Extended Family Session at Zephyr Cove in Lake Tahoe

There’s something incredibly meaningful about photographing families who don’t get to be together often—especially when a place like Lake Tahoe becomes their meeting ground. These Zephyr Cove family photos were exactly that: a long-awaited summer gathering filled with laughter, connection, and the kind of moments you wish you could bottle up and keep forever!

During extended family sessions, I always aim to create a balance. On one hand, the meaningful, everyone-looking moments (the ones grandparents treasure and that get chosen for Christmas cards). And on the other hand, the in-between – the laughter, the movement, the natural interactions that tell the real story of your family. This family brought that balance by letting the kids be kids between the posed, planned photos.

During this Lake Tahoe extended family session it wasn’t just about photos, it was about preserving a season of life that doesn’t happen nearly enough.