A family beach photo shoot can be so much fun if you’re well prepared. Clients often experience the most stress during the “getting ready” stage just before their session. However, with the right planning put into place, you and your loved ones can have a stress-free family photo shoot!
As your photographer, I want every step of your family photos to be memorable, relaxed and fun. There are a few simple things you can do before your family beach photo shoot to ensure that everyone arrives comfortable and excited for the session.
5 Tips to Prepare for Your Family Beach Photo Shoot
1. Get Your Family Excited Before Your Photo Shoot
A parent’s attitude about a session can set the tone for the entire family. If you are excited about your family photo shoot, that energy will be contagious! On the other hand, if you are stressed out or dreading your session, your family members will likely feel the same way.
Talk about the session in a positive light and let everyone know how much fun you’re going to have! Allow your children to be a part of the planning and preparation process so they can feel like they are contributing. This will help them feel even more excited about the photo shoot.
If you are planning on taking family pictures during your vacation, it’s best to book your family photo shoot at the beginning of the trip. Otherwise, you may feel anxious instead of excited as you anticipate the session during your trip. If you book your family pictures near the beginning of your trip, you’ll feel more able to relax during the remainder of your vacation.
2. Choose the “Right” Wardrobe
Choosing your family’s outfits for your family beach photoshoot doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Stick to a natural color palette that will feel timeless and coordinate well with the beach setting. Select materials that will be comfortable to wear at the beach, something lightweight, that you won’t mind getting sandy or wet.
You also want to make sure that the outfits you select will cover any tan lines you may get from time spent on the beach during your vacation. If you have young girls, make sure they wear diaper covers or bloomers under their dresses to make sure everything is covered up nicely during the more playful shots in the session.
If you want more tips for styling your family for your photo shoot, I have an entire blog post dedicated to this topic here.
3. Make Sure Everyone is Well Rested and Well Fed
If you have little ones who take regular or scheduled naps, it’s important not to disturb their schedule. You want your kiddos to show up for your family photo shoot well rested so that they feel their very best! Book a session time that will work well with their nap schedule and allow for plenty of time to get ready before their session.
It’s also important to make sure everyone is well fed before your photo shoot as well. Nothing is worse than trying to smile and have fun with a grumbling, hungry stomach! If your family is well rested and well fed before their session, you are more likely to be able to relax and enjoy yourselves during the photo shoot!
4. Bring Items that Will Get Your Kids Excited
If you’re already at the beach, you might as well make the most of it! Bring along beach/sand toys, bubbles or anything that will get your kiddos excited for the session.
Pack bathing suits, a change of clothes, and beach towels for after your photo shoot so that your family can stay a little longer to have fun. This also helps everyone avoid getting back into the car in cold, wet or sandy clothes.
5. Be Yourselves and Have FUN
It’s important to note that family sessions with me aren’t all forced poses or stiff smiles. My job is to capture your family as you are. I want you to laugh, play, be yourselves and have fun! Allow your family’s unique personality and connection to be the star of the show. Nothing is more meaningful than those candid shots that really showcase your families’ true smiles.
If a family member is reluctant or nervous about the photo shoot because they think it will be a “modeling session”, reassure them that this photo shoot is all about having fun and spending time together.
The Key to a Great Family Photo SHoot
The key to a great family beach photo shoot is all in the preparation. With the right plan in place, your family will enjoy the session and it will become a fond memory. This will make looking at your family photos even more special each time you pull them back out to reminisce on this season of life. Family pictures don’t have to be a source of stress or overwhelm! They can turn into a family tradition that everyone looks forward to year after year.
Want to book your family photo shoot with me? Contact me here to get started.
Don’t forget to follow me on Pinterest for more inspiration for your family session!
Celebrating the Next Chapter in your Senior’s Life
Graduation season is almost upon us! This is such an exciting time for you and your child. Big changes are just beyond the horizon and there is so much possibility ahead of them. With such an important transition happening, you’ll want to savor every second of this chapter before a new one begins. Senior sessions are the perfect way to document this season and remember it forever.
Senior sessions are perfect for your high school or college graduate. Both milestones are pivotal moments that take your senior that much closer to fulfilling their purpose in life. As parents, it’s hard to contain how proud you are! Senior sessions allow you to celebrate your kiddo’s big accomplishments and freeze these fleeting moments in time forever.
Showcasing Their Unique Personality with Senior sessions
No two graduates are the same. Likewise, senior sessions are as unique as your child’s personality. It’s so important to me that we create a session that tells the story of who your child is at this stage in life. Are they laid back and adventurous? Formal and studious? Silly and creative?
Choosing the right outfits, locations, props and poses will help us really showcase who your child is through pictures. You’ll be able to look back at these photos years down the road and say, “Remember when…” and “These are so them.”
Most of us have more than one interest and more than one side to our personality. We can customize your senior session to capture all of it! Want a few dressy pictures by the beach? A few casual photos with your child’s furry best friend or favorite hobby? I’ll be sure to help you document it all.
This season of life doesn’t last long, and your child will go through many more changes as they navigate the world on their own. But this season they’re currently in is so precious that you don’t want to forget a thing. Nothing is more nostalgic than gathering around old photos of our younger selves and reminiscing on what life used to be like. You’ll never regret a photograph because it’s a tangible memory.
When to Book A Senior Session
You can book a senior session anytime during your child’s senior year. Take weather and the seasons into consideration. Is there a particular season of the year that’s your child’s favorite? Do you want outdoor or indoor photos? What location do you imagine your senior’s session is captured at?
Answering all of these questions may help you to decide when to book your senior session. A good rule of thumb is to book your session in far enough advance that your gallery is delivered back in time for graduation if you want to use these photos in your child’s yearbook, on graduation announcements or if you’re planning to give them as gifts to family members.
Congratulations on your child’s big achievement! I know that you’re so proud of the person that they’re becoming. This accomplishment is worth celebrating! If you want to book your senior photography session with me, you can contact me here to get started.
Don’t forget to follow me on Pinterest for more inspiration for your child’s senior session!
Dog Photograper in Honolulu, Hawaii & San Diego, California
Let’s face it, our furry friends are more like family. It’s no surprise that dog photography and pet sessions have become increasingly popular over the last few years. The time we get with our beloved pets just isn’t long enough. Much like children, our pets grow up far too quickly. Booking a professional photography session for your four-legged friend is a wonderful way to remember the bond you share forever.
Types of Dog Photography Sessions
Dogs, like their owners, have their own unique personalities. There are many different types of dog photography sessions you can book in order to capture their special personality. It’s important to me as a dog photographer that we create a session that really shows off who they are or captures a specific season in their life that you don’t want to forget.
Here are 5 Types of Dog Photography Sessions to consider:
Newborn Puppy Session
These are just as adorable as they sound! Just like a newborn baby, newborn puppies don’t stay this tiny forever. If your pup comes to you as a newborn and you want to remember and cherish every sweet little detail of this stage, a newborn puppy session is the right fit for you. If their mom or dad is also a member of the family, it’s so much fun to have their pictures made together!
Minimal Portrait Session
If you want a more timeless portrait of your dog to hang on your wall, a minimal indoor dog photography session may be just what you’re looking for. These sessions have the sole focus of making your dog the star of the show. I capture the beautiful details of your furry friend in a classic style that will never fade with time. These images are powerful and really showcase the soul of your dog.
Outdoor Dog Photography Session
Does your dog love spending time playing outdoors? An outdoor dog photography session is the perfect fit for your pup! These sessions let your four-legged be in their favorite place which helps them be more comfortable during the session. Outdoor sessions also provide beautiful lighting and natural surroundings that help to create stunning images of your dog.
Pups and Props Session
Want to add a little something extra to your dog photography session that makes it feel more unique? A prop session is the perfect solution. These sessions are so fun and really allow you to get creative in order to showcase you and your dog’s personality. I’m always open to hearing your ideas when it comes to a prop session for your dog and encourage you to have fun with it!
Family Dog Photography Session
There’s a reason dogs are called “man’s best friend.” Booking a family style session with your dog is a great way to commemorate your pal with the whole crew! These sessions are so special, and your dog always feels more relaxed when you’re close by. These are the kind of images you’ll cherish forever as you can look back and see how much you and your pup have grown and changed together over the years.
Booking a Dog Photography Session
No matter what kind of dog photography session you choose, these images are guaranteed to become treasured keepsakes of your best pal. These sessions are a blast to do and allow you to show your pup just how special they are. Every pet session I get to shoot is so much fun because no two are ever the same. It’s important to create a session that feels like you and your dog, no matter what that may look like. If you need help coming up with creative dog photography session ideas, I’m here to help! I can’t wait to meet you and your best furry friend.
Want to book a dog photography session with me? Contact me here to get started!
Don’t forget to follow me on Pinterest for creative dog photography ideas for your next pet session.
Styling your wardrobe for your session may seem like a daunting task. However, wardrobe has one of the biggest impacts on the way your images turn out! If choosing what to wear for your session feels overwhelming, we’ve got you covered here at Island Style Images. Whitney, my stylist, and I help our photography clients with ideas on what to wear as well and offer links for purchasing pieces for your photography session.
How does styling affect your photography session?
There is a reason we often struggle with choosing what to wear. It’s because we know that what we wear has the ability to affect the way we look. Choosing the right colors, patterns, fabrics and fits can make you feel confidently beautiful for your session. Nothing makes a photography session shine quite like confidence!
When you are wearing a piece that flatters you, works well with the session location and your photographer’s editing style and coordinates beautifully with everyone else in your photoshoot, your images get an automatic upgrade! On the other hand, choosing outfit colors that don’t match the location or your photographer’s editing style can make your images feel off. Patterns that are too distracting may take away from the images as well.
Styling your wardrobe for your session in the right way has a major impact on the final results. It can be easy to choose an outfit for yourself for your session. But styling your family’s wardrobe and coordinating your outfits can be a lot trickier.
Coordinating Your Family’s Wardrobe
One of the biggest struggles clients experience when selecting a wardrobe for their session, is how to coordinate everyone’s outfits so they feel cohesive and put together for your session. Our biggest advice is to coordinate your wardrobe, don’t “match” or put everyone in the exact same outfit! But how?
Whitney, my stylist, and I will use these three basic principles to create a mood board to help you style your wardrobe for your session:
Choose a Color Palette
Whether your family likes neutral tones or bold colors, choosing a color palette is the perfect start to styling your wardrobe for your session. A color palette with at least 3 to 5 different colors works best. You can search for color palettes that you like on Pinterest or Whitney and I are happy to suggest color palettes we think will work wonderfully for your session.
Avoid Distracting Patterns or Designs
Patterns that are too busy can sometimes make photos appear pixelated or overwhelming. On the other hand, finding the right pattern that isn’t too small or too big can help add a fun visual element to your images. You also want to avoid certain designs on children’s outfits, like character shirts, to help your photos feel professional.
Select Appropriate Fabric for the Season and Session Location
Fabric also plays a huge role in the outcome of your session. Certain fabrics like lace, fur or leather can add texture to your images, making them more visually appealing. The right fabric can also coordinate well with your session’s location. For example, if you are doing a session at the beach, we would suggest light and airy fabrics that are comfortable and tie in well with the setting.
Styling Your Wardrobe for Your Session
Styling your wardrobe is a big part in planning for your session. I want you to enjoy your session with me and feel completely confident and relaxed in front of the camera. That’s why Whitney and I prioritize helping you select the perfect wardrobe for your session. You and your family will look and feel your best and your pictures will turn out as beautiful as possible!
Below is an example of a mood board we created and the final wardrobe for Whitney’s family session in Saguaro National Park in Arizona to help give you an idea of how we plan a wardrobe to style a session. This session was so fun and loving! The style helped elevate their session to create images that will be treasured for years to come.
Want to book your session with me? Contact me here to get started.
Don’t forget to follow me on Pinterest for more inspiration and ideas for your family session!
I’m Joanne Barratt. I’ve been a professional photographer for most of my life – though it took me a while to find my own path. I’m a single mom to a daughter who is on Team USA for skateboarding and is hoping to be one of the first female skateboarders in the 2020 Olympics, now 2021 Olympics, next summer. She is my inspiration for this book as she is still trying to figure out what to do after her competitive skateboarding career.
My vision for this project started as I was looking for positive role models for her and this idea has now grown into a book to share and inspire girls everywhere, including my daughter!
Why am I creating this?
When my daughter was younger, people always asked her “What do you want to do when you grow up?” She had no idea how to answer this and was left wondering what the options were for what she could be. Children, young adults, and even us grownups spend a lot of time wrestling with this question. Really, what we all want is to be happy – to do work that is meaningful and that rewards us both emotionally and financially.
But many of us followed a long, twisty path to reach the work we want to do. My goal for this book is to show those paths, so that girls – and women who feel stuck on their current path can be inspired by the stories of women who have found work that they love. I want to show girls and women that there are more kinds of work than they ever imagined, and that it’s okay to create a new kind of career that never existed before. I have interviewed women such as a neuroscientist who became a florist; a woman who is building a career as a spear fisher-woman, and women who have made places for themselves in typically male dominated fields like sports, film-making and business as well as women that are leading in their industry.
