one big family: portraits at the beach!

Thank goodness the rain held off for us because it is not an easy task to get a large group of extended family members together for a portrait. I'm so impressed that this fabulous family did just that, and they even coordinated outfits! I love the way all the shades of blue looked mixed in with some white. Perfect for the beach, and for the cloudy weather, which actually helped us out with nice easy light.

Such a photogenic family, and everyone was so nice! I thought it would be challenging with so many people, but they made it easy and fun.

don't worry about "perfect"

I knew I was going to like this family right away...here is a little excerpt from one of the emails they sent me explaining that the kids would probably be tired and perhaps not too enthusiastic about having pictures taken: "But...with or without smiles...we will catch this moment in time. So...don't worry about "perfect"."

Yes. YES!! Exactly! What a wonderful perspective on capturing images of these adorable grandchildren, who, by the way, were great, and they did smile :)

I agree wholeheartedly that we should not worry about getting the traditional version of "perfect" shots, because we've found that most of our favorites, the shots that our friends and clients treasure the most, are the ones that are not too posed or staged. We love seeing personalities shine through in our pictures. During our family portrait sessions, we will pick out great spots and sometimes direct people where to stand/sit/jump/dance/twirl, but we also like to let everyone relax and be themselves.

Here is a small sample of what happened on an intensely windy evening with this fabulous family. There was laughter, chaos, flying sand, and clearly, lots of love...

sophie

How can she possibly be so adorable? Umm, check out her gorgeous parents! Besides being beautiful, Sophie is independent, adventurous, and has the kind of smile that makes everyone around her feel happy. What an awesome photo session!!! Sophie's dad had purchased a gift certificate for a family portrait session with Hike Photography as a birthday gift for his wife (so sweet!). Meanwhile, she had already contacted me and set up a date! Such a thoughtful present- it was clearly exactly what she wanted, and they were both laughing about how they were on the same page without knowing it at first :) Too cute! Speaking of cute...