Best Tips for Family Beach Portraits
The Gulf Shores session featured in this blog is a perfect example of the best tips for a successful family session.
Realistic Expectations: Beach portraits are not taken in a controlled environment. This means we may have to change plans and go with what is given to us. This session started with really bright light. We took advantage of the shadow from the beach house. This reduced glare so there is less glare on the eyes which gives a more comfortable look. We moved to the beach when the light wasn’t as bright. The beach may be crowded with people. I try my best to minimize background distractions.
Kids will be Kids: I go with the mood of the children. This means not trying to force smiles. Hopefully the session is entertaining enough that I get genuine smiles. Sometimes kids may be stoic so I go with that as it is there natural look. Many times the “aggravated” pic with siblings can be funny and memorable. For toddlers it is hit and miss. I try my best to get a shot with a smile and they are looking but sometimes that just doesn’t happen. We will then resort to candid interaction photos.
Wind and Humidity: These are huge factor for beach portraits. I will try to minimize by having people face into the wind, sideways to the wind, and with their backs to the wind. There is going to be flyaway hair. I have conducted model sessions on the beach for several years now. Models will sped time with hair and makeup to find it sometimes falls apart in the wind and humidity. It is great to prepare, but this isn’t a studio.
Wardrobe : The standard khaki and whites has fallen out of favor for many wanting more colorful photos but it is tried and true. If you fall on the more colorful side, it is best to have a variety and not have one person standout. This is important when doing the group shots. It can look unbalanced if everyone is wearing khaki and whites but one person is wearing blue at the end UNLESS that is intentional. Just about every color works at the beach. For multi-family sessions, some families will intentionally choose a color theme for their family within the family.
Have Fun : Hopefully you and your family will have fun during your session. I try to accommodate all types of personalities. Some in the family want the posed photos and others want candid and natural light portraits. I spend time on the posed portraits but sometimes the best photos are the kids just running around and playing at the beach.
