So many things to talk about with this session, but I'm going to start with the fact that they were willing to get up for a sunrise session the morning after they arrived on Seabrook Island after driving over the last two days from Chicago. I love sunrises on Seabrook to begin with but I was so thrilled they decided to just go for it.  Now, I don't usually have clients who have a bad experience while visiting here in Charleston, but unfortunately The Curtis Family was the second ever client I had to tell me their airbnb was not up to standard. They slept with no sheets or blankets the night before this session because of how dirty their place was and I felt so bad, but I also had NO idea until days later when I shared their sneak peeks. The reason I'm mentioning this is because I want to give this sweet family huge props for being so positive and so excited for their session even though they faced a really unpleasant situation. Obviously it wasn't my fault the cleaning company didn't do their job, but they could have easily let them damper their experience, and they just didn't. Their little dude was tired and restless from the travel and lack of sleep, but I have never seen a mom and dad work so hard to get smiles out of their little ones. They really made the most of it. 

As we walked down the path to the beach we stopped to see some furry-tailed friends having breakfast, and choose a good wide open spot for some family portraits. On those chilly mornings on the beach I'm all about a pretty blanket and some family cuddles and kisses. Kids are so much more comfortable to start their session while being held and comforted by mom and dad, so that is exactly what we did. They even brought the kids' matching elephant stuffed animals, just to have a little touch from home. 

As the sun started to peak over the treeline of Seabrook Island's Pelican Watch Villas I had them walk closer to the waterline so that we could start grabbing some shots there. And when we did, we were greeted with one of the best surprises we could have ever asked for!

I truly think someone (other than me) was thanking them that morning, karma if you will. Their experience in Seabrook maybe wasn't the best but this family had such a good attitude the universe was like- let me show you something awesome! I mean I have never gotten the opportunity to photograph dolphins in someone's family portraits before, this was a first. And while I do hope it's not the last, I'm truly thankful this family got to experience this!

My Google Review from Gianna...

"We had an absolutely incredible time with Erin, she did a great job getting our kids to smile (which btw they were so grumpy, and barely slept the night before) I was so afraid to see the album after the shoot, but she managed to have SEVERAL photos of our children smiling. I love our album. She did a lovely job with editing, as well. Not only did she do a fantastic job with editing and taking the photos, she checked in on us when huge storms and tornado warnings were out, while we were visiting seabrook island. She went above and beyond her job, and for that reason and many others I would HIGHLY recommend her. If we are out in the area again, and need family photos, we would most certainly hire her again! Thank you Erin for such a lovely time and family portraits!"