Family photography is rarely just about the portrait you make that day.
The real value often shows up years later, when those images become a record of how people changed, how families grew, and how certain moments felt when they happened.
In this Sony Alpha Universe feature, photographer CJ of KIROS Images reflects on nearly two decades of photographing the Opara family, from weddings and newborn sessions to milestone celebrations and their latest family portraits. For this session, CJ worked with the Sony Alpha 7R VI and FE 24–70mm F2.8 GM II, using the camera’s high resolution, eye tracking, fast response and flexible workflow to stay focused on the people in front of the lens rather than the equipment itself.
What makes this story especially meaningful is the reminder that great family photography is not only about creating polished images. It is about preserving connection, personality and the moments between the poses that often become the photographs people treasure most. Over time, those images grow into something much bigger: a family archive and a visual record of a life being lived.
Sony Alpha Universe Repost
Documenting Art | Life | Legacy With The Opara Family (a sponsored partnership with Sony Canada)
Family portraits with the Sony Alpha 7R VI
When I look back at a photograph, it can feel as though it was taken only yesterday, even as the years seem to have flown by. That feeling is especially familiar when I look through my photographs of the Opara family. The images hold celebrations, growing children, changing seasons, and a friendship that has continued through them. For this session, I partnered with Sony Canada to photograph the family with the Sony Alpha 7R VI and FE 24–70mm F2.8 GM II lens. My purpose was the same one that has guided our work together over the years: to create art, document life, and honour legacy.
In this story
01 Watch the short film
02 Explore the finished portraits
03 The Sony experience
04 The family archive
05 A story still unfolding
Inside the session
WATCH THE SHORT FILM
The portraits we planned, the expressions we couldn’t, and the tools behind both.
A look behind the portraits
In this short film, I share how the Sony Alpha 7R VI and FE 24–70mm F2.8 GM II support my work with families. It is a glimpse of the decisions behind the photographs, from responding to a fleeting expression to creating the conditions for people to feel comfortable in front of the lens.
Look out for
• The movement between composed portraits and candid connection.
• The detail and responsiveness that support my choices.
• The confidence that comes from working with equipment I can depend on.
Explore the finished portraits
What we made together
A portrait session also becomes a memory of its own. The gathering, the laughter, and the experience of making something together become part of what people remember when they return to the photographs.
(swipe or use the arrows to explore the portraits below.)
The Sony experience
Detail that gives me options
With the Sony Alpha 7R VI, the appeal is in having detail to work with when I return to the photograph. Sometimes I notice a quieter expression or a gesture that deserves a closer composition. High resolution gives me more latitude to reframe, with the final crop and intended print size still guiding my decisions.
The moments between the poses
A photograph can be carefully composed and still leave room for surprise. I might bring the family into position and shape the light, but the expression that makes the image can arrive just after the pose relaxes. The camera’s responsiveness helps me follow changing expressions and capture the unplanned moments between poses.
Responsiveness with a purpose
Speed matters, but so does the quality of the frames it produces. I want the focus and detail to support the expression, not compete with it. Eye tracking is particularly valuable because so much of a portrait’s feeling lives in the eyes.
QUALITY
High Resolution
Sometimes I like being able to creatively recompose my portraits in the editing room. With the 66.8 megapixel sensor, creative cropping is not a worry when it comes to preserving detail and image quality.
SPEED
Burst rate and processing
Fast continuous shooting gives me more expressions to choose from as a moment unfolds. What matters most is not only how many frames I can capture, but whether the processing (buffer) and focus technology can keep up and deliver what I want to capture.
A lens I can work with
The 24–70mm range is a staple in my work because a family session rarely stays at one distance. I may want the whole group and the setting in one frame, then move closer to a face or a small exchange between two people. The sharpness and quick response of the Sony lens are qualities I appreciate, but the physical experience matters too. Sometimes my eyes are on the family rather than the equipment. I want to feel where my hand is on the lens and make an adjustment without turning that moment into a pause. That tactile connection helps the camera and lens feel like part of the same working rhythm. I am looking, communicating, and composing, not stepping outside the session to operate a separate object.
Handling and workflow
Battery capacity
I found the battery capacity impressive. I am used to preparing several batteries and thinking about what needs to go on the charger while I work. This power needs feel less demanding during the session and the dual charger (included) is another practical advantage.
Ergonomics
I appreciated the camera’s handgrip and the way the body felt as I moved between compositions. Comfortable handling matters because I want my attention on the photograph, as the camera seems to melt away. In a future session, I would also like to try the grip accessory built specifically for this model.
Creators’ App
I used Sony’s Creators’ App to tether wirelessly and share photographs during the session. Seeing the work on a larger screen helps create room for collaboration. We can look together, respond to what is working, and let that shared excitement shape the next photograph.
The best thing a camera can do is seemingly disappear while I’m shooting. It does its job while I do mine.
— CJ Creating
Confidence is contagious
If I am worrying about whether the equipment kept up, part of my attention is no longer with the people in front of me. When I can trust it, that attention becomes available for something else: a different angle, a more interesting composition, or the small change in expression that makes me want to take another frame. The camera may be physically between us, but it does not have to become a barrier to connection. That freedom can change the energy of the shoot.
More from Sony Alpha Universe
- Sony Alpha Repost: Youth Sports Photography Made Easier with the Sony a6700 and 100-400mm Lens.
- Sony Alpha Repost: Creative Filmmaking in Motion with the Sony FX5
- Sony Alpha Universe: From Film to Sony Alpha 1 – Andrew Ringuette’s Photography Journey
- Exploring Western Canada Through Sony Alpha: Adventure Photography with Kyle Marquardt
