Beach Portraits: Sea, Sun, and Sand

The beach has always been a place of peace and a refuge.  It has been a place to let go of the hustle and bustle of everyday life and let it all ebb away with the tide.  So, here I share my experience with my first family portrait shoot at the beach.

Meet the Shiller Family: Jeff, Victoria, and Kayden.  We were on location at St. Augustine Beach,

Rule # 1: be always prepared.  Aspiring photographers, make sure you are prepared for the sand and the water.  Dress comfortably, be ready to get wet and sandy.  Also make sure that if you are planning on taking photos low near the water, have something to protect your camera for unexpected splashes.  I brought along a large ziplock bag.  It may not sound much, but it did the work.  For those who are planning on being in front of the camera, depending on what type of photos you are looking for, always bring extra clothes.

As this was my first time doing a shoot at the beach, I was unprepared for the size of the crowd.  Luckily for us, it was not that crowded at that spot, but for future reference: it's better to find a spot where it is almost deserted or else you will be photoshoping a lot out of the photos.  Also be aware as to the position of the sun because your subjects will probably be squinting quite a lot and this does show on camera.

Now that we've gotten that out of the way, have FUN and remember anything can happen.  Let's take Kayden for instance.  (I'm partial to this little guy and I'm not just saying that because he's my nephew......well ok maybe I am, but he is adorable.)  On one of the first shots, I asked Kayden if he could put this hands in this pockets and this is what I got:

Remember, have fun

And if you're lucky enough to have an Uncle Joey to play with and keep him busy, perhaps mommy and daddy can get some couple photos done too.

And as the sun goes down and when all are tired and ready to head for that trip home..................

don't forget.........................