I had an amazing experience this summer photographing this very special family for Flytographer. Jill and Wooch wanted to do a family session for Jill’s birthday. They had their summer vacation planned and wanted to do a Galveston beach family session, but they didn’t want it to be just any kind of shoot. They wanted to stray from the typical family photo shoot attire and go full beachy.

We opted for morning golden hour and started just before sunrise since they are all early risers. I had them meet me at quieter beach near their vacation rental that’s mostly just visited by locals. When they pulled up, they got out of their car in bathing suits!!!

They told me they really didn’t want a bunch of photos of themselves relegated to the sand. They wanted to get in the water and splash around, play with their kids and make memories. So, that’s exactly what we did!

We spent 1.5 hours playing (like reeeeallly playing) in the sand and running through the water. I kept tossing out ideas for things and they gleefully tried them all! Soon Jill, Wooch and the kids were throwing out ideas too. They raced each other down the beach, did handstands, jumped and dove into waves together, had water-fights, played tag and snuggled in the waves. There was no worrying about hair, clothes or a little bit of water or sand here and there. It was just an entire session of playing and making memories.

I absolutely adore these photos. This family didn’t try to fit into another family’s box. They all love the beach and playing in the water and used that to plan a perfect morning for THEIR family. It was a morning they knew would bring them joy in that moment and it brought out what is so special about their family and the micro-relationships within it.

I actually cried after I photographed this session because my heart was so full! In the photography world there are discussions about those rare sessions or events that actually change a photographer and truly inspire them to dig deeper. This was one of those sessions for me. It really motivated me to reconnect with my “why” on a deeper level.

I hope this will inspire you to work with your photographer to plan an experience that will be meaningful for your unique family.

Once you finish getting inspired her, check out my 7 tips for taking vacation photos you’ll love!