It's that time of year again, maybe it's because the weather in Charleston is currently over 70 degrees, or maybe it's just that I'm anxious to get back out there, but I have already starting booking beach sessions for summer 2019! Currently, Memorial Day and 4th of July are already gone and May and June are slowing filling in. It's shocking really, last year I felt like I got so many bookings just a few weeks to a month ahead and this year is the first time I've had bookings MONTHS in advanced. I am SO excited to see what this summer will bring. Hopefully it doesn't bring storm after storm after storm like years prior. We'll keep our fingers crossed. 

Charleston BeachesNow Booking Charleston Beach Sessions for Kiawah Island, Folly Beach and Isle of Palms!

When do you book?
Beach Sessions book all year long but the ideal months are between March and August. Sessions are booked Monday through Thursday for sunrises and sunsets, Friday sunrises only if needed. Sunrise sessions typically start about 10-15 minutes before the sun comes up, sunset sessions usually start about 20-30 minutes before the sun sets. I take a maximum of 4 beach sessions a week, and every client books an initial date, and a backup date in case of poor weather, which does happen often here. With that reason in mind, I usually prefer to book MOST beach sessions at sunrise. It's less HOT here in the early mornings, the chances of thunderstorms here on the coast are a fraction of what they are in the afternoons and evenings. You can see now why these sessions book so quickly!

What do you recommend for children?
Kids are usually in the best mood when they're well rested from a good night's sleep. Often times when you're here on vacation you cram so many things into your day to see and do that by the afternoon and evening the kids are DONE and are ready for bed. With sunset at 8:30pm here in Charleston during the summer, they never make it. It's meltdown mode. Timing is key when planning for your session so keep the little ones in mind when you're choosing your time frame. If you aim for a sunset please try your best to make it a light activity day and try for a late nap time.

Why only Sunrise and Sunset, and why only Monday through Thursday?
If you've ever been to the beach, and especially if you've ever been to the beach in the summer in the south you know how HOT and how CROWDED the beach is during the day. Charleston is a major tourist and vacation destination 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. There is no shade on the beach, you're squinty and you're sweaty within about 30 seconds during the day. During Sunrise and Sunset the sun is at the lowest point along the horizon and therefore is indirect on the subjects. So, no squinty eyes, lovely color in the sky, less people at the beach, and cooler temps. Here in Charleston we see the sun rise right out of the water in most cases, where as the sun sets behind the beach, hotels, houses etc and isn't visible like it is at sunrise. Either time frame is great for light and color, but if you've never seen the sun rise on the East Coast I do highly recommend that. There are some locations I also completely avoid for sunset sessions. Anywhere near piers and hot spots for tourist traffic, and I avoid weekends all together since there is never anywhere to park, tons of people out and about... Just trust me, I've shot plenty of beach sessions to know when and where is best for your session to cut down on the amount of background traffic in your images. 

Here are some examples of Sunrises, notice the sky sometimes more pastel, lots of pink, yellow and light blue hues.

ERP_1373 ERP_3157 ERP_4745 And below here, some examples of sunset. In some cases like Kiawah's Beachwalker Park (top image) since it closes AT sunset it's not possible to capture the colors of the sky and instead the images can be a little more hot/high key and blown out. They still maintain a dreamy feel, but just a little harder to capture. Below that are two images from the same session at sunset. The sky turning and once the sun is down. Silhouettes are easier to capture at sunset but are also possible at sunrise prior to the sun coming up. Sunsets tend to be a blue more "cool" in tones with darker yellows and blues.

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What do we wear?
I always recommend dressing Mom FIRST for sessions. It's usually harder for Mom to find something she is completely comfortable and confident in so start with her first. I usually recommend light colors, pastels, easy on patterns or florals, nothing too bold unless that's your style. Below are some images from my favorite sessions with outfit pairings. I usually tell people to "Think Easter, or Neutral!" Pinterest is a great resource to find color palettes and what tones and colors work well together. 

ERP_1155edit ERP_1373 ERP_4545-2  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

All in all, throughout the session I focus on capturing a family's posed and candid moments, we start along the water line, walking, looking for dolphins and snuggling up with mom and dad. Towards the end of the session I encourage kids to play and splash. It is definitely recommended to bring a towel and sometimes a change of clothes since the littles sommmmetimes get a little out of hand towards the end. But who can really blame them? It's the beach and the water is SO WARM!

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Hope to see you this summer!

To book your summer beach session please shoot me an email with your available dates and some details about your family to:
[email protected]