5 Tips for the Best Family Beach Vacation Photo Session
The soft sand, cotton candy clouds, warm sun, and gently crashing waves of clear blue gulf water. It’s no secret that the beaches of Corpus Christi and Port Aransas are a hot spot for family vacations among Texans and non-Texans alike.
As a family photographer in Corpus Christi I have had the privilege of working with many vacationing families to our beautiful beaches! I have gained some important knowledge and perspective on what makes for a successful beach session especially with little ones involved. If you have planned a family vacation to one of the many spectacular Port Aransas or North Padre Island locations and are wanting to have family photos taken then these tips and tricks I have learned will help set you up for your best session yet!
Clothing - Think casual, light tones, bare feet. Everyone’s clothing tones should coordinate instead of being “matchy matchy”. It’s best to pick 2 or 3 tones that go together and let everyone wear what they’d like in those tones. I recommend khakis, pale blues, whites, tans, soft pastels or muted tones (think olive, blush, cream, lavender etc) to blend nicely with the light, cool colors on the beach. I love flowy lightweight fabrics for the beach as well - a lace, light cotton or gauze dress, lightweight button down, anything the wind and waves can play with tends to look beautiful. Also, don’t be afraid to accessorize!
Hairstyle - there is one thing that is almost always a guarantee at the beach… and that is WIND… we can’t change it, we can’t control it, so we either plan for it or embrace it! I am all for the wind blown hair look if you are, in fact most of the time I love it but if you don’t want your hair in your face you might plan for a half up style or some sort of french braid or other braided style. If you opt for your hair down be ready to let it fly!
Try to book your session at the beginning of your trip - By the end of your trip you will likely be a little worn out. The kids have usually already had a taste of beach play time and that is ALL they will want to continue doing. (Just try to keep them out of the water - or happy when you tell them no!) Also, booking your session close to the beginning of the trip means fewer or no sunburnt faces and shoulders.
Set the kids up for success – The beach session needs to be when the light is perfect just prior to sunset and sometimes this may be bedtime for the younger ones. Well-rested, well-fed kids will be ready to have fun, especially on vacation and we want them to feel like the photo session is playtime. This may take a little extra planning - like not spending a full day on the beach, they will be completely exhausted by session time and less cooperative. Try to workout a late nap and have dinner or a filling snack prior to the session to keep hangry episodes at bay (this goes for mom and dad too!)
Be ready to let go - let this be a fun time and an opportunity to not just take photos but to make memories with your family. I love to get the classic posed everyone looking at the camera and smiling shot - then it’s time for play. I love it when families wade through the water together hand in hand, when your son finds the coolest seashell ever and is excitedly showing it off to dad, the kids jumping in the waves splashing away. I want to see you cuddling and dancing and having a good time. Once the formal photos are out of the way, think of me as just a fly on the wall capturing the genuine moments you are having with your favorite people! These candid will be the photos that bring you back to this moment in time and remember how it felt not just how you looked!
here’s a couple of things you that you CAN forget…
Blemishes and boo boos. It always seems to happen..and right before a photo session. Every image you choose for a portrait will be hand-retouched and blemishes will be removed. Our editing magic will also smooth lines and skin tones so everyone will look great.
Saying “cheese”! We want the children’s expressions to be natural. With lots of kid experience, I know how to get the natural candid smiles that you love, no cheese involved. . So for more natural expressions, resist the urge to tell them to say “cheese”. Instead tell a joke, make a funny face or do a silly dance behind me, give me bunny ears! I like to keep kids busy during a session - I try really hard to get the nice posed smile photo right at the beginning then it’s all fun and games! ring around the rosy, races through the sand, jumping in the waves… you name it we will do it and make it fun!