I just adored photographing this stunning couple. They were the sweetest. We headed to the gorgeous Coquina Beach, in Holmes Beach, Florida, on a Saturday night. Honestly, beach sessions on a weekend are always a risk with the higher number of people. This night in particular was no different. I was able to head to the beach early with my kids, who absolutely love fishing this area along the intercoastal waters where the Gulf meets under the bridge to Longboat Key. Thankfully we were there early to know there was a run going on at the beach, culminating where we were planning on starting. Goodness, what a busy night! But, after fifteen years of doing sessions, nothing really phases me and I don’t think you notice anything but the gorgeous couple in these photos! Their outfits were perfect for the location and their coloring. Sometimes clients can pick a gorgeous wardrobe, but forget about their own coloring and how it will impact how the outfits work in the location. If they went super light outfits at a beach with lighter toned backdrops and then lighter skin tones and hair/eyes, etc., the result could have been washed out because of wardrobe choices. So, picking the right color clothing for you and your location will help you stand out instead of blending in. I am here to help clients but if you are not a client, this is a tip anyone can use!

This family has been with me for years and years. I have documented them since their kids were in middle school and now they have all graduated not only high school, but college and beyond. Now, they have welcomed a grandchild and another is on the way. I am so thrilled to share their latest session with you and so thankful to get to be the one documenting their family in photos. I adore them. We had a blast a few months ago…I try to keep on top of my blogging but sometimes life gets in the way. This summer has been busy with our usual travel but also a much busier summer of photo sessions. I am so excited for the fall after spending the whole year documenting so many families and high school seniors. I am putting my final touches on my fall mini-sessions for 2025, but I already have so many families booked for fall, so don’t forget you can always book a full session which allows you not only the date of your choice, but also the location. I do not plan on offering mini-sessions at any of the Gulf beaches this year, but I do love the fall for beach sessions, so now is the time to book your family photos on the beach if you are looking for a traditional fall beach photo session. Fort Desoto, Sand Key, Coquina Beach, Upham Beach, Treasure Island, and Indian Rocks Beach are just a few of my favorite spots!

I loved this special motherhood portrait session on Coquina Beach, taken a few weeks ago. We had the most glorious night and light. This beach is one of my favorite places to do beach photos. I used to visit the nearby Longboat Key north island as a kid on vacations from Green Bay as a kid, so that may be why it is an extra special spot for me. However, it has ample parking and small little nooks of greenery that still stand after last year’s horrible hurricane season. The sand is always soft and the light is fun to play with as the beach wraps around to the intercoastal. This sweet mother and son duo was such a joy to photograph as well. They snuggled, played and had a great time. We even got a few of just mama in her white-hot outfit on the beach, too. I am so glad she asked me to document this special age and time and absolutely wish I had something like these when my boys were babies for sure. I am just glad I am able to do this for other mothers and definitely make sure I get in the frame with my “babies” still each year to make up for lost time.

The fun part of doing a cap and gown session at the end of senior year is that those who are heading to college are able to get a few of those images making the announcement at the same time, too. These cap and gown sessions also make a great early grad gift for family as well. Plus, the whole time doesn’t have to be in your cap/gown. We make time for some special senior portraits in your clothing of choice, too. You can go timeless like this lad, or bring something that represents your style!

I stopped taking wedding clients a while ago but this couple was pretty insistent that I be part of photographing their special day. I mean, how could I say “no” to that? Wedding and couple portraits on the beach at sunset, sure, I can do that! It was so fun to be part of their day and do what I love, which is take authentic portraits! We had a threat of rain that night but everything held out and created the softest light on the beach.

This sweet family came all the way from Green Bay for their vacation and for family vacation beach pictures on Indian Rocks Beach. Of course, being from Green Bay, I was thrilled to have someone from my old home town pick me to document their family while visiting the area! We ended up having some people we knew and even went to the same high school. Although, I was there years earlier! It was so fun to document their time together and I loved each of the girls’ personalities that come through so well in the photos and their connection with each other shines in these as well. The night was colder than normal but being Wisconsinites they took it in stride and the light was so perfect and glowy!

BeachFt DeSoto Beachcoupleswhat to wear beach photosvacation beach pictures

Mar 21

Written By Brooke Hamilton

I no longer do wedding photography, but I do love couples portraits. Especially if you add a sweet toddler to the mis. It is even more amazing, right? This vacation beach photo session on Fort DeSoto Beach was taken just after the beach fully reopened. Thankfully it is just as lovely as ever after two hurricanes ravaged this coast last year. This family took a vacation and brought their wedding dress along for fun vacation beach pictures that are wedding inspired and still centered around their sweet family. I loved the light and how sweet and happy they all were together. It was worth the travel to Fort DeSoto for sure for that sandy expanse, less people and gorgeous greenery to work with, too.

This lovely family came down at the perfect time. The weather was perfect, no rain, no cold, just right. They had a few days of sea fog, but the sunsets were hazy, cotton candy skies. Which worked perfectly with the soft neutral color pallet. Neutral does not mean everybody is in white or cream, you can do neturals with khakis, brown, light blues and pinks sprinkled in as well. They didn’t have any big prints so everything just melded together perfectly with softness perfect for the beach! If you are heading down to Indian Rocks Beach on a family vacation with grandparents, cousins, or siblings you just don’t get to see nearly often enough, a family beach photo session is a great way to remember the fun you had. I promise it will be fun and the only stress will be if you stress. I will be here to guide you every step of the way and then the night of the session, help keep you relaxed with mom-jokes and animal noises to keep everyone entertained for the hour or hour and a half we spend together at sunset! Contact me today if you are already booked for your vacation. I am mostly booked for March but have a few spots open, particularly weekdays and the same goes for April.

This family came to visit the area earlier this month and we had an amazing night for a fun, family photo session on Coquina Beach. I love when people set up vacation family photos while in the Tampa Bay area. I photograph families as far north as Honeymoon Island and as far south as Lido Key and everywhere in between. If you are heading to Anna Maria Island, Redington Beach, Indian Rocks Beach or somewhere close by, the odds are that I know the perfect beach for us to document your time here on our gorgeous Gulf of Mexico beaches. Usually it is somewhere close to where you are staying or where you are vacationing if you are right on the beach!

I loved meeting this sweet family a couple of weeks ago when they were down in the area dropping their oldest daughter off at college. What a gorgeous night and family, right? I loved seeing their oldest daughter interact so sweetly with the younger siblings and how much everyone just soaked up their time together. I can’t imagine dropping your first baby off at school, especially in another state. What a great location though, especially with her marine biology focused study! This family made a family trip of it though and really seemed like they had a great time together before the big drop off. Sending miss C the best of luck!!! I have a couple of mini-sessions spots at beaches on the bay this fall, too. Read more about what is still left!

I love families who come here to vacation together and make time to get family photos done together. It really is so special to document your vacations on our gorgeous Florida beaches, but it is a whole different level when you take time to do a family photo session on the beach with your whole family. This family was staying on Treasure Island Beach. I don’t get to that specific area as much as Indian Rocks Beach and south in areas like Pass-a-Grille Beach or Anna Maria Island but man, Treasure Island was super pretty!

I was so happy to get to the beach this May. Apollo Beach photos are always fun and I have had quite a few maternity sessions there over the years, too. It is typically not the busiest beach in the area, but the new viewing platform and longer hours until sunset year round definitely makes it an easier to get to beach for those of us on this side of the bay for sure. For this time of year, the weather is warmer, the water is warmer, but the breeze at the beach usually means it is one of the slightly cooler spots to do a photo session in Tampa Bay in summer!