A Family Session in Frank Melville Memorial Park


Extended family sessions always feel especially meaningful to me because they capture multiple generations all together in one place. Eleanor’s family session in Northport was exactly the kind of session I love most. It felt relaxed, playful, sentimental, and completely centered around connection instead of perfection.


On a beautiful day in Long Island, I met up with Eleanor, her husband, their two daughters, Eleanor’s parents, and her sister and future brother-in-law at Frank Melville Memorial Park in Northport. Their daughters were one and four years old, which made the entire session feel full of energy and curiosity right from the start.

Multi-generational family group portrait smiling outdoors near a river, dressed in navy and blue attire in Long Island.

One of my biggest goals during family sessions is making sure nobody feels overly posed or pressured the entire time. Especially with little kids, I want sessions to feel more like quality time together than standing still and smiling at a camera for an hour.


We spent most of the session simply walking around the park together and letting moments naturally unfold.

The little girls loved looking at the ducks in the pond while everyone gathered along the water watching them together. Those moments ended up being some of my favorites because they felt so genuine and unforced. Instead of constantly asking everyone to look at me and smile, I focused on documenting the interactions already happening naturally between them.

Two young girls in dresses hold hands with adults outdoors, smiling joyfully on a garden path.

One of the sweetest parts of the session happened when we stopped under a tree where Eleanor’s parents had once taken a photo together years ago when they were young themselves. Recreating that moment with the entire family there felt incredibly special. I love when locations already hold personal meaning for families because it adds another layer of emotion to the photos. Years from now, these images will not only remind them of this season of life with the girls still little, but also connect back to older family memories, too.


As we continued walking through Frank Melville Memorial Park, we crossed one of the park’s charming little bridges surrounded by greenery and water. The girls were completely fascinated by everything around them, which made the session feel playful and alive the entire time.


Family photography does not need to feel perfectly polished to be beautiful. Some of my favorite images usually come from the in-between moments. A child reaching for their grandparent’s hand, siblings laughing together, or parents watching their kids explore often becomes far more meaningful than everyone looking directly at the camera.


Throughout the session, I gave gentle direction when needed while still leaving plenty of room for movement and spontaneity. I always want families to feel comfortable enough to interact naturally instead of worrying about posing every second.


That approach is especially important during extended family sessions because there are so many different relationships and dynamics being documented at once. I want grandparents with grandkids, siblings together, full family portraits, and all the smaller candid moments in between.


By the end of the session, the girls were still happily exploring the park and everyone felt relaxed, which is always the goal.


Frank Melville Memorial Park was such a perfect setting for this kind of family session because it feels peaceful, scenic, and personal without being overly busy. Between the bridges, trees, pond, and open walking paths, it created the perfect backdrop for natural family photography on Long Island.


Sessions like this are such a good reminder that family photos are really about preserving connection and memory. The little moments that feel ordinary now are often the ones families treasure most years later.

Family portrait of seven people posing outdoors on a park bench surrounded by lush green trees.
Smiling couple posing outdoors near a river, woman in floral dress and man in navy shirt.
Happy couple laughing together outdoors by a lake, woman in floral dress and man in navy shirt.
Smiling middle-aged couple sitting on a bench outdoors, man in blue shirt and woman in floral dress, both wearing glasses.
Middle-aged couple sharing a kiss on a park bench, woman in blue floral dress and man in patterned blue shirt.
Happy interracial couple posing together outdoors near a river, man in navy vest and woman in plaid midi dress.
Smiling couple sitting together on a wooden park bench outdoors on a sunny day.
Couple in navy outfits posing outdoors near a lake surrounded by lush green trees.
Man in navy blazer kissing woman in blue dress outdoors near a pond.
Extended family group portrait outdoors near a river with green trees in background.
Grandmother sitting on bench with two young granddaughters in matching blue floral outfits.
Laughing woman in navy dress sitting on bench with young girl in polka dot dress outdoors.
A bald father in a navy blazer sits on a bench holding his smiling daughter in a blue polka dot dress.
A grandfather with glasses holds a laughing toddler girl in a white dress outdoors on a tree-lined path.
Grandparents sitting on a park bench smiling with two young granddaughters in blue dresses outdoors.

Need a family photographer in New York?


If you are looking for a Long Island family photographer and want a session that feels relaxed, joyful, and true to your family, I would love to document this season of life for you. Reach out with your contact info and when/where you are looking to have a session and I will get back to you within 24 hours!