Family Surf Photography Session

From Hawaii to Florida, we love surfing any beach breaks we can find! We lived in Hawaii for 5 years while in the Army and Brandon taught me how to surf. I was hooked the first time I stood on my board (without falling) and rode a perfect little wave into shore. That feeling of the board beneath your feet, the blue and turquoise tinged water and the sight of fish and coral underneath you is just a dream! We just left New Mexico (we miss my family so much) and moved across country to Florida! We are so stoked for this journey as it allows us to be by the ocean again, our favorite place!

Our goal of course is to expose our kids to surfing, It'll take some time, patience and diligence as our kiddos are still a little hesitant to go into the ocean, but we know they will fall in love with the art of surfing just as we have. To celebrate and document our move, we needed some new family photos to add to our new beach house. We set up the tripod, woke up at the crack of dawn to catch the morning light, put on our favorite swim suits and headed to the beach. I set up the tripod exactly where I needed it and added my family into the frame. Note to self: self portraits with kids is very hard! If you can afford a family photographer, of course go that route. I am a professional family photographer myself so I have all the gear which is why I don't hire someone... I would love photos of all of us catching a small wave together or at least in the water next time but again, I need to build my kiddo's confidence to get into the water and wait until summer when the water is very flat here.

TIP FOR STRESS FREE PHOTOS

My biggest trick to family photos is just letting them have fun, run around, and be themselves. I never try to pose my family for every photo, maybe one, you know for the Christmas card, otherwise, I run around my kids and catch them doing what they do best, play. These make the most amazing photographs because they are authentic and candid. Those moments are how I want to remember my kids; my son jumping off the sand cliff, my daughter splashing in the water, the waves breaking in around our feet. It's a stress-free zone for sure.

WHAT TO WEAR

When deciding what to wear for beach/surf photos, stick to contemplating colors, have one pattern at the most and keep it cohesive in a way. I wore my favorite rashguard from Acacia. It's a dark tan suit with a pop of pink flowers. I chose a light mint suit for baby girl, some dark blue shorts for my son and my hubby wore some black boardshorts. It takes away from too much distraction especially since he's covered in tattoos and those stand out more.

BEST TIME OF DAY

We live on the East Coast so in order to avoid harsh light and catch that glow, we had to take our photos right after sunrise. We did not make it before sunrise because you know, kids. This had the most pretty light. The sun doesn't set on the east and our evenings on the beach are very moody and I did not want that asthetic for these photos. If you're on the west coast, take advantage of the beautiful sunset!

I hope these small tips help and inspire you to get outside and take your own family photos. Remember to have fun with it and just let your family explore the beach. Those are truly the best memories!

Happy adventuring!