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Prepairing for your beach portrait – some ideas and thoughts based on my experience taking photographs on the beach.

There will be sand.
Just wanted to give you a heads up, the beach portrait is taken on a sandy beach. It might sound silly to say that but you might want to bring items that are beach related like a towel, to get the sand off your feet. If you have trouble walking in the sand it’s good to let us know. If your kids are afraid of the sand, you might want to warm them up to the idea before our beach portrait session. I wouldn’t have brought it up, if it hadn’t already happened.

Mosquito repellent is always a good thing.
A lot of times I will bring my own mosquito repellent and you’re welcome to use it however sometimes I run out. Sometimes there will be horse flies and mosquitoes on the beach but you should not be afraid them.

Wouldn’t you know it, there is a ocean there.
As you can imagine with an ocean there will be a lot of water and you could very well get wet. Not saying you will but it’s always a good idea to bring a change of clothes or backup shirt. Especially with the little kids wanting to run in and out of the water and the husbands who want to throw thier wives into the ocean you might want to have a change of clothes to change into in case you get wet. No I do not encourage husbands throwing thier wives in to ocean, sometimes it just happens.

Become a director’s assistant.
Depending on how large a group you have will determine how many photos are taken and how many different configurations there will be. Nowadays the family dynamics are so diverse you can mix and match different family combinations to make all kinds of different photos. And I will need some help trying to figure out the different combinations you might like. If you have some ideas for a picture don’t be afraid to let me know, I love ideas and suggestions.

Small families can add change.
Meaning if you have a family of four or five or six, you’re more than welcome to bring a change of clothes or a change of shirts for your beach portrait. I once had a family, a husband, wife, and three little girls who had the typical family shot with everybody in white shirts and shorts. But after we got the group shot and had fun on the beach, the parents wanted to change the little girls outfits so they could have different color dresses. Because the family was small we were able to photograph the group beach portrait quickly early on and it gave us time to have extra fun and get more photos. You are more than welcome to bring change of clothes or a change of outfits, just let us know at a time.

Some bad weather is good.
There are times when the weather looks bad, like it might rain, but don’t let that scare you off because I’ve seen where I’ve gotten some of the best shots that I’ve ever taken during times when weather wasn’t the best. A lot of times when there is a bit of an overcast that allows us to take photos of little earlier in the day if we would like.

Time to have fun.
Much like this article has a little funny in it, I like to have fun with my families. If are not out there on the beach having fun while taking pictures it will show in the images later on. I like to joke around with my new friends and have a good time, it’s how I bring out some of the best smiles. And you should feel comfortable cutting loose, I oftentimes get some of my best photos during those crazy times.

Some more tips for my beach portrait people.
Where you stand parents:
When it’s time to photograph the children and the grandparents or even just the children, its always a good idea to try and stand directly behind the photographer. As the children will often times look for you, a lot of photos will look like the kids are looking off into the distance, it would be better if they were looking more into the camera. As the photographer is often times doing what they can to capture the attention of the child, you the parent have the strongest influence. And you can help the little ones and the photographer by standing more directly behind the camera person, not too close but so that your children are looking more in the direction of the camera.

Timing is everything:
Sunset is our best time for taking beach portraits and that’s because of the fading light. With an over cast day you are looking at the best light, but maybe not the best background, all cloudy. If photographs are taken at 12 noon or 6pm, and the sun is bright and no shade, or cloud cover, you are going to get shadows. And Shadows are not our friend, unless you are looking for that kind of dramatic lighting. When photographing a group for a beach portrait, you might have the head of the person next to you casting a shadow on your face that will present an unflattering looking to you. So when its time to shoot, and you wonder why the photographer is stalling or doing something different, chances are the photographer is trying to work with the light.