There is something about the beach that is so life giving that it draws people in from across the country year after year! The beach is one of my favorite places to shoot a session and I never get tired of it! Luckily for me, it looks like there will be plenty of more beach sessions to come! I’ve compiled a few tips that will help you and your loved ones prepare for you upcoming beach session, whether you’re local or traveling to enjoy the beach from afar!
Arrive to Your Session EARLY
Arriving at least 15 minutes early to your session will give you plenty of time to fix or adjust outfits or change a diaper if needed. It will also take the stress off of rushing you and your family to get to your session on time and avoiding any anxious or grumpy moods! Remember, your session is meant to be FUN!
Don’t Stress the Wind
The beach is naturally windy but, trust me, that wind adds beautiful visual movement to your images that will make them come alive! As your photographer, I will be sure to position you where the wind blows your hair away from your face so you can feel confident in how beautiful you’ll look in your images! Wind is our friend and you don’t have to worry that a windy day might ruin your session!
Choose a Wardrobe that Complements the Environment
Choosing outfits that complement the beach will produce the best and most natural images! Choose something flowly that will move with the wind and match the movement of the water. Stick to neutral tones and simple patterns that will highlight the beauty of your surroundings! Don’t stress over your shoes either! Avoid heels or wedges and feel free to go barefoot to enjoy the sand between your toes!
Don’t Stress Over Your Hairstyle
Keep it simple and don’t overthink or over perfect your hairstyle. The beach is windy and a more natural, wavy hairstyle will work beautifully in your images! I would also suggest not spending many hours curling your hair or trying to get your hair perfect, as it will fall rather quickly. Embrace the wind. You know that saying “beach hair, don’t care”, yeah, that applies here!
Pack Extra Clothes and Beach Towels
If you plan to go anywhere after your session, you’ll be glad you prepared ahead of time! With a beach photo session, you will get wet and sandy and it will create some amazing images! But you’ll be glad to get into some dry clothes and get as much sand off of you as possible before getting back into the car.
Plan For a Natural, More Candid Style of Shoot
Part of the fun of shooting at the beach means being yourselves and being playful! I like to capture your family as naturally as possible which is a perfect style of shoot for little ones! Walk along the beach hand in hand, let your kiddos run around, giggle and play! Enjoy making memories with your loved ones and I will capture them in real time!
Golden Hour/ Blue Hour Beach Sessions are the BEST
Trust me on this one! This is an absolutely perfect time of day to capture your images and you’ll enjoy the scenery of the beach at this hour. I am happy to help you plan and coordinate your session time to ensure the lighting for your images is amazing!
HAVE FUN
This is the most obvious tip, but it’s true! Too many mamas worry over their session only to find it wasn’t stressful at all! Follow these tips to prep for your session and let the worry melt away! Enjoy your time at the beach with your family and I promise it’s all you’ll need to get the beautiful images you’re looking for!
I hope that you look forward to your next beach session as much as I do! Use these tips for the most relaxed session possible and trust that your images are going to turn out beautifully! The beach is such a place of peace and wonder, focus on enjoying the magic with your loved ones!
