 of us total, give or take, spanning four generations, and when I let people in on this fact, they are often blown away. “Every year?” they’ll ask, incredulous, their eyes widening. “Really? That many people, every year?”

Yes, really.

Perhaps due to our increasingly busy, on-the-move culture, I’ve found that more and more people are amazed to learn about our annual gathering of extended family; they almost always want to know what it’s actually like. I’m always happy to share—the memories and the traditions that my family have created each year have kept us close and have turned me into a firm believer in the joy of the family reunion.

My 92-year-old grandfather, Otis Healy (whom we all call “Big O”) is our fearless leader, the man behind the magic. A true family guy at heart, he has meticulously planned—and generously paid for—each and every Healy Family Reunion since the tradition began in the early 1980s. The reunions have been a constant for all 34 years of my life, and yet I still don’t take them for granted. I recognize that it’s rare to have a family patriarch who funds a yearly family reunion and to have a family that actually gets along in the first place; I’m deeply grateful to have both.

At a reunion in Kona, the girl cousins—including Daly, front row, third from the left—gained resort renown thanks to a smoothie recipe they concocted.

Photo courtesy Annie Daly; design by Emily Blevins

Our reunions usually take place at a resort or hotel in Southern California, where my mom and her three siblings grew up. While the majority of the family still lives in the area, some members of the crew travel in from New York, Boston, Rhode Island, Dallas, and Virginia. Back in the late 1980s and early ’90s, when there were 11 cousins under the age of 10, the events would often span almost a full week—and usually the resort staff loved being along for the ride. One year, when we were staying at Kona Village Resort on Hawaii’s Big Island , the girl cousins made up a smoothie and named it after ourselves, using the first letter of each of our names. By the end of the week, we were “resort famous” around the property for creating the popular KJAM (Katie, Jennifer, Annie, and Meg) smoothie. We still talk about our “early rise to fame.” (Unfortunately, Kona was washed away by a tsunami in 2011, but may be reopening as a Rosewood property in 2022.)

As the cousins got older, Big O traded in full weeks for one doable weekend, since 100 percent attendance is always the goal. As some of us neared high school age, the festivities got a little more animated, culminating in an infamous cruise to Tijuana. Oh, the cruise! That year, the “Cousin Class of 1985” all turned 18—the legal drinking age in Mexico. We were all a little too enthusiastic about finally being able to drink in front of our parents, and I ended up getting sick . . . on Big O’s feet. Literally on his feet. It’s a running joke in our family to this day.

The laughter continued over the years in other fun and beautiful spots, including Temecula Creek Inn , where we went on a hot air balloon ride over wine country at 5 a.m.; Paradise Point in San Diego, where my newly raw-vegan cousin Kevin introduced us all to the wonders of eating fresh hibiscus straight off the tree; and Lake Arrowhead Resort and Spa , where I leaned into the reputation I earned in Tijuana and brought a wine rack as a joke—and even wore it over my dress at our family beach barbecue.

That’s the thing about my family: We all have a silly sense of humor, one that comes out in full force during the reunions. And our opportunities for goofiness increased in 2011 when Big O married his third wife (sadly, he lost both my grandmother Betty and his second wife Barbara to cancer), a wonderful woman named Joann, whom everyone calls “Bombie.” Big O and Bombie decided to combine family forces, bringing the reunion roster up from 23 or so to around 40.

In the past few years, the new, much larger crew has started working together as one big team to choose a secret theme for each reunion to surprise Big O and Bombie. During the 2016 election year, for example, the theme was “Big O for President!” We made election pins; dressed up in red, white, and blue hats for the family photo (there’s always a family photo); and carried a huge banner that read “Big O for President” through The Ranch at Laguna Beach , where we were staying. When he turned 90, the theme was “Absolut Otis—90 Proof,” a tribute to his love of a double vodka on the rocks, which he drinks every day at 5 p.m. on the nose. Once again, we gave the theme the banner treatment, and we also made bottles of “Absolut Otis” vodka as souvenirs.

But no matter what the theme is, certain elements of the reunion never change. Every day we gather at 5 p.m. in the “hospitality suite”—Big O and Bombie’s room. Big O stocks the room with varied snacks from Costco, which always include at least one enormous tub of salted mixed nuts. He’ll also often ask people to give speeches if they did something especially noteworthy in the preceding 12 months. Last year, four of the cousins (myself included) had either just gotten married or were about to do so, and he asked us what we learned about wedding planning and marriage itself. While we had all had slightly different experiences, we agreed that it’s the marriage, not the wedding, that matters. And you have to have a sense of humor to make a marriage work.

In 2011, Big O married Bombie and the family reunion attendees almost doubled, making for even more merriment.

Photo by Tom Daly Photography; design by Emily Blevins

Photo by Tom Daly Photography; design by Emily Blevins In 2011, Big O married Bombie and the family reunion attendees almost doubled, making for even more merriment.

In the end, that’s why our family reunions work, too; we genuinely crack each other up. And we also get down. We usually enlist a resort DJ for the big party on Saturday night, and Uncle Mike busts out the worm. One year, after that ridiculous song “ Red Solo Cup ” came out, we spent hours making red Solo cup gear to surprise Big O and Bombie on the big night. Some of the best times of my life have been out there on that dance floor, laughing my face off with my family, and that’s exactly why Big O keeps planning these reunions year after year after year. “The reunions solidify the word ‘family’ to me,” he told me. “I get such great joy out of seeing everybody together and interacting with one another. . . . It’s as simple as that.”

Sadly, in our busy, all-digital-everything, increasingly disconnected world, that simplicity can be hard to find. And a genuine connection with family—related or chosen, however you define it—is more important than ever. So as a self-appointed Reunion Whisperer, I can assure you that no matter how many miles you have to fly, or days you have to take off from work, or reply-all email chains you have to stay on top of to make your get-togethers happen, it’s worth it. Reunions can take place anywhere, whether that’s your cousin’s grassy backyard or an Airbnb in the middle of nowhere. The point is that they take place—with all of their laughter and their love and maybe even their red Solo cups.

>>Next: The World’s Best Family Hotels

What is a Family Reunion, and Why Is It Important?

In this article, I’ll delve into the heart of family reunions, sharing personal insights and offering a step-by-step guide to understanding their profound importance.

Key Takeaways

• Definition: A family reunion is a gathering where members of an extended family come together.
• Importance: They strengthen bonds, foster a sense of belonging, and create lifelong memories.
• Personal Growth: Reunions can promote personal growth by understanding family history.
• Healing: They offer a platform for reconciliation and healing within the family dynamic.
• Heritage: Family reunions are crucial for preserving and passing down family heritage and traditions.

Understanding Family Reunions

A family reunion is an occasion when members of an extended family, often spanning several generations, come together. It’s a time to reconnect, share stories, celebrate milestones, and create new memories. 

From my experience, these gatherings can range from small, intimate get-togethers to large, festival-like events with numerous activities.

Trending Now: Find Out Why!

The significance of family reunions, strengthening bonds.

Family reunions offer a unique opportunity to strengthen bonds that distance and daily life can strain. They provide a space for relatives to reconnect and engage in meaningful conversations, rebuilding relationships that may have waned over time.

Fostering a Sense of Belonging

In a world where individualism often takes precedence, family reunions remind us of the value of community and belonging. They reinforce our connections to our roots and give us a sense of place within our extended family.

Creating Memories

These gatherings are an excellent source of cherished memories. From the laughter shared over a family meal to the tears of joy at seeing a long-lost relative, reunions are fertile ground for moments that will be remembered for years to come.

Promoting Personal Growth

Understanding your family’s history and dynamics can offer profound insights into your own personality and life choices. Family reunions can be a journey of self-discovery, as stories and experiences from the past shed light on the present.

Healing and Reconciliation

Not all family histories are without conflict. Reunions can serve as a platform for healing and reconciliation, offering a chance to mend fences and build bridges within the family.

Tips for a Successful Family Reunion

Planning: Good organization is key. Start planning well in advance, and consider creating a committee to delegate tasks.

Inclusivity: Make sure everyone feels welcome. Consider the needs and preferences of all age groups and family branches.

Activities: Plan activities that cater to various interests and ages, promoting interaction and bonding.

Memory Sharing: Encourage the sharing of stories, photos, and family history to deepen connections and understanding.

Follow-Up: Keep the momentum going. Share photos and stories post-reunion and start planning the next one.

Personal Insights

In my own experience, family reunions have been a cornerstone of my familial relationships. They’ve allowed me to forge deeper connections with relatives I barely knew and provided a broader perspective on my family’s narrative. 

The joy of seeing generations come together, sharing experiences, and creating new memories is truly incomparable.

Engage With Us

Have you recently attended a family reunion, or are you planning one? What does this gathering mean to you, and how do you ensure it’s a success? Share your stories and tips in the comments below. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What is the Best Time of Year to Plan a Family Reunion?

Answer: In my experience, the best time for a family reunion largely depends on the preferences and schedules of the family members. However, summer and early fall have often worked well for us, offering pleasant weather and accommodating those with school-age children.

Q: How Do You Choose a Location for a Family Reunion?

Answer: Choosing a location is a balance of accessibility and appeal. I tend to pick places that are centrally located for most family members and offer activities for all ages. Parks, resorts, or even a family member’s large backyard have been great choices.

Q: What Activities Can You Plan for All Ages at a Family Reunion?

Answer: It’s key to have a mix! For kids, games and outdoor activities; for adults, things like group storytelling or a family talent show. I always include something that honors our family heritage, like a slideshow of old family photos.

Q: How Do You Handle Food Arrangements for Large Family Reunions?

Answer: Potluck style has always worked well for us. It allows everyone to contribute and brings a variety of dishes to the table. For larger reunions, I’ve also found success in hiring a caterer or organizing a barbecue.

Q: What’s the Best Way to Keep Everyone Informed About the Reunion Plans?

Answer: I create a central communication hub, like a group chat or a social media group. Regular updates, along with a detailed itinerary sent well in advance, keep everyone on the same page.

Q: How Can You Make a Family Reunion Memorable?

Answer: Personal touches make all the difference. Custom T-shirts, a family trivia game, or a memory book where everyone can write a message are some ways I’ve made our reunions memorable.

Q: What Are Some Tips for a First-Time Family Reunion Organizer?

Answer: Start planning early, involve other family members in the planning process, and don’t be afraid to delegate tasks. Most importantly, remember the goal is to create a fun and inclusive environment for everyone.

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This insightful article beautifully captures the essence of family reunions, reminding us of the invaluable role they play in strengthening family ties and preserving our heritage. Excellent read!

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How to Plan a Family Reunion: A Checklist, Guide + Tips from Experts

Budget Minded , Family , Family Reunion , Friends , Professional

Last Updated: January 29, 2024 alanareunacy -->

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So you’re the chosen family member who gets to organize and plan the upcoming family reunion! If that’s you, Reunacy has done the major leg work and created an in-depth planning guide and a family reunion planning checklist to alleviate your duties. 

We spoke with dozens of family reunion planners, event planning experts, and production coordinators to create the ultimate guide to planning a family reunion. With guidance from experts, you’ll have a comprehensive and detailed understanding of what you need to do to plan and execute a successful family reunion. We’ve also included a downloadable checklist that you can print out and fill in as you check off each detail!

Phase One: How to Start Planning Your Family Reunion

Phase one occurs 8-12 months before the Reunion

Identify Your “Why”

A family gathering is more than just an event, it is the reunion of people who love each other and want the best for each other over a lifetime together. 

Family reunions can have different purposes. Maybe your family is a bit estranged and all lives far away from each other. In that case, a family reunion can help strengthen new bonds for the future.  Maybe your family gets together often and just loves to be together! 

What motivates you to plan your family reunion?

As a family reunion planner, it’s helpful for you to know your “why.” Whatever your reason is, you can turn back to that motivation in moments where the details of planning can feel overwhelming.

“Events of any type can be stressful, but especially when you’re planning for people you love and care about. Throughout the family reunion planning process, remind yourself that you’re planning for an entire family; one full of personalities and opinions. Keep focused on the goals, plan from a place of love, not obligation. Keep fun and feeling and memories at the forefront of everything you do throughout the planning process.” – Saundra Severtson , Event Planner and Founder of wyldmynd.

As you plan your family reunion, always remember your why. Remember that the whole point is to expand the love and joy within your family! It’s okay if every detail isn’t perfect, the purpose is to gather, connect, and get together.

Consulting the Family For Your Family Reunion

Now that you know you and your family want to get together, it is important to iron out a few details and communicate with your family. This is the information gathering phase.

At this early phase, making a few phone calls or sending a large family email or text message can help you discover the appetite across the board for a reunion.

You can also discover how much people in your family are able to spend to attend the reunion, as well as what time of year would be ideal for them to get together.

Info Gathering for Your Family Reunion

As you start initial communications within your family, ask a few key questions to gather information that will inform your planning.

“As you start planning a family reunion, ask each family – where are you coming from? What kind of budget would you be comfortable with per person? How many people from your family will be attending? That’s the best place to start.” – Michelle Maiello , Moonwood Marketing and Events

Once you gather information, it’s time to think about how to get more organized. If you can enlist a few volunteers within the family to help you with the planning process, you can split up the tasks and delegate throughout the process based on each person’s skills.

The Essential Early Details

As you start the family reunion planning process, there are a few key details you will need to focus on first. As you start brainstorming, keep an open mind. 

“ One of my mantras is: get curious; then get to work! Every seasoned events planner knows that the details are crucial, which is why we ask so many questions.” -Saundra Severtson, wyldmynd.

Be clear when asking your family for information, yet be flexible enough in this early stage so you can make any needed adjustments.

Choosing a Date for your Family Reunion

One of the first and most important decisions is to lock in a date that works for the entire family. Much like planning a wedding, you might be targeting a certain time of year — like the spring or summer. 

If you pick a date for the family reunion early, that gives you more time to plan.

“When it comes to planning an event, six – nine months in advance is the sweet spot for nailing down what you’re dreaming up. When you’re in a time crunch for planning, it may not allow the correct window to customize things for your event. During the planning process, details will change, new ideas may come to fruition, and when there is extra time in the process it is easy to make those accommodations and adjustments.” – Sarah McClure, Marketing Director, LUX Events

Lock in the Date for the Reunion

The most popular time of year to hold a family reunion is the late spring, summer, through early fall. Summertime is popular for family reunions because parents with children and teenagers can more easily plan a vacation around the family reunion since school is off!

Try picking two weekends within the summer and ask your family members which weekend works better for everyone.

Another reason to choose a date early in the process is to respect the travel budget of your family members. The earlier your family can reserve plane tickets or hotel reservations around the family reunion date, they can lock in lower travel prices and save money.

Some in the family may even decide to turn the family reunion into a road trip, or a vacation!

Your Family Reunion Budget

Besides the date, the budget is one of the most important elements of the family reunion planning process. The amount of funds in the budget will determine what kind of location you can secure, as well as the type of food and entertainment.

On average, family reunions can cost $25 – 75 a person, per day. Depending on the location you choose, the vendor costs, or the season, expenses will vary. It’s important to have a budget discussion early on in the process as some initial funds may be needed to reserve locations.

“When planning a family reunion, start by knowing the overall budget and the flexibility of all the family members in terms of travel. If people are coming from out of state and they are flying in and need accommodations, that’s a big part of the picture. Once you know what people are able to do in terms of travel costs, that can help you determine if you have the funds to rent a large venue for the reunion, or rent an AirBnb and have the family all stay in one place. If everyone already lives in the state or is within driving distance, then you’re able to spend the budget funds on things like catering, a private chef, or entertainment.” -Michelle Maiello, Moonwood Marketing

Keep in mind, another way to lower the travel expenses for your family is to reserve a block of hotel rooms for the family.

Consider Location Options For your Family Reunion

After you’ve had some initial budget discussions, consider the type of location you want for your family reunion.

Locations and venue rentals are typically the highest expense of an event. The more time you have to prepare, the more options you can consider for locations. 

“Starting as early as possible is key to giving yourself time to find your ideal venue and negotiate the contract. Making decisions on the larger spends early will allow the planner to spend wisely on the little details along the way. Larger spends include venue, catering, transportation & housing (if needed). Negotiate those contracts early!”  -Saundra Severtson, wyldmynd.

Many locations require early reservations. If you wait until the last minute or until 3 months before, it will be difficult to secure your ideal spot.

When you are brainstorming locations and venues for your family reunion, be open minded. Sometimes you need to visit a place in person to really understand if it can be the perfect fit for your family.

Family reunions can be held at a variety of locations, such as:

• Local Church
• Favorite restaurant
• An outdoor park with a Bar-b-Q
• Country club
• An outdoor garden
• Family home backyard
• Pizza joint
• A brewery or winery

“Family vibe and personality should be a consideration when looking for locations, but not the main consideration. I would absolutely look at a variety of ideas – even ones that seem outlandish or too expensive. Have FUN in the planning process. Get creative!” -Saundra Severtson, wyldmynd.

Another thing to keep in mind about location is parking and transportation. Does the venue have a large parking lot?

Date, budget, location – these are the initial details that are essential to the early planning phases of organizing a family reunion.

Once you have gotten started with these key details, you can start the creative process of envisioning the reunion!

Phase Two: 3 – 8 months before the Family Reunion

Now that you’ve decided on a date and started the planning process, here are the next steps.

Staying Organized is Key to Planning a Family Reunion

While it may seem like annoying advice, staying organized can make or break the planning process. Before we get into all the details you need to arrange for the reunion, here are a few ways to stay organized.

Create a “Hero” Family Reunion Planning Document

This step is VERY important.

To keep all the reunion details organized, create a virtual document or spreadsheet to house all the planning information. This document or spreadsheet is where you will list your vendors’ contact info, the plans for the food, the schedule, etc. 

Google spreadsheets are very easy to use, and you can even use a pre-made Google Wedding template … and change the name “wedding” to Family reunion!

As you narrow down vendors and event details, update the document or spreadsheet so the planning committee can all be in the loop.

How Clear Communication Can Shape a Successful Family Reunion

“A gathering starts long before guests walk through the front door” -Priya Parker, The Art of Gathering

Planning a family reunion (especially for more than 50 people) requires clear communication between the main family reunion planner and the family/attendees. 

“My perspective is that the leader should communicate from a ‘coach’ perspective. We’re all on the same team, we each bring unique skills and perspectives, let’s work toward combining those to achieve our goals.” -Saundra Severtson, wyldmynd.

As you communicate with the family, having a positive, team-focused attitude can go a long way. 

How to Communicate with the Family During the Planning Process

Part of the planning process is communicating with the attendees for information updates. Starting with a family email chain or text group can be a good method. 

“Setting the tone and communicating effectively helps the team progress toward a successful event. Effective communication allows an opportunity for guests/invitees to learn more about what to expect – and to get excited about attending the event.” -Saundra Severtson, wyldmynd.

Once you start planning more officially and wish to track RSVPs, you might want to choose a more dynamic platform. Reunacy provides a seamless and private platform for your family to create groups and stay in touch. 

Unlike Facebook groups, Reunancy keeps your family’s information completely private and there are no advertisements. Family members can RSVP through the platform, and you can easily track how many people are planning to attend.

Brainstorming a Vision for Your  Family Reunion

Create a unique vision for the event to set the tone of the reunion. 

“Make your family reunion YOU! You want your family reunion to resemble the parties in attendance and be a fun and enjoyable experience for all!” 

There are so many ways you can personalize the family reunion to your family’s personality. 

You can pick a unique theme, family colors, or even a cultural theme unique to your family heritage.

Consider Family History For the Reunion Theme

For example, if your family is Italian and loves Italian food, you can easily create a theme around the various types of Italian dishes. You could also include special recipes from grandparents! 

Focusing on family heritage will create a heartwarming tone that encourages your family members to honor and connect with family history.

“I envision the tone and feel of an event months before by delving into the core objectives and desired atmosphere. This involves creating a vision and understanding the overarching message of the event, allowing for a more intentional and purposeful gathering. Every aspect, from the initial anticipation to the moment guests walk through the door, contributes to an impactful event.”- Brendan Sweeney, Producer

Whatever makes your family unique, delve into those unique traits and trust your instincts! 

Solidify the Family Reunion Details

By now, you and your committee should have a short list of potential family reunion locations. Visit the locations and see which location is available for your date. 

Lock in the Location for Your Family Reunion 

“Budget is so important here. And I’d add that family vibe/personality should be a consideration, but not *the* consideration. I would absolutely look at a variety of ideas – even ones that seem outlandish or too expensive. Have FUN in the planning process. Get creative!” -Saundra Severtson, wyldmynd.

Lock in the location at least 6 months before the reunion date if possible. As mentioned before, the contract negotiation may take a few weeks. 

By this point in the planning, you will want to have a rough estimate of how many people will attend, even if you don’t have all the RSVPs returned yet.

Communications – When do we send the family reunion invitations? 

Again, you will want a clear way to communicate with your committee and your guests. As soon as you have locked in the location, send the invitations to your guests.

Invitations should be sent at least 3-5 months before the family reunion. 

You will need to have all confirmed RSVPs no later than 5 weeks before the event.

With Reunacy, you can actively manage all your family reunion RSVPs within your Reunacy group.

Choose Your Vendors

Food and Catering: Dial in your food and catering choices

One of the most important elements of the family reunion is deciding on food that will fit within your budget that your family will enjoy.

The location you choose might have a kitchen with an in-house chef, which would make the catering a bit easier. 

If you are planning to hire an outside catering service, look at a few vendors in your area and check the Yelp and Google ratings. Check your budget to make sure their pricing works within your range.

If you and your family are planning to do your own cooking, delegate menu creation and shopping lists within your family reunion planning committee. 

Confirm Equipment Rental

Are you renting any chairs, tables, tableware, cups, napkins, or outdoor tents? 

As you envision your family reunion, decide if you want to buy these items yourself or rent them from a party planning service.

Contact a local party vendor and make sure to ask if they can also include delivery and pick up service. 

Tables, chairs, and tents are the most essential items to rent, as families usually don’t have 50 extra chairs lying around!

Photography

Photos really do last a lifetime! With all the planning and effort that goes into a family reunion, those photos will be priceless for you and your family to enjoy after the reunion.

“If budget allows, I’d strongly recommend a photographer or photo booth or an area with selfie sticks for folks to use. If you can afford a photographer, that’s always my preferred method of commemorating an event. They capture those candid, unstaged moments that can spark so much joy. Check with a local arts school or community college to see if a student would be interested in snapping your event. They’ll appreciate the experience and money – and you’ll get a semi-pro for less money. Win-win!”  -Saundra Severtson, wyldmynd.

If the budget does not allow for a photographer, consider assigning a few family members with photography and creative skills to focus on the photography for the event. 

Capturing the memories through photography is an essential part of the planning process that you do not want to miss!

Entertainment

If you want to make the reunion a little extra special and fun, consider additional entertainment like group activities or hiring live musicians.

“ One important thing to keep in mind is that because this event spans generations, a variety of activities should be a focus. That said, you will never please everyone (!!), so consider the larger group rather than one age group or specific group within the family. At the end of the day, everyone is gathering to enjoy each other, catch up, reminisce…everything else is gravy. :)” – Saundra Severtson, wyldmynd.

Here are some additional ideas to consider for your entertainment:

• Live Music – Are there musicians in the family? Consider renting a stage or sound system for a family performance.
• Trivia or group games. 
• Outdoor Events (Sports, water slides)
• Professional entertainers 
• Hired musicians and bands
• Family talent Show

Start Planning the Family Reunion Schedule

Back to your “Master Planning” document. As you make decisions with vendors, food, and entertainment, make sure to update your document. 

You will create a “Schedule” section for the week of the reunion. This section is important to plan early in the process, as it can be overwhelming to organize the week of. 

Schedule out 1-2 weeks ahead of the reunion, as well a detailed hourly schedule the day before the reunion, the reunion itself, and the clean up day.  When you’re planning the prep day, which would be the day before the reunion, be as detailed as you can! Include the names of people in your family if you can delegate duties like cooking, shopping, decorating, or managing vendor deliveries.

A sample prep day schedule would look like this:

10:00 AM – Table and Chair Delivery at Family Ranch

12:00 AM – Monica brings table cloths and decorations; Johnson side of family decorates

2:00 PM – Gary goes to Costco to buy appetizers, lasagna ingredients, plates, and forks

3:30 PM – Deliver the food to the Family Ranch

4:00 PM – Stephanie and kids build photo family tree after driving in from Michigan

5:30 PM – Light appetizers and drinks set up for family

6:30 PM – Pre-family reunion appetizers and cocktails at the Family Ranch

If you don’t have enough people to help you in person, consider hiring an assistant to help during the reunion. Sometimes the locations will provide an event planner or operations manager as part of your rental package. Make sure to stay in close communication with them!

Re-visit Budget and Delegate Responsibilities

As you go through the planning process, you will need to update the budget to reflect new vendor expenses.

Celebrating Your Family with Family Reunion Decorations

As you plan the reunion, ask your family members to bring photos for a large family collage!

“I’d recommend asking folks in your family to send photos and make a big collage of the family throughout the years. It’s a lovely way to honor those who came before us, and it’s fun to see which cousins look like great grandma Dorothy and great uncle Mel!”- Saundra Severtson

Keepsake /T Shirts

One popular way that many families preserve the memory of family reunions is through a family reunion t-shirt!

Check out our article called “ The Ultimate Guide To Fun Family Reunion Shirt Ideas ” for a guide on how to plan and create family reunion t-shirts.

Phase Three: It’s Time for the Reunion!

2 -3 weeks before the reunion up to the reunion day!

It’s go time! It’s the week of the reunion. 

The details and communication process matter the most in the moments leading up to the event. 

Once the reunion starts, try to have everything managed so you can enjoy the fruits of your labor and have an amazing time with your family!

It’s Time to Re-confirm the Details

Double check your detailed event schedule.

This is when you return back to your “Master” / “Hero” planning document. Double-check your schedule and make sure all updates and changes are entered into it.

Here are the most important details you need to re-confirm the week of the reunion:

• Food shopping and prep: Will Aunt Pamela be delivering and cooking the food? Will your catering company take care of the main meal? Will you still need to shop for and prepare appetizers or drinks?
• When can you decorate the venue? Who can help you decorate? 
• Vendor deliveries: When will tables and chairs be delivered? Is there anyone who can help set these up?
• Parking at location: Where will guests park? Are there enough spaces at the location?
• Will there be transportation provided from the hotel to the venue?
• Make sure to pay your vendors on time,
• Communicate with your vendors the week before the reunion for any last minute changes or updates.
• Do you want families to sit wherever they wish, or is it better to organize a seating arrangement?
• How will you communicate the seating arrangements? Will you give guests a table number when they check in?
• Will you arrange a check-in table to provide name tags and family reunion information?
• Plan for any emergencies: Always have a first aid kit and know where the nearest hospital is.
• Schedule for Clean Up

YOU DID IT!!! It’s finally time for the Reunion!

“Remember to ENJOY yourself at the reunion. It’s so important to be able to enjoy the fruits of your labor – especially with family. Finally, if you can, hire a day-of person or enlist a friend to help out so you can have fun. They’re your family too!” – Saundra Severtson , Founder of wyldmynd.

The Reunacy team hopes you enjoy an incredible and special reunion with your family! Please let us know how your reunion goes, and if we can add any other helpful content to this post. Keep gathering together!

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Paragraph on Family Reunion

Students are often asked to write a paragraph on Family Reunion in their schools. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 200-word, and 250-word paragraphs on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

Paragraph on Family Reunion in 100 Words

A family reunion is a special time when all family members gather at one place from different locations. It’s like a big, happy party where everyone shares hugs, laughs, and delicious food. Cousins play fun games, while grandparents tell interesting old stories. Parents and uncles or aunts catch up on what’s new in their lives. Everyone enjoys taking lots of pictures to remember these moments. It’s a day filled with love, joy, and togetherness. Just like how different flowers make a beautiful garden, different family members make a family reunion special and memorable.

Paragraph on Family Reunion in 200 Words

A family reunion is a special time when all members of a family meet after a long while. It might happen at someone’s house, a park or even during a holiday. We get to see uncles, aunts, cousins, and grandparents whom we don’t meet often. It’s a time full of joy and laughter. We share stories, play fun games, and eat tasty food together. Sometimes, there are family members who live far away and we only get to see them during these reunions. This is the time when we get to learn about our family history from our elders and create new memories with the young ones. We take photos to remember these happy moments. A family reunion is like a big party with all the people you love gathered in one place. It helps us feel connected and reminds us that we are part of a big, loving family. These reunions are times that we look forward to all year, because they are filled with love, fun, and lots of happy moments.

Paragraph on Family Reunion in 250 Words

A family reunion is a special occasion when members of a family, who may live far apart, come together to celebrate their bond and shared history. This event can take place at any time but is often held during holidays or special anniversaries. It is a chance for everyone to catch up on each other’s lives, share meals, and create new memories. It is not uncommon to see grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings, and even distant relatives at these gatherings. These reunions often include fun activities like games, storytelling, and sharing family traditions. A well-planned family reunion can strengthen family ties and instill a sense of belonging among family members. It allows us to understand our roots, appreciate the sacrifices of our ancestors, and pass down our family values and traditions to the next generation. It is also a unique opportunity to learn about family history and heritage in a way that books or school lessons cannot provide. For children and teenagers, these reunions can be an exciting chance to play with cousins and listen to fascinating stories from their grandparents. For the adults, it’s a time to relax, reminisce about old times, and take a break from their busy lives. Despite the differences and disagreements that might exist within a family, a family reunion brings a sense of unity and love, reminding us that family is always there to support and uplift us.

That’s it! I hope the paragraphs have helped you.

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by  clicking here .

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My First Family Reunion – Essay Sample

Topic: Family

Thesis Statement: Family is very important, as it says in the Bible: “A house that is divided cannot stand”.

• I attended my first family reunion when I was twelve years old. This was no ordinary family reunion; it involved my extended family, and lasted overnight. It was an overall fun experience and it brought me closer to my family
• “A family that prays together stays together”, grandmother would always say
• Today I will be speaking about the family reunion which brought my family and I closer together
• Sadly, not all people, especially teenagers appreciate their family
• Getting Acquainted night was our first gathering
• I did not realize how many family members I had, and was overwhelmed at first
• I was reluctant to be involved and stayed close to my immediate family
• I honestly did not want to be where I was, and it felt awkward
• After some time, I started liking it when we got a bit more involved in the activities
• We played icebreaker games and there were a few speeches
• The night turned out pretty fun
• The family picnic was probably the most fun part of the reunion
• After experiencing a gist of the reunion the night before, I was ready to be more involved
• I got to know family members who I did not know I had
• After a day, it was as if I knew them my whole life
• This part of the reunion was most probably the most active
• Games were held again, and it was all good times
• I did not want it to end
• The family banquet was a formal event, and it closed the family reunion
• The whole family gathered at a formal banquet where closing remarks were made
• We spoke about the good time we had during the activities
• It was concluded that we should do something like this more often
• After this whole time, grandmother, who was one of the eldest members in the family reiterated the importance of the family
• Because of all the games and activities, I did not realize that this reunion actually served a deeper purpose
• For me, it was just a very fun event, however after much thought, I knew it meant something more
• A family that prays together stays together. We made this happen by gathering all the members of our family, and joining together in meals and in good times
• “A house that is divided cannot stand”, and family is a very important part of anyone’s life
• Has any event in your life brought you closer to your family?

The road to success is easy with a little help. Let's get your assignment out of the way.

Family Reunion Helper

Your number one source for family reunion organization, how to easily display family photos.

Perfect for permanent displays at Grandma’s house or temporary displays at a family reunion

My mother in law is grandma, great grandma and great great  grandma to over 100 children.  She does a wonderful job at remembering their names, their birthdays and anniversaries.  “Cookie Grandma”, as some of her great grandkids call her, has worked hard to keep pictures of her prosperity hanging on her wall.

At first, she kept frames of all of grandkids on her wall but there are so many kids and they changed so much that it became a real chore to change photos and rearrange the frames every time she got a new photo.

Through much trial and error, I think Cookie Grandma finally found the perfect solution to hanging all those photos.  Now, she uses photo/curtain clips and wire.

Each photo is glued to a piece of poster board or heavy card board and can easily be changed by merely turning the card board around and gluing another photo on it. The clips she used are inexpensive and simple to use.

You can purchase the clips here by following this link

Hanging the wire was simple and didn’t put near as many holes in the wall as hanging frames.  Grandma did get some help with this part of the installation.

This is great idea to hang photos in any home but I also thought it would be a fun way to hang photos at your family reunion.  It could be an easy way to display photos of ancestors, of a past reunion, or a way to honor those that have past.  Of course, you shouldn’t be screwing eye bolts into the wall of your conference center or into a tree, but a piece of string tied between two posts would work perfectly with these clips.  And look at the cute LED photo clips I found on Amazon. 

Photo clips make it so easy to swap out and rearrange  photos and it was the perfect solution for Cookie Grandma to display all of her posterity.

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Easy & Free Photo Sharing for Family Reunions

Headed to a family reunion? Collect photos from the whole gang and easily share them afterward with a Shared Album on Memento, the best photo sharing app for families.

Shared Albums: The Photo Sharing Solution for Family Reunions

Whether it’s a picnic in the park, a tropical getaway, or a potluck at a community center, a family reunion is a wonderful opportunity to reconnect, reminisce, and create lasting memories with loved ones you don’t see as much as you’d like to. 

Reunions are also the perfect time for family members to meet new spouses and babies, and for little ones to learn more about their family history, heritage, and culture. In a nutshell, family reunions give everyone a chance to spend quality time together, strengthen relationships, and celebrate a special bond.

Such an important event needs to be preserved and commemorated so that loved ones can look back and treasure their time together years from now. The easiest way to do this is through photos, but who has the time to email or text loved ones for pictures and then try to gather them together in one place that everyone can access? 

Luckily, family members can easily capture precious moments from the event with a Shared Album , the best way to collect photos from a group. 

Here are some reasons to use Shared Albums for your family reunion. 

Even Great Aunt Maisy can do it! Once you invite everyone to add their photos with one simple link, contributors can upload and download photos or videos to the album from any device. Shared Albums also make it easy to photo share with everyone after your event.

Yup, 100% free. It won’t cost you or your relatives a penny.

Shared Albums are private and only available to the people you choose. You can also control who sees your pictures by requiring a password to view your album. 

Unlimited, High-Resolution Photos

‍ Collect as many photos and videos as you like with unlimited storage and unlimited contributors. Even better: photos are stored forever and can be downloaded at their original resolution days or years after your reunion.

Ready to dive in? Let’s take a look at how to start a shared photo album. 

Create Your Shared Album

It’s easy to create a Shared Album. Just follow these steps: 

• Sign up to create a Shared Album.
• On the Shared Albums page, click the orange “ Create Shared Album ” button.
• Give your album a Title and enter a Description .
• TIP: Worried someone will upload a photo you don’t want to share? Choose when to add people’s photos : either review and approve photos before they appear in the album or let contributors add them right away.

• Update your tag (this is how other people can locate your album). The tag will be used in the link for your album as well as the email address. 
• TIP : Tags should be something people will remember and can include your family’s last name and a date (like “Buckley-Reunion” or “BuckleyFamily2023”).

• Set your album photo. Click the “ Set Album Photo ” link and upload a photo to personalize the album. The photo will display at the top of your gallery to help contributors identify your Shared Album. 

Invite Contributors

Now that you’ve created your Shared Album, read on for ways to invite others to contribute their photos and videos.

• After you create your album, you’ll land on the Dashboard page. At the bottom, click the “ Invite Others ” link. 
• You can share your album with others through a QR code, link , and an email address . You can also create a printable invitation. 
• Copy your preferred method and paste it into an email, text message, etc. then send it to your family before the reunion.
• TIP: An easy way to remind everyone to share their photos is with mini posters, table tents, or place cards. Print your QR code on paper or card stock along with instructions on how to upload photos and place them throughout your event space.

Customize Your Shared Album 

There are tons of ways to customize your Shared Album: easily organize, reorder, and de-dup the photos and videos you receive; edit the album’s social and privacy settings; and create a customized slideshow in seconds. 

Album Settings

First, go to your Dashboard (click “Shared Albums” at any time at the top of the page) and from there click “Album Settings” to start organizing.

Here are just a few of the settings you can control: 

• Photo layout (grid styles vs waterfall)
• Photo sort method (date taken, upload date, file name, etc.)
• Group the photos by the person who uploaded them
• Allow comments and likes
• Let people share on Twitter, Facebook, etc.
• Send confirmation emails to uploaders
• Let others download full size photos
• Require a password to view the Shared Album
• Set the pause time on photos
• Show or hide photo captions
• Choose background music
• TIP: Create a “Then & Now” slideshow that can be played at the end of the reunion or sent to everyone afterward. Before the event, encourage relatives to upload old family photos to the Shared Album. Use these photos, along with those uploaded from the reunion, to create a memorable and touching slideshow.  

Organize with Folders 

If you’ve got a reunion packed with different activities, invite guests to upload photos for these events too. Create folders in your Shared Album to capture and organize moments from the potluck dinner, softball game, talent show, and more.

To add folders, click “ Manage Folders ” from your Dashboard and start organizing!

Edit Photos

From your Dashboard, click the “ Edit Photos ” link to easily add captions to photos, place them into specific folders, and delete duplicates.

Share & Download

One of the best parts about Shared Albums is that you can easily share your album with all the contributors through a link, customizable slideshow, or zip file, and contributors can download high-resolution files from any device!  

To download a zip file: 

• Go to your Dashboard 
• Click the “ Download ” link
• Click the button to “ Download All Files ”
• TIP : Photos make meaningful gifts. Download your favorite pictures at the same full resolution whenever you want – days after the reunion or even years! Print and frame them or create an album as a birthday gift for a grandparent, a Mother’s or Father’s Day present, or a going-away gift for a college-bound cousin. 

How will you capture special moments from your reunion? Create a Shared Album today for your family gathering to easily preserve precious memories and cherish them years down the road. 

Headed to a holiday party or event? Collect photos from family and friends then share them afterward with a Shared Album on Memento, an easy-to-use photo sharing website free of cost.

Need 70th birthday gift ideas for someone special? Check out these unique gifts for women and men turning 70.

Want to create a thoughtful surprise for your graduate? Learn how to make a graduation slideshow with music using photos from loved ones and preselected graduation slideshow songs.

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‘Where two oceans meet’ with Adan

Kump Education Center is proud to host another lecture by Nasra Adan (Zuboy) who will share her experiences and photos from a family trip to South Africa. The title of her presentation on Thursday, July 25 at 7 p.m. is “Where Two Oceans Meet.”

The Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet near Cape Town, where sailors from the Netherlands established a colony in 1652. By 1806 the British took control of the region and organized four small colonies to create what is now known as South Africa in 1910.

There is a long history of seafaring people making their way around the southern tip of Africa traveling between Europe and Asia.

Stories of pirates along the eastern coast of Africa capture the imagination. It will be fascinating to learn more about South African cities like Pretoria and Cape Town. The atlas tells me that people mine platinum and gold and manufacture automobiles there.

Nelson Mandela is the person most Americans remember hearing about because he led the struggle against apartheid and helped bring more equality to his people.

Once again, Nasra and her sons are visiting in Elkins with her in-laws John and Ginny Zuboy during summer vacation from Saudi Arabia. Nasra teaches essay writing at the college level each school year, and her husband Jacob Zuboy, serves in Saudi Arabia as a con Stories of pirates along the eastern coast of Africa capture the imagination. It will be fascinating to learn more about South African cities like Pretoria and Cape Town. sultant from the Educational Testing Service [ETS].

Last summer Nasra presented a dazzling collection of photographs from Saudi that made me realize that human culture in the rest of the world is changing much faster than I thought.

This year Nasra has been to South Africa, and she says that she has never tasted better seafood than she did there where the two oceans meet.

Increasing international and cultural awareness is an important learning goal at Kump Education Center. Several teachers in the Kump family have taught in foreign countries. Mary Gamble Kump, who gave the Kump house to the City of Elkins, was a teacher for American military dependents during four decades on bases in Morocco, France, Germany, Italy, Cuba, Okinawa, and the Philippines.

One of Gov. Kump’s granddaughters, Nancy Wooddell Warlick, was a Presbyterian missionary in the Congo, and her daughter Elizabeth Turk is a nurse in Madagascar now. Other family members have served in the military as doctors, engineers, lawyers, and soldiers in other countries.

Many West Virginians have served overseas, and we have benefited from the emigration of many ethnic groups in the past.

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Jo Waite slept here

Jo Waite has moved back to Brunswick.

The 59-year-old artist has spent large parts of her life living in Melbourne's inner north, but this time it's not the same.

"I love being back in Brunswick," Jo says.

"But it is a different Brunswick. They kicked the artists out after we had made it cool. I think you can still see the sign for the gallery we ran, but the place is empty now."

Over the decades of renting in the area, Jo noticed more and more often the property she was living in was the only home for rent in the street.

"So you start to think, how long can our landlord resist the call of a million dollars [from a developer]?

"A million dollars for a tiny piece of land with a weatherboard [house] that will have to be re-stumped."

Jo sees a lot of nostalgia in the community and on social media for the grand old buildings that were knocked down and those that have been saved and renovated.

"There's a lot of nostalgia sites on Instagram and Facebook, but that stuff is a bit toxic," she says.

"There never were good old days, certainly not for women.

"I mean, it was great to live in the inner suburbs in the 80s in those old terrace houses, those million-dollar properties. Some of it is being young, of course, but we were all close by. My friends all live pretty far away from each other now."

Jo started drawing comic strips in the 80s. Now, as part of a project called Jo Waite Slept Here, she is drawing the houses she has rented or squatted in over the years.

But she explains how the beauty of the grand homes in gentrified suburbs you see in her drawings today hides the reality of life inside them for tenants in decades past.

66 George Street, Fitzroy.

Nineteen-year-old Jo moved into her first share house.

The year was 1983.

Behind the intricate exterior of the terraced home, the floors were laid with threadbare grey carpet and empty spaces sat where fireplaces had been ripped out.

Jo says the house resembled an old boarding house, with a large industrial-style kitchen, wobbly shower stalls made of fibreglass and bedrooms that locked from the inside.

"When we moved into this place, they promised that they would fix the fireplaces and they never did. They were empty holes in the walls," she says.

It was cold.

The facade's elaborate ironwork doesn't ring a bell for Jo. Heritage homes were not valued like they are now, she says.

"It just looks so different to how I remembered it. Which means I took Melbourne's architecture, Melbourne's heritage, what it looked like, for granted. I just thought it was a rubbish old place that needed to be fixed.

"I'm drawing on paper that's already had ink splashed on it as a way to counteract how tidy and aggressively renovated it is, a bit used and beaten-up as a way of expressing how I remember it being."

Jo started drawing buildings when she was homeless and living with her mother in a retirement village. She was looking for rental accommodation at the time, but finding little in her price range.

"I just drew a line drawing of the photo in the paper and put the price and how many bedrooms and compared that with my income," she says.

185 St Georges Road, Fitzroy North.

In 1985, 20-year-old Jo rented here with two sisters.

The road was busy and noisy, Jo says, and shops lined the street below the apartment. An alley out the back led to hard metal stairs to enter.

"This whole area has gentrified so much I can't even recognise it. All the cafes!" she says.

"This was a car yard, where the library is. It was a wedge of empty land for ages, but before that, it was a car yard."

Inside, she recalls cracked linoleum floors and heavy velvet curtains that were always closed in the living room, but no shower.

"All I can remember is going for long walks at night in the area. In my bedroom it was just a futon on a linoleum floor," Jo says.

"In this place we had a trail of ants going through the kitchen because my housemates couldn't work out how to put the lid back on the jam."

8/30 Fitzroy Street, St Kilda

When she was 21, Jo moved into this house. It was 1986.

Fleas from the housemates' cats jumped on the thick, floral carpet inside the Art Deco apartment. Jo believes her room used to be the dining room because of its glass sliding doors.

Jo had decided to try to live with nothing. Just a futon and a few bags of clothes made up all her belongings.

"I was trying to do a version of living off the grid," she says.

"I enjoy the very minimal level of security in these flats — we've basically got a tiny fence and tiny gates to say, this is mine and this is yours, don't come in here, but it wouldn't stop a toddler. One of the things I like about suburban Melbourne.

"The old Victorian houses have very big fences to keep out the poor — that's what we are going back to."

5 Charnwood Crescent, St Kilda.

Here, in 1986, 21-year-old Jo moved into her first squat with about 10 other people.

There were some broken windows and cupboards, but the squatters fixed them.

"This place was a bit derelict when we moved in, there was a lot of window-replacing, sort of DIY repairs," Jo says.

"It was probably slated for demolition. There were a lot of repairs going on."

People would drop in, play music and make banners for demonstrations. It felt more like a community than any of the other places, Jo says.

"It was always just people hanging out," she remembers.

"I started to draw comics for the Squatters Union newsletter about squatters repairing squats.

"There were a lot of things in the media about squatters being destructive. There were squatters that were destructive — drug addicts, living in places where they would shit in the bathtub instead of repairing the toilet.

"That's not any of the places I lived."

Now Jo lives in the Nightingale housing cooperative in Brunswick.

Nightingale Housing is an independent not-for-profit organisation creating homes that are socially, financially and environmentally sustainable.

All Nightingale homes are sold either to owner-occupiers at cost, or to community housing providers who in turn give affordable long-term leases to vulnerable members of the community.

It was only recently that Jo realised she had been living in housing stress. Housing stress is when a low-income household spends more than 30 per cent of its income on housing costs.

"You are spending a lot of your money paying rent but [the landlord] could just not like you anymore or you could have a couple of emergencies and can't pay the rent," Jo says.

"That sort of stress that you live with is bad for your mental health and I didn't even realise that.

"I stopped seeing a therapist in 2020 when I had my social housing in Bundoora. When I was not in housing stress I was less crazy. Too many years of precarious living made me jumpy and aggressive."

At Nightingale, Jo says one of the interesting features is the community hub. It's a place where residents of all ages can meet and have a cup of coffee and a chat.

"We do neighbourly things," she says.

Being neighbourly was harder for Jo when she was younger. She wanted to build a sense of community with her neighbours but felt the way tenants and squatters like herself were perceived by others in the community meant it was an unbridgeable gap.

But she says the model of community engagement at Nightingale is pretty utopian.

"The community comes together when people are on the same page."

Words: Nelli Saarinen and Abigail Varney

Production: Nelli Saarinen

Photographer: Abigail Varney

The Great  Crumbling Australian Dream

This photo essay is part of a larger photojournalism project examining Australia's housing crisis.

The Great Crumbling Australian Dream is a collaboration between Oculi photographers and ABC News, with support from National Shelter.

The series was made possible with a Meta Australian News Fund grant and the Walkley Foundation.

Oculi is a collective of Australian photographers that offers a visual narrative of contemporary life in Australia and beyond.

Delve further into the series

Coming home to Country

Photojournalist Rachel Mounsey follows Warumungu traditional owners in Jurnkkurakurr (Tennant Creek) as they tell stories of generational housing displacement — and their ambitious plan to reclaim their home.

Read the story

The Goode fight

Louise Goode's fight for the place of "emotional comfort" she called home lasted a quarter of a century, until it was demolished in front of her as she screamed for help.

A new way forward

Photographer Aishah Kenton looks at three households embracing communal living to see if Australians can adapt their way of life as housing becomes ever more unaffordable.

Pets in the park

Pets in the Park is a national charity focused on the health of companion animals whose owners are experiencing homelessness. Photographer Abigail Varney documented the volunteers and the animals and owners they encountered in Tasmania, Victoria and the ACT.

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Steven Bingler — 2024 Distinguished Alumni Award Recipient

The UVA School of Architecture and the members of the Dean’s Advisory Board are pleased to announce that Steven Bingler , AIA, REFP, NCARB (BArch ‘72) has been selected as the 2024 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient. The award, which recognizes exceptional graduates from the School of Architecture who have demonstrated creativity, innovation, leadership, and vision through their distinguished body of work, within the professional, academic, civic, or artistic realms, as well as their service to the University of Virginia, will be presented to Bingler at the Annual Dean’s Forum Dinner at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville on October 19, 2024.

“Throughout his career, Steven Bingler has demonstrated tireless commitment and passion for expanding the boundaries of architecture in service to the greater public good,” shared Dean Malo A. Hutson, “Through creative and innovative methods of community engagement, he has positioned democratic decision-making as central to the design and planning process, raising awareness and prompting solutions that meet the needs of diverse constituencies and address society’s pressing issues. His service-driven dedication is an exemplar of one of our core values and it is a great honor to recognize him as a distinguished alumnus of our school.”

Growing up as part of a working-class family living in Charlottesville, Virginia, Bingler was one of the first in his extended family to graduate from high school. He recounts that rather than pursue a career as an auto mechanic, he decided to study architecture and planning. “As a resident of Charlottesville, and with a special interest in Virginia history, I was always enamored with Mr. Jefferson’s democratic ideals,” Bingler recalled. With some critical guidance from then-Dean Joseph Bosserman and the unwavering support of his colleagues in the class of 1972, Bingler’s education at UVA offered “amazing experiences in collaborative design thinking.” These early experiences shaped his future career and laid the foundation for his practice. “They provided important lessons that ultimately contributed to the creation of our design firm, Concordia, and working alongside my business partner Bobbie Hill, to a longstanding exploration of a more community-centered process of planning and design.”

Bingler received his Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Virginia in 1972, taking with him a passion for a design process where formal aesthetics are comingled with other critical social, cultural, and economic outcomes. “In the end our designs must reflect not only our own visions, but also the visual and functional aspirations of the public that we are meant to serve,” said Bingler.

The foundations laid at the School of Architecture evolved throughout Bingler’s remarkable career, from his first job at Perez Associates Architects in New Orleans, to founding his own multi-disciplinary and internationally acclaimed company in 1983, Concordia , which he continues to lead today. For over four decades, Concordia has grown into a model community-centered planning and architecture firm, dedicated to is mission to pursue systemic, equitable, and collaborative design practices.

 With Concordia, Bingler has spearheaded innovative projects across the country, yet his established roots in New Orleans have also grounded his passion in making a positive difference in the community where he lives. In 2006, Concordia coordinated the development of the Unified New Orleans Plan (UNOP), a comprehensive strategy for the redevelopment of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Involving the work of 12 urban planning firms, 54 community planning district meetings, and 3 citywide community congress events with combined participation of more than 9,000 New Orleans citizens, the project exemplified the ethos of community building that has driven Bingler throughout his career, driven by the essential questions: Who is this for? Who are we serving? 

The strategy included a set of ten district plans that outlined resettlement patterns around clusters of community services, across a wide set of programmatic types from schools and gymnasiums to libraries and health care centers. The following year, Concordia was named the lead design partner in the multi-year, multi-disciplinary development of a master plan for the rebuilding of New Orleans public school facilities as part of the post-hurricane recovery efforts. As part of this award-winning plan, selected by Metropolis Magazine as a “Game Changer,” the more than $2 billion of facilities replacements and renovations included over 2,500 New Orleans citizens’ participation. 

In New Orleans, Bingler has also co-founded a series of organizations with missions focused on community-centered entrepreneurship and design innovation including Shibusa Systems , an affordable housing design and production company focused on precision component assemblies; New Harmony High , a progressive public open-enrollment high school focused on coastal restoration and preservation; and Common Edge Collaborative , an online news site and database of more than 700 essays published on community-centered planning and design and dedicated to public engagement. 

By developing an integrative process to address many issues facing society, from reassessing education, the impacts of climate change, or the challenges of affordable housing, Bingler has demonstrated a kind of creativity and vision that Bobbie Hill, partner at Concordia, described as “unparalleled…[setting] him apart as a true leader in our field.” Hill elaborated, “In today’s turbulent landscape, characterized by the complex challenges of climate change, political polarization, and eroding trust in our societal institutions, Steven’s leadership and creative prowess are more crucial than ever. His unwavering commitment to fostering innovation and encouraging calculated risk-taking has not only propelled our endeavors forward but has also paved the way for meaningful solutions to these pressing issues.”

Central to Bingler’s advocacy is his notable efforts to bring people together in shared dialogue and discovery around actionable ways to bring about positive change. Over a three-year period from 2017 to 2020, he served as the principal investigator for the Global Transformation Roundtable, which resulted in the report “ Sea Changes ”, outlining planning principles for addressing sea level rise, wildfires, drought, and other climate-driven challenges, funded by the Rockefeller Foundation and the Walton Family Foundation. Concordia’s research alliances have included the MIT Media Lab, Harvard University’s Project Zero, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Thornburg Institute, and Appalachian Education Lab. 

In 2022 Bingler, in collaboration with alumni from the School of Architecture’s Class of 1972, helped develop the “Urgent Actions” fund and endowment “for our Public Mission” in honor of their 50th reunion and to support the School’s mission by financially supporting purposeful and community-engaged interdisciplinary research and education experiences that address today’s societal challenges.  A year later, their philanthropic generosity, resulted in the launch of the Climate Futures Research Challenge and the awarding of three $25K grants to seed transdisciplinary research teams to address climate justice. 

“I am deeply honored to receive this year’s Distinguished Alumni Award,” shared Bingler.  “I am reminded of the importance of giving back to such an amazing public institution that was created to support not only those with financial means, but others like me who would not otherwise have had access to such life-changing opportunities.”

Concordia’s award-winning projects have appeared in many local, national, and international publications, including Newsweek, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, and USA Today, as well as Architectural Digest, and Architecture and Metropolis magazines. Bingler’s research papers have been widely published in books and journals on urban planning, architectural design, public health, and education. His OpEds, developed in collaboration with Common Edge co-founder Martin Pederson, have been widely quoted and disseminated. 

He has served on many honorary positions throughout his career, including as a special consultant to the Office of the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education for policy related to the design of schools as centers of community, and as a member of the Urban Land Institute’s Executive Board, the UVA School of Architecture’s Dean’s Advisory Board, and UVA’s prestigious Raven Society.

The significance of Bingler’s impact as “a bright and guiding light for many clients, design firms, Foundations, and the city of New Orleans,” as described by architect Stephen Michael Evans, FAIA, Emeritus (BArch ’72) is marked by values shared across the University of Virginia: of citizenship, responsibility, and empathy. “His range and depth of community-centered design, with impact across local, regional, national, and international design, planning, and public engagement provide lasting lessons and his distinguished career is an extraordinary example of public impact."

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