A Relaxed Extended Family Photoshoot at a Private Villa in Umbria

Feb 7

There is something special about gathering the whole family together in Italy. The long lunches, late afternoon swims, cousins running barefoot through the garden, grandparents watching from the shade with a glass of wine in hand. These are the moments that make multi-generational travel so meaningful and exactly why I love photographing extended family vacations in Italy.

Last year, this beautiful family hired a private villa in Umbria for a two-week family reunion, creating a slow and relaxed home base for their Italian summer. With children and grandchildren spread across two continents, it was the perfect opportunity to reconnect and they decided those memories deserved to be documented. That is where we came in.

*Get a professional family photoshoot while you’re all together in Italy*

Why Stay in Umbria for a Family Holiday

While many travellers immediately think of Tuscany when planning an Italian countryside escape, neighbouring Umbria offers a quieter and more intimate alternative. You still have sun-drenched rolling hills, stone farmhouses, olive groves and medieval villages, but with fewer crowds and a gentler pace.

For extended families travelling together, that slower rhythm makes everything feel easier.

Private villas in Umbria often provide the kind of space that makes multi-generational travel feel effortless. Children can move freely between the pool and gardens, grandparents can relax comfortably at the property, and the whole family naturally spends more time together rather than constantly moving between hotels or busy sightseeing schedules.

Many families searching for a Tuscany family photoshoot are often looking for this exact experience, somewhere beautiful, authentic and relaxed where everyone can simply enjoy being together.

Umbria is particularly perfect for:

extended family holidays
multi-generational travel in Italy
milestone birthdays
anniversary trips
family reunions
slower-paced travel through central Italy

A Relaxed Villa Photoshoot in Umbria

This session was designed to reflect exactly how the family spent their evenings together.

We started with playful photographs around the pool. Kids jumping in together, cousins splashing, parents laughing from the sidelines. These are often the images families treasure most years later because they capture genuine connection rather than posed perfection.

As the light softened toward sunset, we moved into more relaxed portraits around the villa grounds. We photographed each individual family group, then created all the combinations that become so meaningful in extended family photos.

grandparents with grandchildren
siblings together
cousins grouped by age
the entire family together
multi-generational groupings

One of my favourite parts of photographing family holidays in Italy is seeing how naturally these sessions unfold. There is no rushing between locations or navigating crowded landmarks. Everyone is already comfortable in their holiday environment, which creates photographs that feel effortless and deeply personal.

Why Villa Photoshoots Work So Well in the Italian Summer

Summer in central Italy can be incredibly hot, especially when travelling with young children or grandparents. One of the biggest benefits of staying in a private villa in Umbria is being able to structure your days around the heat. Slow mornings exploring nearby towns, long afternoons by the pool, and relaxed evenings together once the temperature softens.

It is also why villa photoshoots work so well during summer holidays in Italy.

Rather than asking everyone to get dressed and travel into busy towns during the hottest part of the day, we can photograph your family where you already feel comfortable. Children can swim right up until we begin, grandparents can stay relaxed in the shade, and there is no pressure of crowds, parking or navigating tourist areas in the heat.

The result is a session that feels relaxed, easy and genuinely enjoyable while still capturing the beauty of your time together in Italy.

*Cousins enjoying pool time at their family reunion in Italy*

Capturing the Feeling of Your Vacation

My approach to family photos is always centred on connection first. I want your photographs to feel like your vacation, not a photoshoot interrupting it.

That means allowing space for movement, conversation, children being children and the spontaneous moments that happen in between.

Because years from now, the images that matter most are rarely the perfectly posed ones. They are the photographs that bring you straight back to the feeling of being there together.

If you are planning a family holiday in Umbria or Tuscany and would love photographs that capture both the beauty of Italy and the connection within your family, I would love to help you create something meaningful from your time together.

Let’s start planning your dream photoshoot today. I can’t wait to capture the laughter, love, and unique bond that make your family’s story special!

Learn More About Photoshoots in Central Italy

Hi, I’m Kirstie

Photographer and Australian expat living her best gelato life

Love of my husband (but mostly of cheese) brought me to Italy in 2020. He was desperate to be back with his Italian family. And honestly, what Aussie girl could pass up the chance to move to the land of pizza and gelato?! (Seeing a food theme here?)

My decade of photography experience was inspired by a trip of a lifetime. My grandparents took me on a trip to Europe when I was a teen, then gifted me an album so I’d never forget it. That album quickly became a staple of family visits and storytime.

When I moved to Italy, I was surprised how rare that type of printed keepsake is for the locals. It’s quite literally a foreign concept - tourists won’t find that type of session here.

It inspired me to recreate an experience for others as deeply meaningful to them as my grandparent’s infamous vacation album has been to me.

So that’s my mission with Classico Portraits: to provide the same timeless centrepieces for families like yours visiting Italy.

Are you coming to Tuscany with your spouse or family? Let’s customise a photoshoot experience to suit you and your personality!

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