When you have a wild & adventurous 18-month-old and their happy place is the beach, then you take your family Christmas photos at the beach. Simple as that.
For me, the beach has always been my get-away place, so I get it! It just calms you down, even as a little human. This is River (18 MO), Bree (his mama bear), and Sammy (his daddy). I was so excited to photograph this sweet family at the beach because it’s their natural habitat. Capturing my clients in their element is probably my favorite thing to do, so this photoshoot is up there on my favorites list. I think the more and more I take family photos with little ones involved, the more I realize you just have to have fun. The parents or other family members in the photos have one job and that is to smile and be ready at all times. There may only be a few moments where the little one is smiling, so the adults have to stay on their toes. It’ll be worth it in the end when you’ve got a whole bunch of smiling faces in one frame.
I personally don’t love the formally posed photos so, at a place like the beach, it’s perfect to let your clients and their families just walk around. I usually throw out ideas like, “hey Bree, hold Sam’s hand and look at River,” while still letting them do their own thing. I always give ideas and then let the couple or families run with it. Sometimes, you just have to let the family be themselves and anticipate the candid moments & laughs. 1. It’s wayyyyy more natural for your clients and 2. Who doesn’t love a great laugh or smile frozen in time that’s not super posed?!
One more trick! You ready for it? Less patterns, MORE textures. Small patterns are fine of course (as long as they aren’t distracting). A motto that I like to live by is less is more. And if you choose to do a pattern, pick one and build around it. I’m not a huge fan of the matchy matchy, so 3-5 colors that look good together is great. Much like the ones pictured above.
In summary, the 5 advantages of a Family Beach photoshoot are:
- The sound of the ocean soothes you (and your kids)
- It’s timeless
- You’re in your element (which leads me to #4)
- You act more like yourself
- It’s casual but beautiful
Don’t fancy taking your own photos? If you’re looking for an easy-going, fun photographer, I’m your girl.
xx,
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