Frequently Asked Questions

FUN!! Come relaxed! If you need to have a glass of wine/beer/margarita, have one (or two or three).  This is your session so let’s make it fun!  We promise to make it as fun and painless as possible. Please tell the men in your session to contain their excitement about the photo session! :)   We want to laugh and have a good time at the photo session and we expect y’all to have fun, too! We will have races, jump from rocks, collect sea shells, and investigate starfish! Your kids are going to play in the sand and that is okay! Your kids are going to be silly and that is okay. We are witty, a little sarcastic for the adults, and silly. We know potty humor makes kids laugh. We will joke about farting and birds pooping to get your kids to laugh!) You should be silly too! If you are tense, your kids will be tense too. RELAX and have fun! This is not a studio session and we like natural, candid poses. We will give a little direction but we will not tell you every hand and finger placement. It is good to just be natural and let things fall as they may. Happy and natural photographs well! We will capture your personality and will encourage you to laugh and play. Our sessions are a fun experience. We want your time with us to be an enjoyable part of your vacation!   

The best tip we can give parents is to relax! We know sunset can be past some children’s bedtime but it is the best time for photographs unless you want a sunrise session. We will meet one hour before sunset.  That is the only time for beach pictures unless it is VERY overcast (can't predict the weather). The white sand and water will cause a harsh glare and squinting. You do NOT want squinting pictures!! If you want an earlier session and shade, there are a few parks around the bay. We will do sunrise sessions but in the summer that means meeting around 5:45 AM.

Try to be rested, especially children (and grumpy men). A late nap and a full belly can do amazing things for children (and grumpy men)! :-)  Bring some beverages/snacks if you have a sunset session and your children might get hungry. If you decide to go eat before your session, please do NOT have the children (and grumpy men) wear the outfits for photographs!!! Yes, you can bring more than one outfit for photographs but remember you have purchased a time-limited session. There is no place to change clothes on the beach for adults (unless we hold up a towel) but children can change anywhere. 

Practice smiling with your child! If you have multiple children, practice giving gentle hugs and not choke holds. If there is a specific pose you want your husband or significant other to do, show him/her a picture of the pose.  If you want your children posing together, go ahead and break it to your son that he will have to hold his sister’s hand and sit next to her :)

The ole' weather question... :)

We are photographers; not a meteorologist (we do not like to see Jim Cantore on The Edge!). If we could predict the weather, our lottery ticket numbers would have landed and we would be taking pictures of coconuts in the winter and Aspens in the summer. :) The weather here can change in a minute. we have no idea when it will change but it will change at some point. If it is raining when we arrive at your scheduled session, we will discuss canceling/rescheduling. Rain earlier in the day will not cancel your session. The most beautiful sessions have been after a rain. If your session is canceled because of inclement weather, we will do our best to reschedule (makeup could be a sunrise session). Trust me; we are NOT going out on the beach in a storm! If your session can't be rescheduled because of weather, your deposit will be refunded.

Wear loose-fitting clothes. There will be some sitting poses.  Do not wear tight short skirts unless you like the feel of sand you-know-where...  Do not wear outfits where your bra strap is showing (unless you are okay with this). If you do not want tan lines, wear something that covers them up. The traditional white shirts with khaki bottoms are very popular because it is easy to have everyone match but it is very overdone. Color looks GREAT on the beach. It is much easier to coordinate (everyone wear a pastel top and khaki bottom) the outfits than match. Stay away from loud, bright prints. I can definitely help you with outfits! Ladies, don't wear a lot of makeup. Apply lightly. Beach shots should be natural.  Your hair will be blowing around in the WIND (yes, there is wind at the beach...). It does not matter how much hair spray you wear. If you want your hair to behave, shave it off… Just kidding! Consider wearing your hair pulled back.  

Our style is classic and natural. We like natural colors. You will not see us using “moody” editing and unnatural filters. We want you to cherish these images for years to come and not regret having some unnatural editing on your images.   Included in the package price are general color correction and/or brightness. We do not Photoshop your hair in every photo to make it look like you are in a studio (because you’re not!). You are on the beach, outside, and there is WIND. We’ll try and place you in the best position possible to minimize the wind but again, you are outside (WIND). Unless you are bald, you will not have perfect hair on the beach (there will be WIND and humidity). We will not switch heads, change backgrounds, etc. We know our area is naturally beautiful and does not need photoshopped backgrounds. If you choose to have your session on a crowded beach with buildings, we will not remove those items. We will not make tan lines disappear. Since you know you are getting pictures made, wear sunblock (reapply!) paying close attention to those sunglass tan lines on the men!!  If you do not want tan lines or bra straps showing, wear a shirt that covers them up. Try not to get sunburned before the shoot. If possible, book our session early in your stay and use SUNBLOCK!! The sun is much stronger here. Our white sand and clear water will make you burn even under an umbrella. Apply and reapply!!! We can do extra edits for a small fee of $25/edit. 

The short answer is no. Why? In a 30-minute session, we shoot 300+ images. We do this to make sure we get the best possible shot of every pose. We have to account for blinking (wind!), hair blowing (wind!), folks not looking at the camera (men are worse than kids!), etc. Multiple that by having 5,10, or 20 people in your session... Yeah, there's a lot that goes into getting a good picture. We do you the favor of taking out all those pictures where someone is blinking, the duplicates, where Dad is not looking at the camera, and test shots (we take test shots multiple times throughout a session because the light is constantly changing). In today's digital world, we are able to take a lot more pictures than when we used film, but the pictures (files) are HUGE.  An unedited picture would be in RAW format. You would not be able to see the pictures in RAW format unless you have a way to convert the files. Sorry, but all pictures taken are not a part of your package. 

You do not "own" all images taken, we do. And, we will use images in advertising. 

We'll bring some "beachy" props (shells, starfish, buckets) but you are welcome to bring anything you want. You can bring special toys or blankets to a cooler of "goodies" for the adults (glass bottles are not allowed on the beach). You should bring snacks if your little one gets hungry. It is always fun to get candid photos of children which means they get a little sandy or wet. We suggest bringing a change of clothes and towels if you want some "action" shots. Baby powder is the best way to remove sand from DRY skin. "Google" it!