A family session brings several people together, often children, around one contact: the parent who books. In Graindevue, that parent sends the request, signs the contract, pays and receives the gallery. The family contract covers what matters with minors: their image rights, their supervision during the session and the use of the photos in your portfolio.
This page follows one family session, then a day when several families book on the same date. Graindevue works in euros, for photographers working in France.
A family session, step by step
| Step | Who / where | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Questions | The parent, on your profile | "Send Message" to discuss the location, outfits and who will be there, signed in to their client account. |
| 2. Request | The parent | The "Family" type, your package, the date and start time, "Photographer's studio" or "Custom location", then "Book Session". |
| 3. Contract | You, "Contract" tab | At your studio, "Add the shooting address" with the studio's address. "Generate Contract" from the family template, review, then "Send for Review". |
| 4. Signatures | The parent, then you | The parent signs first, then you sign. |
| 5. Payment | The parent | Deposit and balance as set on the package. |
| 6. Session | You, the family | A parent supervises the children for the whole session. |
| 7. Gallery | You, "Files" tab | Once the Booking is fully paid, "Upload" then "Share Gallery". |
Fictional example: the Martin family in the park
This example is made up to illustrate the flow.
Julie books your "Family, 1 hour" package for a Sunday in October at 4 pm, at a "Custom location" in a park in Lille, for herself, her partner, their two children and the grandparents. In her message, she mentions that the youngest is three and tires quickly.
You generate the family contract. Before signing, Julie and you agree in the conversation on a covered fallback spot in case of showers. She signs, you sign, she pays the deposit by card. After the session, you deliver the gallery: Julie downloads the photos and sends them to the grandparents.
The family contract
For a package of the "Family" type, Graindevue uses a template written for family sessions. The contract text is in French. It includes:
- your commitments with children: adapting the pace to their age, planning breaks, a safe shooting space;
- the parent's obligations: the family being present, supervising the children for the whole session and flagging any particular needs;
- consent to the session: the client certifies that both holders of parental authority over each minor have agreed, in line with the French law of 19 February 2024, and that the child is involved according to their age;
- the consent of each adult photographed, for the shoot and the private use of the photos;
- weather for outdoor sessions: a covered fallback spot agreed beforehand, and cancellation with a full refund in dangerous conditions;
- confidentiality of information about the children.
You can adapt the template's editable articles (obligations, copyright, image rights, cancellation, mediation) on the package, or for one session with "Edit Template" while the contract is a draft. The full flow is on the contract management page.
Booking and publication: two separate agreements
Signing the contract means accepting the session and its terms. Using the photos in your portfolio or on your social media is another agreement: the family template makes it subject to separate, explicit consent, from each adult concerned and, for a child, the joint agreement of both parents, which can be withdrawn at any time.
Get that agreement in writing, for example in the Booking's conversation, and state the agreed use in the image rights article.
Several families on the same day
For a day of outdoor sessions, in autumn or before the holidays, each family sends its own request for the same day, with a different start time. Each Booking has its own contract, payment and gallery. The Studio calendar shows every session of the day, and each session goes to your Google calendar when the contract is signed, if you have connected it.
Packages are set in whole hours, from one hour. Allow for welcoming each family and moving between groups within that duration, and tell each family which time to pick, in "Messages" before they book. Block the days you do not work with "Mark Unavailable".
Changing the date
As long as the parent has not signed the contract, you move the session yourself: "Edit" on the "Session" card, new "Event Date", "Save Changes". If a contract was already generated, click "Regenerate Contract", review it and send it again.
After their signature, the date is settled: the Booking is cancelled and the parent sends a new request. If both parties had signed, "Cancel booking" refunds everything paid. The details are on the couple photographers page.
Package, payment and gallery
The package sets the duration, "Minimum Shots", the delivery timeframe carried into the contract, and the price, fixed or "On quote". The "Deposit Percentage", "Balance Due" and payment methods are yours: see the deposit guide and the guide on pricing your photography.
The gallery opens in the "Files" tab once the Booking is fully paid. Only the parent who booked, signed in to their account, and you can open it: they download the originals and share them with the rest of the family. See the gallery delivery page.
When a family comes back the following year, they send a new request: a new Booking, a new contract, a new gallery.
What Graindevue costs
€29 per month after a 30-day trial with no card, and no platform commission on your Bookings. Online payments go through Stripe, whose processing fees apply. See the zero commission page.
Going further
- A baby's first session: newborn photographers.
- For a commissioned individual portrait: portrait photographers.
- The clauses to decide before signing: the photography contract guide.
To generate a family contract on a test Booking, start the free 30-day trial, with no card.
Frequently asked questions
Who books a family session?
A parent. They are the Booking's client: they send the request, sign the contract, pay and receive the gallery.
Does the contract cover photos of children?
Yes. The family template covers minors' image rights under the French law of 19 February 2024: the parent who signs certifies that both holders of parental authority have agreed, and the child is involved according to their age.
Can I publish family photos in my portfolio?
The family template makes it subject to separate consent: from each adult concerned and, for children, from both parents. Get it in writing, and remove the images if any of them asks.
How do I organise several family sessions on the same day?
Each family books the same day, with a different start time, using your package. Each Booking has its own contract, payment and gallery, and the Studio calendar shows every session of the day.
What if it rains on the day?
The family template provides for a covered fallback spot agreed before the session. In dangerous conditions, the session is cancelled at least 3 hours beforehand and the client is refunded in full; they can then send a new request for another date.
How do the grandparents get the photos?
The parent who booked opens the gallery with their account, downloads the originals and shares them with the grandparents.