2022 served up 90 beach sessions through the months of March to October. And while we're now heading into my 7th year of business here in Charleston I've still learned something new every year about how to serve my clients better! Below is the MUST KNOW and EVERYTHING TO EXPECT for 2023!

When is the best time to book?

So let's start from the beginning here... If you want to book a session specifically for beach you may be asking yourself when the best time of year is. Beach Session ideal months are between April and August. These are the typical in season months with warmer temperatures, better weather, better skies. The days are longer but the weather is a tad easier to predict as January and February are the winter months with chilly winds. March can be warm but often has a lot of rain and temperature changes creating foggy conditions. And at the end of the year our hurricane season picks up between September through November, so while we may not get a direct hit, the beaches are subject to storm surge, washouts of dunes, and overall just rainy conditions. November and December the beaches are usually recovering from the hurricane season but weather wise are completely unpredictable with temperatures. Some years we have warm and sunny holiday seasons, and others are bitter cold. If you're booking a beach session in what I consider the "off season" I will ask that you keep downtown Charleston as a backup option. In general, of ALL beach locations, sessions with me specifically are booked Monday through Thursday for sunrises and sunsets, Friday sunrises only if needed in case of rain earlier in the week. Sunrise sessions typically start about 10-15 minutes before the sun comes up, sunset sessions usually start about 30-45 minutes before the sun sets. I take a maximum of 4 beach sessions a week: two sunrises, and two sunsets. Every client books an initial date, and a backup date in case of poor weather, which is why my schedule fills FAST. With that in mind, I usually prefer to book MOST beach sessions at sunrise if possible. It's less HOT here in the early mornings, the chances of thunderstorms and high winds here on the coast are a fraction of what they are in the afternoons and evenings. 

What do you recommend for children?

Kids are usually in the best mood when they're well rested from a good night's sleep or a good long nap. Often times when you're here on vacation you cram so many things into your day that by the afternoon and evening the kids are DONE and are ready for bed. With sunset being as late as 8:30pm here during the summer months, they rarely make it. It's meltdown mode. Thus being why sunrise is HIGHLY recommended for children under 3 years of age. Timing is key when planning for your session, I will trust you as the parent to know their sleep schedule and happiest times, so just keep the little ones in mind when you're choosing your time frame. 

What do you recommend for larger groups?

My answer: It depends.
I know that planning for a entire group portrait is a feat in its-self. We want to make sure that everyone has time to prepare and look their best. So it might be hard to fathom an entire group to be ready at the crack of dawn, but if you're the type of family that has A LOT planned on your vacation or lots of young ones- it really might be worth it to have ONE early wake up call once during the week. Remember, adults can nap too so don't let the early alarm deter you. The beach is always empty in the early morning hours and generally speaking, it's way less hot and less chances of rain. It can often be a lot less stressful for the group to get the session done in the morning hours and have the rest of your vacation to relax and explore on your own schedule.
However, if you have a house full of night owls, then sunrise is likely not for you! Sunset times can vary based on the weather and cloud coverage. Remember too, that I may need to move your session up by as much as 2 hours if it's overcast or there is an impending storm. But in general, you'll have the whole day to plan out the evening and to get yourselves ready. And for some, this is definitely the best option. Because trust me, if I'm waking up early I don't want to be greeted by a grumpy gang either! 

Why only Sunrise and Sunset, and why only Monday through Thursday?

There is no shade or trees on the beaches here so during the day you're squinty without sunglasses and you're sweaty within about 30 seconds in the summer. During Sunrise and Sunset the sun is at the lowest point along the horizon and therefore is the softest and most indirect on you, the subjects. This results in cooler temperatures and less harsh lighting, so less sweating and no squinting. This is also the ONLY time of day you're going to have those stunning colors in the sky. Another reason for the specific time frames is that if you've ever been to the beach in the summer, and especially if you've ever been to the beach in the south you know how HOT and how CROWDED the beach is during the day. Charleston is a major tourist and vacation destination attracting MILLIONS each year so not only do we have our own mass of residents flooding the beach during the day, but thousands of tourists we have month to month, all summer long...

With that being said, sunrise and sunset are the quietest times along the coast while also being the most serene, better temperatures, and best lighting. A trifecta of perfection!

What do we wear?

I get this question a lot and its a great one, but loaded! For starters, I always recommend dressing all the women FIRST. It's usually harder for woman/Mom/Grandma to find something she is completely comfortable and confident in so start with her/them first. As a general preference I usually recommend light colors and neutrals such. as pastels, and I love the look of thicker linens. Anything easy on eye when it comes to patterns or florals are great, but kept to a minimum to avoid clashing. I don't usually personally recommend anything too bold, unless that's your style. Avoid t-shirts with giant logos or cartoons for kids, as well as thin material such as jersey since it tends to stick to you in the wind. Try to aim for a more relaxed look and untucked shirts since you will all be barefoot. If dressing an entire group or extended family you can go classic and monotone/matching, or bold and exciting, but I would limit the group to 3-4 cohesive colors in a palette.

Take a look at the examples below and discuss with your family to see what type of colors you love best for your walls. I do always recommend not to match as a cohesive palette of colors, adding a little variety and pop of pattern or color in your group to break up the look.

Important to note: Often times the beach is windy, that's just how nature created the coast. With the cooling aspect of the wind comes movement of hair and clothing. Winds are much higher at sunset so the best way to see what your outfit will look like in the wind is to stay in front of a mirror and a fan on high and see how the clothes lay. That sounds silly, but you need to make sure you're aware of the way your clothes hug your body in the wind. 

Below are some images from my favorite sessions with outfit pairings. Pinterest is a great resource to find color palettes and what tones and colors work well together. I also have a couple of dresses in my Client Closet that are perfect for mom and the beach if you're stumped on finding anything else. Just ask!  

Here is a great Pinterest resource for coordinating outfits: https://pin.it/gqldzjy6fxxlnh

What should I expect for our session from start to finish?

In general, I try to take every session through a step by step routine of posing and natural moments. I do this because after many years of working with children and families of all sizes at the beach I know what works and I know what is able to be accomplished in the time frame I have. Timing is everything with the sun and available light when it comes to my camera. Typically I do leave some time for any special requests or poses, so if you have a few of those in mind please don't hesitate to ask!

For sunrise sessions I have families arrive about 15 minutes prior to sun up (also known as "first light") so that we can accomplish a series of silhouettes. These are some of my most popular shots and make your family into a real work of art. These portraits are perfect for mantels, bedroom walls, accent walls and more. From there I typically lead into my traditional poses of the full family, siblings, parents and individuals of children. If working with an extended family we work in a similar fashion- full family, grand parents with grandchildren, grandchildren, individual families, siblings of individual families and then we come back to full family in a different pose. Walking down the beach, kids running around parents or grandparents, and we end with playing on the water line, kicking and splashing. If starting before sunset we still start the posed images by the dunes with the sun to your back while we have everyone's attention, then lead into walking and candids closer to the waterline as the sun begins to drop below the horizon. We always end with the fun splashing so that everyone keeps their attire dry for the majority of the session. 

So, what time is sunrise or sunset? It changes daily. When you inquire about a session I'll let you know generally what time that is. Once you're booked I will be contacting you based on weather 24-48 hours prior to your session with a meeting time but if you’d like to know ahead of time just google it, or you can always ask Siri! Beach sessions are very time and light specific and the time WILL NOT budge unless there is a change in weather and cloud coverage expected. The “perfect light” for beach sessions with that gorgeous sky and soft lighting in the images you see in my portfolio are all taken within these time frames so please, don’t take it personal if you ask to change your start time and I decline your request. I’m doing what I know is best to create the best images possible! 

What if it rains?

I always tell my clients not to stress about the weather. If you're from this area or the Florida coast you already know it rains here every day, but for my clients from the north or west, it's harder to explain. Charleston sits in a very peculiar place when it comes to winds, trade winds, and storm systems. It's very likely that when you look at the weather report during your visit that there will be at least 50% chance of storms EVERY day. That's totally normal, and correct. It most likely will rain every day that you're here but the difference is that not all rain lasts very long. Using my experience and a number of reliable weather apps I am able to determine the best case scenario for our session and advise you. And if it does indeed rain ALL DAY, this is why every client books TWO dates in my schedule. 

What I look at is the hourly report, wind speeds, wind direction and the radar as it leads up to the timing of your session. This is where I will need you to trust me. I'm not a meteorologist, obviously, but I have been living and working here for almost 10 years and I know that things can change hour to hour. I always follow weather reports for hours leading up to a session and will be able to make the best call about 2 hours prior to the session. There are some storm systems that just "pop-up" within the hour that can't really be predicted either. So just trust that I am making the best call for you and your family. A rain out is typically the only thing we will reschedule for since the weather changes hourly and daily. If there is an opportunity of no rain to take your session the day we initially planned, we will do so. Often times we adjust our start time to take advantage of cloud coverage to the west, beating a storm, and sometimes even adjusting due to tides. Just know that my goal is to get your family's session in as we planned, and that I can't control any elements of the weather.

Alternatives

In some cases of extreme wind conditions or high tides I will suggest alternative locations or spots for your family's posed images. I do this to keep expectations under control, but also because I want to give you my best recommendation for a successful session. In cases of high or extreme winds you have to understand that hair and clothing does not sit normally, the dry sand can become harmful to small children and animals, and it can also damage equipment as well. In these situations I will give you options for your sessions such as another location entirely, or simply at your rental. Locations like Folly Beach have experienced some extreme cases of erosion from storm surges in 2020-2022 and until the beach revitalization there is NO usable beach in most spots during periods of high tide. This isn't something I can change, but know that I'm using my years of experience and knowledge of our beaches to guide you for the best choice. 

Final thoughts: Bring some towels.

I think the MOST FUN thing you can do at the end of your session is let loose and jump the waves. It's not for everyone, sure, but it does create some lasting memories and some amazing images your family can look back on to really remember your visit to the beach. Embrace the wild!