I had the pleasure of visiting the beach 71 times for Client Sessions, from Wild Dunes Resort in Isle of Palms down to Kiawah Island. This year I photographed a lot of individual families, more than extended families, but I even a senior, too! 

Below I will go over everything you need to know about booking your beach session and what to expect from start to finish. I'll answer questions about the importance of time, location, weather factors, what to wear and more!

When is the best time to book?

If you live here...

If you live in the Charleston area full time you may be asking yourself when the best time of year is. The 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. November through January can be way too cold with wind chills and the beaches have a tendency to look a bit rough after the hurricane season. March and April can be warm but often has a lot of rain and temperature changes creating foggy conditions at sunrise. 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. 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.

If you're visiting...

If you have specific vacation dates just mention those when inquiring, I'll let you know what I have available. My general season of beach goes from April to August. September through March will be offered on a case by case basis due to the hurricane season and unpredictable weather. It's important to also remember that with some locations the amount of dry sane on the beach available will depend on the tides and the moon cycle- both things I will inform you about if I feel is necessary when you inquire with me. 

What days and what time do you take beach sessions?

ALL beach sessions with me specifically are booked Monday through Thursday for sunrises and sunsets. Friday sunrises are available if needed in case of rain earlier in the week. All clients book an initial choice and a backup choice of dates for their session so that we have a plan in case of rain.

SUNRISE sessions typically start about 10-15 minutes before the sun comes up that day, SUNSET sessions usually start about 30-45 minutes before the sun sets. The time of sunrise and sunset changes everyday, so you're welcome to look it up but I will tell you the time when you inquire and will always remind you ahead of your session.

These times are non-negotiable and will only change based on the weather. 

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

Sunrise and Sunset are reserved for my beach sessions for a number of reasons, and if you've viewed my portfolio it's important to understand that those images with the beautiful light, an epic sky, and empty beach are only achieved by sticking within those timeframes.

Reasons for Sunrise and Sunset specifically:

• Even lighting = No squinting - There is no shade available at the beach and I've never met a person who could actually keep their eyes open for a picture any other time of day. At Sunrise and Sunset the sun is closest to the horizon with no harsh shadows making it much easier for full eyes and big smiles.
• Scattering of light = Beautiful skies - While there is no guarantee of a gorgeous sky on any given day the sunrise and sunset timeframe creates those beautiful colors as the sun's light passes through more of the atmosphere. Sunrise will always have my vote for a better sky over sunset since we have less chance of storms.
• Less heat = Less sweating - If you haven't been to the Charleston area in the summer you may not realize the level of heat and humidity here. In our hotter months the heat index can reach over 100 degrees as early as 9am and last until 7pm. Sunrise and Sunset will give you the least hot times of day which will just be better for everyone involved.
• Less crowds = Better images - Our beaches are pretty popular and while we've got a pretty long coastline this can lead to hundreds of little heads and other bodies in the background of your images if taken during the day. Sunrise and Sunset are still popular times for people walking and enjoying the beach, but it's far less than the peak hours which makes editing them all out a ton easier. This is another reason I stick to Monday through Thursday which is typically a less crowded timeframe for beach goers. 

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. Who could blame them? With sunset being as late as 8:30pm here during the summer months, they rarely make it. It's meltdown mode. This is 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.

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.
On the flip side, 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.

Special Note for Grandparents and those with limited mobility

It's important to consider everyone participating in your session, right down to grandma and grandpa, or those with mobility concerns. The beach is beautiful, but keep in mind that it can be a challenge mobility wise for many. Our sand is super squishy and the dunes cant be really high because they are what protect our coastline. Think about everyone in your family as it relates to longer walks, walks on an incline, and walking through deep in sand. While some beaches have public access boardwalks to take you most of the way, they can be very long, include stairs, or still require trekking through deeper sand to get to where we would be photographing. If you feel this would present a significant challenge for someone in your group I recommend speaking with them about it directly, and perhaps formulating either a backup plan such as a land location downtown or near where you're staying. Or just choosing another location entirely.  

What do we wear?

I get this question a lot and its a great one, but loaded! For starters, I always recommend choosing a cohesive palette of 3-4 colors max and dressing all the women FIRST. It's usually harder for women/Mom/Grandma to find something that she is completely comfortable and confident in- so start with all the women first. As a general preference I usually recommend at least 1-2 colors in your palette be neutral such as white, grey or beige. And overall if you need a general recommendation of what looks best on the beach I recommend light colors such as pastels, coastal colors, and neutrals. Anything easy on eye when it comes to patterns or florals are great, but recommended to be kept to a minimum to avoid clashing. For example, for a single family I would recommend only one person wearing something with a pattern or floral. For an extended family I would only recommend one person within each family group to wear a pattern. This will make your portraits easier on the eye as a whole, no matter how many people you have.

Once the woman have found their look you can build the additional family members based around what she has found and what falls within the chosen palette. Choosing colors that are within a mom's or floral dress are a great way to create a cohesive look within the individual family.

Next I would say that I don't usually recommend anything too bold, unless that's absolutely your style. Avoid loud clashing colors such as orange, red, even sometimes kelly green can be a bit contrasty on the beach. Avoid t-shirts with giant logos or cartoons for kids, stick to as basic and timeless as possible.

Finally, material and textures you choose will make a huge difference! The beach is a VERY windy place and thin materials for shirts, dresses and shorts tend to have a clingy appearance in the wind. Imagine your clothing wrapped around you like cellophane. This can end up not looking very flattering so stick to thicker, more stiff and even textured materials. Feel free to aim for a more relaxed look and leave shirts untucked since you will all be barefoot. Take a look at the examples below and discuss with your family to see what type of colors you love best for your walls. You don't need to all wear white and khaki, color is GOOD!

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 I will be in touch for our exact meeting time. Frequently I do need to move up my sunset sessions due to heavier cloud coverage and we want to make sure we don't run our of light. I ask all my sunset sessions to be extremely flexible with the schedules so we can make sure we start as soon as the light is just right. As far as the progression of the session we still start the posed images as mention above by the dunes with the sun to your back. We will then lead into walking, posed 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 but ends with something fun. 

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.

HURRICANE SEASON runs more actively here in the Charleston area from August to the end of October and brings heavy rains, high winds, and flooding downtown. In the event of a hurricane we can reschedule your session for another location, another week entirely if you're able to move your dates, next summer or a TBD date at no penalty. In that scenario your entire retainer will carry over and you will receive the exact same pricing for the package you have selected. If you still plan to be here for your session we will make adjustments to your session date and possibly location to give us the best possible scenario of getting your session in. However, in the event of a complete cancellation with no future session booked you would receive $200 in return of your $300 retainer per my contract. 

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 Wild Dunes Resort and Isle of Palms have experienced some extreme cases of erosion from storm surges and until another beach revitalization is complete there is very little usable beach in some 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!