I am truly so lucky to document so many amazing kids, especially so many truly amazing high school seniors. This kiddo is no different. I met his family at the very end of summer, just as he was about to enter senior year. Our plan was to document him again on his own this spring for a senior portrait photo session in Tampa. I am so glad we were able to squeeze in this mini-session on Davis Islands and the beach. While Davis Islands took so many hits last fall with hurricanes, it is still such a special place. I am glad to see it is still rebuilding and I truly hope it is spared this year with storms. The vegetation is also looking slightly better but no where near as thick and lush as it once was. Thankfully though, it still gets some of the prettiest light in Tampa. It does however, also get extremely busy with beach goers all week long, and other photographers and beach set ups, and the like, so it is best for a quick session so we can get in and out and explore other areas of Tampa, too.

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 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!

I adored meeting this family near the Don Cesar Hotel on Pass-a-Grille Beach for some family vacation pictures. They were in town together and the backdrop was a perfect beach spot for them and took them back to memories they had when they met in college nearby. The colorful spring wardrobe for this beach session was so vibrant, too. Just like their personalities. I had fun documenting their connections and personalities alike. When mom wanted to get a few of their daughter’s love of gymnastics I was happy to snap a few of just her, too.

Despite the colder weather we are having, it isn’t as cold as Colorado, right? This gorgeous and fun family got together for vacation on Indian Rocks Beach and set up their extended family photo session to document their time together. Get photo inspiration and enjoy a few photo tips for getting ready a beach photo session. These are especially helpful if you are visiting from out of town.

Wild winter weather doesn’t stop us from documenting your family on vacation in Tampa Bay! This gorgeous family session on Indian Rocks Beach truly shows what December beach weather in Tampa Bay may look like! Adult and teenage children at photo sessions when everyone is together is truly priceless! Don’t forget to document your family at all ages, not just as they are adorble little children!

Picnic Island Beach and Park in Tampa was a great photo back drop for this fun family photo session. I loved their fall outfits that coordinated but didn’t match too perfectly. They brought their fun energy and a great attitude to result in more photos than they will ever need. Read more about tips for a more relaxing and rewarding Tampa family photo session on the blog today!