Grandma and Grandpa Are Coming, Too
When several generations of a family gather in the Smokies, the photo session should be planned with everyone in mind from the very beginning.
That means more than simply making sure Grandma and Grandpa are included in the group portrait. It means making sure they can comfortably reach the location, move around once they arrive and enjoy the experience without feeling as though everyone else is waiting on them.
When I help a family choose a location, I ask about mobility before recommending a spot. Some older adults may use a cane or walker. Others may need a mobility scooter. Even those who are generally active may not be comfortable walking across uneven ground, climbing a steep incline or navigating a rocky riverbank.
Fortunately, beautiful Smoky Mountain photographs do not require a strenuous hike.
There are scenic locations that are easy to reach by car, have relatively flat terrain and require very little walking. Depending on the family’s needs, I look for nearby parking, stable footing and enough open space for everyone to gather comfortably. In some cases, I can recommend locations that may also work for a mobility scooter.
Accessibility is important, but I also want the location to be somewhere the older members of the family will enjoy visiting.
In one case, I learned that several of the men in the group were World War II history buffs. I took the family to see the Pearl Harbor Tree in Cades Cove, a lesser-known historic site that held special meaning for them. It gave them something interesting to experience during the session while still providing a lovely Smoky Mountain setting for their photographs.
Those personal details matter. A location should not merely look pretty in the background. It should suit the people who are actually going there.
Multi-generational sessions are especially meaningful because they preserve relationships that are not photographed nearly often enough. Of course, we will create the large family portrait, but I also make time for smaller groupings: grandparents with all of their grandchildren, adult children with their parents, siblings together and three or even four generations in one frame.
Sometimes those smaller combinations become the photographs a family values most.
Children grow quickly. Families move to different cities. Health and mobility can change, and coordinating another trip with everyone present may become more difficult than anyone expects. When the whole family is together in the Smokies, it is worth taking the time to document it properly.
The goal is simple: choose a location everyone can reach, create an experience everyone can enjoy and make photographs that will matter for generations.