How to Prepare for a Beach Photo Session

As a South Florida family photographer, I have been asked to do a lot of beach photo sessions. It’s only natural that I picked up some tips and tricks to help families prepare for a beach photo session.

#1 Arrive early. 

Take traffic, wait time and parking into consideration. Rule of thumb is to arrive at least 15 minutes early. Depending on the time of year, it can get hectic when parking because the beaches become overcrowded here.

#2 Bring extra cash. 

Almost all beaches here now require a parking fee. Depending on the beach, some fees are by the hour or for the day. Some beaches have parking meters, so make sure to take a picture of your license plate to enter it into the meter.

#3 Wear clothes that compliment your surroundings. 

A bright pink dress will not go well at a beach session. Opt for more neutral tone colors. For moms, think of cotton dresses that are loose because skin tight dresses will probably show sweat stains more than a loose dress. Dads can wear khaki pants and white cotton button shirt. Kids are easier. Little girls can wear a loose dress and boys can wear neutral colored shirts and shorts. 

As for shoes, forget about ‘em! 

#4 Bring a blanket.

Bringing a blanket will help minimize sand flying all over the place. It also helps minimize kid’s distraction since they usually love to pick up sand and play with it. 

#5 Hair and makeup 

Beach sessions can be hot, sweaty and windy. Keep that into account when doing your hair. Stick to a natural look. I love movement, so soft curls would look great in photos with the breeze kicking it up in the air or around you. 

For make-up, stick with waterproof mascara. For little girls, pin their hair back so that the wind doesn’t get in their face too much. 

#6 Pack towels and extra clothes

Families tend to get a lot of sand on them and they like to wash up before they leave. Bring towels for the family so they can dry off before they get in the car. Also, if a family or couples chooses to do some water shots, bring an extra pair of clothes to change into.

Hope this help prepare you for a beach photo session!

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Thank you so much for visiting my blog! My name is Vanessa, and I own Vanessa Palomino Photography specializing in family and newborn sessions in South Florida, including West Palm Beach, Royal Palm Beach, Wellington, Jupiter, Boca Raton, Delray Beach and beyond.  Do you want to book a session with me? That’s wonderful, and I am super excited to work with you. Click here to contact me! Chat with you soon!

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