A Birthday Celebration in the Wildflowers | A Joyful Family Photography Session in Joostenbergvlakte
- Ashley Chapman
- 2 days ago
- 8 min read
There are some family photography sessions that remind me exactly why I love what I do.
Not because everyone stood perfectly still and smiled at the camera. In fact, quite the opposite.
This beautiful family of 11 came together to celebrate their mom's birthday, and the result was a session filled with laughter, connection, a little bit of chaos, and the kind of genuine moments that I believe are worth preserving.
When Nicki first got in touch with me, she wanted to organise a family shoot to celebrate her mom's birthday. With such a big family, one of the biggest considerations was finding somewhere beautiful where everyone could feel comfortable — and, most importantly, somewhere the children could safely run around and simply be themselves.
After chatting through the options, we settled on a gorgeous yellow flower field in Joostenbergvlakte.
And it couldn't have been a better choice.
When 11 people come together, embrace the beautiful chaos
Let's be honest — getting 11 people in front of a camera can sound slightly terrifying! 😂
Add several energetic children into the mix and you quickly realise that trying to create a perfectly posed family photograph isn't necessarily the best approach.
And honestly? I'm not a stiff-posing kind of photographer anyway.
I want families to look like themselves in their photographs.
I don't want children standing in a straight line with their hands by their sides, being told to smile at exactly the right moment. I want them running through the flowers. I want the giggles. I want the cuddles that happen naturally. I want the funny faces, the cheeky moments and the little interactions that parents might not even notice are happening.
So instead of trying to control every moment, I gave the children permission to just be kids.
They ran.
They played.
They laughed.
There were bubbles.
There was plenty of movement.
And, inevitably, there was a little chaos.
And I loved every second of it.
Nicki and Sam made it happen
This beautiful celebration was a team effort from sisters Nicki and Sam, who joined forces to bring everyone together and make their mom's birthday extra special.
Getting an entire extended family together for photographs isn't always easy. Between work, school, busy schedules, travel and everyone's individual commitments, finding a date when 11 people can all be in the same place is an achievement in itself!
That's why I think these photographs become even more meaningful.
It's not simply a family photoshoot.
It's a record of who was there, together, at this particular moment in their lives.
The grandparents.
The parents.
The siblings.
The cousins.
The children who are growing far too quickly.
Everyone together.
And one day, these photographs will become part of the family's story.
Letting children be themselves
One of my favourite things about photographing families is watching children's personalities come through.
Every child is different.
Some are confident immediately. Some are a little shy. Some want to run around and explore. Some want to be cuddled. Others would rather make everyone laugh.
And I don't believe any of those personalities need to be "fixed" for the sake of a photograph.
Instead, I work around them.
During this session, the children were allowed to explore the field and interact with their family rather than constantly being asked to look at the camera.
And that's when the magic happens.
A little boy laughing at something only he finds funny.
A child running towards the camera.
Siblings playing together.
A spontaneous cuddle.
Parents laughing because their children are being completely ridiculous.
Those are the photographs that tell you what it actually felt like to be there.
And when you look back at them years from now, those are often the images that make you smile the biggest.
There were six toddlers.
Six running at the same time.😂
And you know what?
It was brilliant.
This is exactly why I approach family photography differently.
I don't believe children need to behave perfectly for us to get beautiful photographs.
Actually, I don't really want them to.
I don't want to spend an hour saying:
"Come and stand here."
"Look at the camera."
"Don't run."
"Stop touching that."
"Smile!"
"No, look this way."
Because that's not a family having fun.
That's a family trying desperately to look like they're having fun.
And children are incredibly good at detecting when adults are trying to make them do something they don't want to do.
So instead, I let them be children.
If they wanted to run — they ran.
If they wanted to explore — they explored.
If they wanted to climb over their siblings, play with bubbles, hide behind someone or generally cause a small amount of beautiful chaos — we worked with it.
And while all of this was happening, I was watching.
Waiting.
Anticipating.
Moving around them.
Capturing the moments in between.
Because somewhere amongst those six toddlers running in six completely different directions were the photographs we were looking for.
And we found them.
The secret to photographing a big family?
Don't try to control the chaos.
Embrace it.
That's probably the biggest piece of advice I can give families who are nervous about booking a session with lots of children.
You might be thinking:
"But my child won't sit still."
"My toddler refuses to smile for photographs."
"They won't look at the camera."
"They have a five-minute attention span on a good day."
"What if they have a meltdown?"
"What if nobody behaves?"
Book the shoot anyway.
Seriously.
Your children don't need to arrive at the photoshoot transformed into perfectly behaved little models.
They just need to arrive as themselves.
My job isn't to make them behave.
My job is to photograph your family as you actually are.
And sometimes that means we get everyone looking at the camera.
Sometimes it means Mum and Dad are cuddling while the children are doing something completely ridiculous behind them.
Sometimes it means everyone is running towards me.
Sometimes it's one child sitting quietly in the flowers while everyone else is creating mayhem.
And sometimes the best photograph is the one where nobody is doing what we originally planned.
That's family.
And that's what I want to capture.
Because milestones deserve more than a cake and a card
A birthday might happen every year, but certain birthdays feel different.
They become an excuse to stop for a moment and appreciate the people who have shared the journey with you.
This particular celebration wasn't just about marking another year.
It was about bringing a family of 11 together.
It was about celebrating a mother, a grandmother and the role she plays in the lives of the people around her.
And that's something I think deserves to be photographed.
We are so good at taking photographs of the children — their first steps, birthdays, school milestones and holidays — but sometimes we forget to photograph the people who make the family what it is.
The parents.
The grandparents.
The sisters and brothers.
The relationships between generations.
The big family gatherings that become harder and harder to organise as everyone gets older.
These are the photographs that become increasingly valuable with time.
The photographs you can't recreate
There is something particularly special about photographing a family at a specific point in time.
Because children don't stay the same.
Grandparents don't stay the same.
Families grow, change and evolve.
One day you'll look at these photographs and realise just how small the children were.
You'll notice the hairstyle you had forgotten about.
You'll remember the way someone laughed.
You'll remember the family member who was always the mischievous one.
You'll remember how everyone looked when you were all still together in exactly this configuration.
That's why I believe family photography is about so much more than having pretty pictures on your wall.
It's about creating a visual record of your family story.
And sometimes, the most beautiful photographs are the ones where nobody is looking at the camera at all.
A family session filled with laughter
This Joostenbergvlakte family shoot was everything I love about photographing families.
Beautiful golden light.
A field full of yellow flowers.
Eleven people who clearly love being together.
Children being completely themselves.
Parents and grandparents soaking up the moment.
And a whole lot of laughter along the way.
Nicki and Sam set out to create something special for their mom's birthday, and I think they achieved exactly that.
Because when the photographs are looked at years from now, they won't just show what everyone looked like.
They'll bring back how it felt to be together.
And really, isn't that what photographs are supposed to do?
Frequently Asked Questions About Large Family Photography Sessions
When you're talking about a family of four, organising a photoshoot is relatively straightforward.
When you're talking about 11 people, multiple families, grandparents and six toddlers, there are naturally a few more questions.
So if you've been wondering whether your extended family is "too big" for a relaxed family shoot — let me reassure you. It isn't.
"Can you photograph a family as large as 11 people?"
Absolutely.
And honestly, I love photographing big families.
There is something incredibly special about the energy that comes with an extended family session.
You have different relationships happening everywhere — grandparents with grandchildren, siblings, cousins, parents with their children, couples, individual personalities and then everyone together.
The trick isn't trying to photograph all 11 people in one stiff pose for the entire session.
Instead, I photograph the family in layers and combinations.
We'll get the important full-family photograph, of course.
But we'll also photograph smaller groupings, individual families, siblings, grandparents with grandchildren, couples and all those little interactions happening naturally throughout the session.
This means you walk away with a gallery that tells a much bigger story.
"But what if my children won't cooperate?"
They don't have to.
I mean this.
You don't need to apologise to me because your toddler is having a moment.
You don't need to spend the entire session trying to get them to smile.
And you definitely don't need to feel embarrassed if they are running around while I'm photographing everyone else.
I've seen it all.
And this particular shoot had six toddlers running around chaotically, yet we still created beautiful, emotional and connected photographs.
Children aren't predictable.
That's part of what makes photographing them so much fun.
Instead of fighting that unpredictability, I use it.
A child running can become a beautiful movement photograph.
A giggle can become one of the most authentic images in the gallery.
A cuddle that happens because a child suddenly wants Mum can become the photograph Mum treasures most.
A sibling interaction that lasts three seconds can become a photograph you'll keep forever.
So please don't wait until your children are "better behaved."
There is no perfect age or perfect behaviour required for a family photography session with me.
"Do we have to pose?"
Not in the traditional sense.
There will absolutely be moments where I'll guide you into a beautiful composition, particularly for the larger family portraits.
But I'm not interested in creating a gallery where everyone looks like they've been lined up for a school photograph.
I'll give you direction when it's needed, but I'll also give you things to do rather than simply places to stand.
Walk together.
Cuddle.
Tickle the kids.
Pick them up.
Run through the flowers.
Play.
Talk to each other.
Look at one another.
And then I'll photograph what happens.
My goal is for you to forget you're being photographed.
That's when the magic usually happens.
Planning your own family photography session?
Whether you're celebrating a birthday, anniversary, Mother's Day, a family reunion, or simply want to document your family just because, you don't need a special occasion to have photographs taken.
My approach to family photography is relaxed, natural and playful. I want your children to be able to move, laugh and be themselves rather than spending an hour being told where to stand.
Because your family isn't perfectly posed — and your photographs shouldn't have to be either.
Family photography in Cape Town and the surrounding Winelands.
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