Florida Vacation | Chicago Family Photographer | Beach photography

Our family beach vacation

Our family beach vacation | beach photography

I just returned from the most beautiful beach vacation with my family and have learned that I absolutely LOVE beach photography.  We have created the most incredible memories and I’m so thankful to have had the opportunity to spend this quality time with my kids, husband, and parents.  Family vacations are so very important to us and we try our hardest to never skip a year as we know these ‘family years’ will come to an end soon enough.

My 10 year old Gwen is getting bigger by the second and I love watching her explore the beach and look for her sea shell treasures.  She spends most, if not all of her time with her goggles on and head under the water searching for that perfect shell.  She also loved ocean fishing with her grandpa and even caught a schnuck fish!  Tess, my 7 year old spent most of her time shell hunting, learning to swim without floaties, and singing as loud as she could the songs ‘Part of your World’ and ‘Moana’ while swimming in the ocean.  My 4 year old Noah enjoyed floating around leisurely on his back in the water, running away from the ‘wave hot lava’, and playing with his toy truck using his ‘scoopa’ to move sand piles.  My husband spent his time exploring the ocean, teaching our daughter how to ocean fish, and enjoyed some down time from his busy work days.  And I spent my mornings jogging on the shoreline, dolphin watching, taking countless photos of these special moments that I will cherish forever.

It really was a magnificent vacation and I look forward to visiting Siesta Key again one day.  Below are some of the photos I took during our stay!

Siesta Key, Florida

Beach Photography in Siesta Key!

This beach really is one of the prettiest beaches in Florida that I have ever visited.  The sand is as soft as baby powder and the water is calm and warm.  We stayed in a condo just steps away from the beach which made our stay incredible.  We spent a lot of our evenings walking along the shoreline and enjoying the incredible sunset.  Our favorite restaurant we went to was a small little place called Big Water Fish Market.  This was a hidden gem and I recommend it to anyone visiting the Sarasota/Siesta Key area who loves fresh sea food!

Let’s photograph your family on the beach!

Let’s photograph your family on the beach!

The world of beach photography was introduced to me a few years ago and I have to say it is absolutely incredible in every way.  The light, the colors, the wind, the movement, the connection… it really is an amazing experience.  I have a secret location I offer to my clients for beach sessions and would LOVE to capture your family enjoying the water and sand.  You can view my family photography portfolio here.

Four tips on how to take great beach photos of your family

Four tips on how to take great beach photos of your kids!

Tip 1

Because the beach is so fun for kids, they will make it easy for you to capture genuine smiles and will naturally show how much fun they are having.  Let them play and be creative giving them little direction to capture those beautiful moments.

Tip 2

Those nifty iPhone 7s are pretty awesome with their new ‘portrait’ option!  Check out that new advanced setting and you’ll be amazed at how awesome photos look!

Tip 3

Let your kids go waist high into the water (yes, even with their clothes on)! They will think it’s fun and you will capture the most authentic smiles of them splashing around in the water!

Tip 4

Try your hardest to NOT ask them to look at you and say cheese.  I agree, grandma always wants a smiling photo, so maybe snap one for her wall… but I assure you your kids will participate a lot longer giving you giggles and fun smiles if you aren’t constantly asking them to stop, look, pose, and smile every 2 minutes.  You will love and appreciate the candid images so much more when looking back at your fun day at the beach!