Have you ever dreamed of those beautiful beach photos of your children fit for a postcard? You know, the ones where the children are running and frolicking down the beach and behaving like angels! Ha! We went to the beach a few weeks ago with family and I was finally able to get some adorable photos of my nephew and my girls!! Well… we have tried that with all of the littles for years now, and finally, at LAST… we got some adorable pictures with everyone cooperating! Including my husband performing some incredible dance moves in the background to make the kids laugh! lol

 I wanted to share some practical tips with you in planning your family beach photos!

First… don’t stress! So many people feel that picture day is so stressful, but Im here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be. With a little planning, you can avoid some huge obstacles. First off, if you are there on a week-long vacation, don’t wait until the last day to do pictures. Everyone is usually sunburnt, tired and worn out by the last day of vacation. Plan to do your pictures earlier on your vacation rather than later.  Also plan for inclement weather and be sure to ask your photographer about a rain plan.

 The thing that most people worry about is finding the perfect outfit for a photo session. I say keep it SIMPLE! Be sure to pick out your outfits, shoes, hair bow, jewelry, etc before you go on vacation. Lay everything out and imagine how the photographs will look on your walls!

Neutral and muted colored clothing work best. Creams, white, khaki, muted shades of pink and blue work well too. Seersucker prints look great as well as pastels. I personally try to stay away from bright neon colors because they can put a color cast on your photos. Avoid bold prints and patterns and keep jewelry to a minimum. Also stay away from clothes with logos on them. Go barefoot on the beach! Shoes aren’t necessary!

On the day of the photo session, remember that the golden hour of the best light is about 30 minutes before sunset. If little ones are in the photos, this can be especially tricky. Don’t overdo it the day of photos, allow time for naps and snacks, and little nap before the photo session is usually beneficial.  Hey… I’m also not above bribery… bring a favorite little snack or even a toy!

 Try not to get stressed! Stay calm so that the little ones don’t feed off of your energy. Try to make it a fun experience. Remember that most of the time, candid photos end up being the best anyways.  When one of my girls was younger, she literally hated the sand touching her feet! Bless it! So be sure to bring a little quilt/blanket in case your little one doesn’t like the sand either!!

 Just remember, at the end of the day, you will hopefully be able to look back and smile about all of the memories that you have made with your family! Take a deep breath and enjoy it!!