Capturing Three Generations of Women

Of all the portraits I am asked to make, there is one grouping I never get used to — in the best possible way. A grandmother, her daughter, and her granddaughter, standing close together — the same eyes looking back across three different lifetimes. You can see the family resemblance softening and shifting from one face to the next, like the same song played in three keys. When I photograph three generations of women together, I am not just making a pretty picture. I am holding a thread that connects a whole family line, and I get to tie a knot in it so it never slips away.

I have photographed weddings, engagements, children, and families throughout Palm Desert, Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage, Indian Wells, La Quinta, and the wider Coachella Valley for many years. And of all the sessions I am asked to do, the three-generations-of-women portrait is one of the most quietly powerful. Often it comes about because a grandmother is visiting for the season, or a family is gathered for a milestone, and someone in the family finally says the thing everyone has been thinking: we should get a real photograph of all of us, while we can. This article is for that person. I want to tell you everything I have learned about making these images honest, warm, and timeless — and how we do it beautifully here in the desert.

Why a three-generations photo is worth doing now

I will be gentle but honest with you, because that is how I work: the reason these portraits matter so much is the same reason people put them off. Time. We assume there will always be another holiday, another visit, another summer. And then a season passes, a grandmother's health changes, a granddaughter grows from a toddler into a young woman, and the chance to capture this exact moment — these three women, at these exact ages — is simply gone.

A generations-of-women photo freezes a moment that can never repeat. Next year, the youngest will be taller. The matriarch's hands will tell a slightly different story. The relationships themselves will have grown and deepened. What we make together is not only a lovely image for the wall; it becomes the photograph that gets passed down, the one a granddaughter will one day show her daughter and say, "This is your great-grandmother. Look how much you have her smile."

I care about these sessions so much because I know what the print will mean in twenty years. That is the part the family cannot fully see yet, standing there in the middle of an ordinary afternoon. My job is to see it for them.

If you are weighing whether to gather the whole clan or keep it to the women, I would gently say: do both if you can, but do not skip the women's portrait. There is something about that particular grouping — the maternal line, mother to mother to mother — that carries its own distinct emotional weight. I have written more about coordinating a bigger group in my piece on the extended family photo session, and it pairs beautifully with this one.

The best time of year for generations photos in the Coachella Valley

Living and working here, the calendar shapes almost everything about how I plan a session.

Snowbird season (November through April) is prime time. This is when the desert is at its most generous — comfortable temperatures, soft light, and, just as importantly, when so many families are actually together. Grandparents who winter in Palm Desert, Indian Wells, or La Quinta are here, adult children fly in over the holidays and spring break, and suddenly all three generations are in the same zip code at the same time. If a grandmother is only in the valley for part of the year, I always encourage families to book the session early in her stay rather than the day before she flies home, so we have flexibility if someone catches a cold or the wind kicks up.

Late fall and early spring give us the kindest light. October, November, March, and April are my favorite months for any portraits we make outdoors — in a garden, on a patio, at a local park. The golden hour is long and forgiving, the sky has that clean desert clarity, and everyone stays comfortable.

Summer is not off the table — we just adapt. From roughly June through September the heat is real, and I would never ask three generations, especially a grandmother and a small child, to stand out in 110-degree afternoon sun. But summer sessions absolutely work when we shoot at the very edges of the day — a sunrise session around 6 a.m. is genuinely lovely, the light is gorgeous, and the desert is still cool and quiet. Indoor and shaded options are also wonderful in summer, and I will talk about those below. The point is simple: there is no wrong season, only the right plan for the season you are in.

If you are visiting and your window is tight, reach out as early as you can. I would rather hold a date for you months ahead than have us both wishing we had.

Where to photograph three generations in the desert

Most of my generations sessions happen close to home — and I mean that almost literally. The Coachella Valley gives us a remarkable range of backdrops, but my favorite ones are the spaces a family already lives in. I choose the location around who is in the photo and how everyone moves.

In your home, where the memories already live

This is where I most love to photograph three generations, and it is the setting I steer families toward first. A grandmother's own living room, the kitchen where holiday meals get made, a sunny patio, the courtyard of the home where everyone is staying — there is a tenderness to photographing people in a space that already holds their story. We work with soft, natural window light, which is endlessly flattering on skin of every age, and nobody has to travel, pack up a toddler, or worry about heat. The matriarch is in her own chair, in her own home, completely at ease. Some of the most moving frames I have ever made happened ten feet from someone's front door.

Local parks, gardens, and patios

When a family wants a little greenery and open air, we rarely have to go far. A nearby park, a shaded botanical garden in Palm Desert, the grounds of a resort in Rancho Mirage or Indian Wells, a backyard with blooms — these are gentle, easy settings with room for little ones to be themselves and a bench for the grandmother to rest. We plan these for golden hour, early or late in the day, when the desert light goes warm and forgiving.

If you want a scenic desert backdrop

Some families dream of that quintessential Palm Springs feel, and as a guide to the area I am glad to point you toward the loveliest spots. For a "sense of place" portrait, the clean mid-century architecture and palm-lined walls around Palm Springs make graphic, uncluttered backdrops that keep the three faces the whole story, and a botanical or garden setting offers desert character without a long trek into open country. I keep these outings short, shaded, and easy on everyone — a place we visit, not the heart of how I work. Wherever we land, I match the plan to the people, not the other way around.

When mobility matters

I want to name this plainly, because it is one of the most important parts of planning a generations photo: a great-grandmother in her eighties and a two-year-old have very different needs, and I plan for both. I look for locations with easy parking close by, level ground, somewhere shaded to rest, and a place to sit. A portrait where the matriarch is seated — with her daughter and granddaughter gathered around and leaning in — is not a compromise; it is often the most beautiful composition of the whole session, because it naturally draws everyone close. Never let a worry about someone's mobility talk you out of these photos. Tell me, and I will build the session around it so everyone is comfortable and at ease.

What to wear: coordinating three generations

Wardrobe is what families tend to fret over most, so let me give you my real, practical philosophy rather than a rigid rulebook.

Aim for harmony, not a uniform. Matching outfits can feel dated and a little stiff. Instead, choose a palette — two or three colors that sit happily together — and let each woman wear what flatters and feels like her within that range. In the desert I love soft, warm neutrals (cream, oatmeal, camel, terracotta, dusty rose, sage), and earthy tones that echo the landscape. They photograph beautifully whether we are by a window indoors or outside at golden hour, and they never go out of style, which matters for an image you intend to keep forever.

A few specifics I have learned from years of sessions here:

• Think across the three of you, not just individually. Lay the outfits side by side, or text me photos beforehand — I am always glad to help. We are aiming for harmony, like three notes in a chord.
• Flowing fabrics love the desert. A dress or skirt with a little movement catches the breeze and the light wonderfully. Linen, soft cotton, and gentle drape feel right at home here.
• Go easy on loud logos, busy patterns, and trend-of-the-moment pieces. They date a photo and pull the eye away from faces. One person in a subtle pattern can add life; three competing patterns become noise.
• Dress for the temperature and terrain. If we are out on a garden path or a lawn at golden hour, sky-high heels are a struggle; flats or comfortable shoes are lovely and relaxed. In cooler months, a soft layer or wrap can be both practical and elegant — and it gives the grandmother something cozy if there is a breeze.
• Let the youngest be the youngest. If there is a child or teen in the group, comfort wins. A child who is too fussy in their clothes will tell you so with their whole face, and the camera sees it.
• Hair, nails, a favorite lipstick. Small touches help everyone feel like themselves. A grandmother who feels put-together stands taller, and it shows.

If three generations of women are the heart of your shoot but you also want the men and the little boys in some frames, that is easy to fold in. I touch on full-group wardrobe strategy in my guide to what to wear for family photos in the desert.

What to expect during the session

I keep an easy pace on a shoot, and that is intentional. The fastest way to a stiff portrait is to rush people, so I do not. Here is roughly how a generations session flows.

We usually begin with the full trio — all three women together — because that is the photograph we came for, and I like to capture it while everyone is fresh. I will pose you, but lightly. I am not looking for rigid, chins-up formality; I am looking for the way you naturally lean toward one another, the small touches, a hand on a shoulder, a shared glance. Often my favorite frame happens in the half-second after a posed shot, when someone laughs or the grandmother whispers something to the baby. That unguarded flicker is what I am always watching for — the thing that makes this family unmistakably this family.

From there we open it up. I love to photograph the pairings within the line:

• Grandmother and mother — the two who have known each other longest.
• Mother and daughter — the relationship in the middle of its story.
• Grandmother and grandchild — almost always the one that makes everyone tear up.
• And, when there is a baby or small child, the four-handed image of three women's hands cradling one tiny hand. It is simple, and it undoes people every time.

I will also make a few individual portraits while we are together, because it is rare and precious to have everyone dressed and gathered. Plan for the session to be relaxed; we are not racing a clock. With a grandmother and a young child in the mix, I build in time for a rest, a sip of water, a moment in the shade. The desert can be warm even in spring, so I always tell families: bring water, and let me carry the pace.

Helping every generation feel at ease

The women in front of my lens often arrive a little nervous — especially the grandmother, who may not have been properly photographed in years and is quietly convinced she is "not photogenic." I promise you, she is. Much of what I do is simply helping people relax into themselves, with a little warmth and a lot of direction.

A few things that help:

• I direct, so you never have to wonder what to do with your hands. Not knowing what to do is what makes people feel awkward. I will guide you, gently and clearly.
• We talk while we shoot. When you are telling me about your daughter's wedding or your granddaughter's first steps, your face does the thing I am hoping for all on its own.
• The youngest sets the rhythm. If there is a toddler, we follow their energy and grab the grown-up portraits in the windows when they are content. I never fight a small child's mood; I work with it.
• Grief and absence are welcome here, too. Sometimes a generations session carries the memory of someone no longer with us — a great-grandmother who passed, a fourth generation we wish were here. We can honor that quietly, with a held photograph or a piece of jewelry. These images can hold love and loss in the same frame, and that is part of why they matter so much.

Common mistakes to avoid

After many years of these sessions, here is what I would lovingly steer you away from:

• Waiting "until things calm down." They rarely do, and the version of your family that exists today is the one worth photographing. Now is the right time.
• Booking for the busiest, most exhausting day. Do not schedule the portrait for the same afternoon as a big party or right after a red-eye flight. Choose a fresh morning or a calm late afternoon.
• Over-coordinating into matchy uniforms. Harmony, not a costume. Let each woman look like herself.
• Forgetting the matriarch's comfort. Heat, distance, and standing too long are the enemies. Plan seating and shade, and she will glow.
• Only ordering digital files. I will give you images you love — but please, print them. A file on a phone is not the heirloom. The framed print on the wall, the album in the drawer, that is what your granddaughter inherits. I help my families choose prints and albums for exactly this reason.
• Leaving someone out of the planning. A quick word with each generation about timing and wardrobe means nobody feels rushed or self-conscious on the day.

A few questions I am often asked

How many people can be in the photo? As many as you love. "Three generations of women" is the heart of it, but if there is a fourth generation — a brand-new baby, or a great-grandmother — that is an extraordinary gift, and we will absolutely capture it. We can also include the men and children in the wider frames.

What if our grandmother is frail or uses a wheelchair? We plan entirely around her. Seated, supported, close to parking and shade — she will be the comfortable, beautiful center of the whole portrait. Please just tell me ahead of time.

Can we do this even though we are only in the valley for a week? Yes, and these "while everyone is together" sessions are some of my favorites. Reach out as early as you can so I can hold your date.

At home or outdoors? Most families I work with choose their own home, a patio, or a nearby park — relaxed, familiar, and easy on everyone. The desert light outdoors at golden hour is hard to beat, and an in-home session with soft window light is just as beautiful, especially in summer heat or when mobility is a factor. We will choose what serves your family best.

Will you help us know what to wear and where to stand? Always. That is my job, and I genuinely love it. You bring the faces and the history; I will handle the rest.

Let's capture your three generations

If a mother, a grandmother, a daughter kept coming to mind as you read, that is usually a sign worth listening to. I would be honored to make these portraits for you — and the loveliest part is how little it asks of your family: an afternoon in your own living room or a favorite park, and a willingness to stand close together for a little while.

So here is my one practical suggestion: pick up your phone today, while the three of them are on your mind, and send me a note. We will talk about who is in town and when, and build a session around what works for your family. Tell me about your three generations here — and let's make the photograph your granddaughter will one day point to and say, "Look how much you have her smile."