Joyful Extended Family Session at Sunrise – Kapalua, Maui

Oh man, you may be terrified at the thought of bringing your entire family together for a photoshoot, but let me tell you: extended family sessions are our JAM. Especially when they take place on the gorgeous beaches of Hawaii 😉 What can we say? We love spending our time strolling the sandy shores of a secluded cove by the ocean, helping to wrangle toddlers and keep everybody smilin’ during their time together in paradise. This extended family session in Kapalua, Maui was an absolute joy to be a part of, and really represents just why we fell in love with these types of large family sessions—seeing 3-4 different generations together just really pulls at our heart strings.

Joyful Extended Family Photos on Maui

A gorgeous Kapalua sunrise session

I had a freakin’ blast hanging out with the Craven family for their extended family photos on Maui, specifically at a breathtaking beach in Kapalua. This is a fantastic place to take your family photos on your Maui vacation, as the area has a huge variety of family-friendly activities, resorts, and food options—a few of our personal favorites for unforgettable family experiences include Montage Kapalua Bay and the Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua! You won’t want to miss out on all the incredible ways to experience Kapalua Bay, from snorkeling in the rich blue waters of the bay to hiking along the coast. Or maybe your fam would rather just lounge around on the beach together—there are PLENTY of opportunities for that too. When you schedule your session with us, we’ll have all kinds of Kapalua recommendations we can give you!

Take a glimpse at this beautiful sunrise family session for more Kapalua inspiration.

Sunrise vs. sunset: which is best for family sessions?

This is a question we get allll the time from our clients: how do we pick between sunrise and sunset for our family session in Hawaii? 

The short answer: sunrise. . . but the long answer: it depends.

I know, I’m sorry for such a vague answer! But it really does depend on a few things, including the location of your session, the weather, and your own personal preferences. We only schedule our sessions at sunrise and sunset not because we can’t shoot at other times of the day, but because these are the times when the lighting is at its best—and we want YOU to look your best in front of our cameras, too!

If you want those soft, pastel skies for your Hawaii photos, then sunrise is what you’re looking for, no doubt about it. I know it’s early, but the empty beach is worth it a million times over—plus, little kids are often in better moods in the morning.

Want to dig a little deeper into the pros & cons of sunrise vs. sunset sessions in Hawaii? Click here!

Why we adore extended family sessions

We LOVE working with large family groups here at Wilde Sparrow. Toddlers? Check. Multiple family units in one session? Check. Grandma with the grandkids, and grandpa with the parents. Check, check. These sessions can be a little bit chaotic, but a whole lot of fun and are always so rewarding in the end. 

I love the challenge of them. I love delighting clients by learning everyone’s names (yes, even if there are 29 of you!). And yes, I love getting all the baby cousins together for that *unicorn* shot of the kids and babies and toddlers all smushed up together, parents singing and clapping behind me to try and get everyone looking at the camera at the same time. It’s hard and exhausting, but also… wow, how special it is to enjoy Hawaii with your whole family!⁠

If you’ve heard the Hawaiian word“‘Ohana (maybe from Lilo & Stitch, or maybe from your own time visiting the islands), then you know that it means “family.” And not just blood relatives, but adopted ones, close friends, chosen family members. . . all of it. The greatest feeling in the world is getting to capture that sense of ‘Ohana that comes when family members come together to spend time with one another, and in such a beautiful place! So just know that if you’re bringing your whole crew to Hawaii and want help capturing it all, we got you. ⁠

4 tips for your extended family session in Hawaii

1. Book in advance

Hawaii is pretty busy year-round, but especially between mid-November and early January. We recommend booking your family session as far in advance as you’re able, to ensure that our team is available for you—and also keep in mind that the islands are crazy packed during the holidays. If you can, opt for a different time of year so that you’ll have more privacy during your session, but if you are planning for a session around Thanksgiving or Christmas, reach out to us at least 4-6 months in advance to be safe.

2. Plan your outfits ahead of time

Next, be sure to coordinate your outfits ahead of time with any family members you don’t live with/won’t see in-person before your session! We went ahead and put together an entire guide to What to Wear for Your Hawaii Family Portrait Beach Session, so check that out if you’d like to hear our tips on how to pick your colors, things to avoid, our favorite brands to shop, and more.

3. Hire a local & experienced photography team

Getting all of the important groupings during your session is key, and you’ll want to have an experienced team by your side to make it happen. Our team is really great at time management and at working with toddlers and babies, plus we’ve done this a bajillion times—so you can trust that we’re gonna make things as smooth & stress-free as possible for you.⁠

Because we know that getting your entire extended family together is tough. The planning, the calendar syncing, juggling different nap schedules, etc etc…. ⁠We know it took a lot of work to get your whole crew here. So we’ll take it from here and make everything easy-peasy for your group to have a joyful, fun experience from start to finish.⁠

If you’re coming to Hawaii with your extended family, especially for the upcoming holiday season, reach out to us sooner rather than later to book your spot. We can’t wait to meet you!

Before you start planning, we recommend reading through our blog post about why you should hire a local Hawaii photographer for your family session.

4. Embrace the chaos

Finally, we want to encourage you to EMBRACE the chaos. Sure, these sessions may not be the easiest, but we’re obsessed with the way they bring loved ones together to create lifelong memories. Grab the grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and let’s capture some joyful togetherness at the beach—let the kids run around, and let US do our job of bringing it all together for you into a beautiful gallery of photos. Remember that perfect isn’t the goal here: all that matters is the connection and special moments your family shares along the way.

Maui Family Photographers

Ready to make your own extended family session in Hawaii happen? We’d love to be your Hawaii extended family vacation photographers on your next trip to Oahu, Maui, or the Big Island. Inquire now to get started!