Anna Maria Island Extended Family - Summer Beach Vacation Photo Shoot

Preserving beach summer vacation memories for families visiting Anna Maria Island from around the country - well, it's the best job in the world.

(If you are here to be added to the mailing list click here - but also scroll down for your viewing pleasure.)

To be honest I'm a tad nervous each time - as I make the drive south toward Bradenton I switch between listening to a podcast and testing my memorization of the family member names (in this case 14 of them!), and I watch the sky.  It's how I prepare for an emotional, fun, energetic family beach session.

We typically meet when the sun is still bright - so I love finding some tucked away sea grapes to start our session. While the sun gets lower, I use this time to capture each of the families (during extended families), group pictures and individual images. Then, we head to the gorgeous white sand on the Anna Maria Beaches for the rest of our vacation photo shoot.  

Oh, and did you know...I now end sessions IN THE WATER. Like, I get totally soaked while using my waterproof protective gear and create images of the kids (and adults) playing in the gorgeous gulf water.

These beach vacation photo shoots leave me energized and exhausted (and salty) all rolled together. It's bliss!! Keep on scrolling for our whole adventure!

Nothing like a little ring around the rosie to end our gorgeous beach vacation photo shoot!!!

Tampa Family Lifestyle Session | Downtown Tampa and Curtis Hixon Park

At the end of this 2 hour family photo session the kids were not only still in a good mood, but they were asking to keep going! We met in downtown and adventured around with the goal of ending at Curtis Hixon Park. We played games, made up silly jokes, and there was running, hugs and twirling. And at the end (after we used soo many different backgrounds) we came across the coolest bus that had just been painted by children - it is called the Nomad Art Bus. 

If you look at a family session a few posts ago also in downtown Tampa you will see a huge variation! That means that your family photo session will be totally unique to you!

I hope you scroll through all of these amazing memories we made during our family adventure photo session!  Contact me if you are interested in your own family session!

Wow, that was a lot of images included in their Tampa family photo session. We had so much fun, the kids were full of positive energy and mom and dad were so much fun!!  

Cut the "Cheeses"

How often do you find yourself gathering your kids to huddle together and look at the camera and say “cheese”? Can you picture yourself begging them to listen or even yelling at them to get in line? Are they miserable looking - did their smile disappear? Does this interrupt the moment and feel forced?  It does for me. 

Is there a better way to document the childhood of our kids? YES! I am excited to share some ideas and a link to my e-course all about encouraging kids to play.

Here's the challenge I have for you. Don’t ask for eye contact or the cheese smile.  When you have the urge to pull out your camera, go ahead….but take a moment. Observe what they are doing and look for a moment of strong emotion or action and take that picture. This new kind of image (not the cheese smile) will elicit a happy memory in 1, 5, 15 years. Your child might even think it's a cool picture and ask for more! It will remind you of what your child liked doing, what your neighborhood looked like, how they moved their body, what silly faces they made, where you went to play, how they played, learned and had fun.

Here are some ideas (and picture examples) of how to capture your child playing rather than “cheesing”.

A few tips:

• Eye contact is not needed
• Use body language to elicit emotion
• Include the environment to provide story telling
• Minimize distractions in the background (other people, cars, etc.)
• Move around to capture different angles. Get really low or shoot from above the scene. 

I am offering a photography e-course through Clickin Moms all about capturing children PLAYING. It is called Permission to Play and will be available May 1 for $25 (price increase after May 11th) and is packed full of information. A 100 page PDF, 4 videos of me shooting my kids, and editing videos. 

PERMISSION to PLAY e-course

- swinging at the park or on a tree branch

-  walking with a grandparent hand in hand

- riding a bike through your neighborhood

- eating favorite foods or treats

- balancing with out-stretched arms

- climbing a tree

- splashing in the tub, puddles, lake or beach

- spinning in a dress or on playground equipment

- running with legs in mid air

- creating art with paint or chalk

- squirting a hose for fun or at a sibling

- flying a kite

Not So Corporate Headshots | Around Tampa and St Petersburg

I know I've said it before but your headshot is the new handshake and first impression. Potential customers, clients or employers will see your headshot before they meet you in person. And a not so corporate headshot showcasing a little personality goes a long way.  I will meet you near your office (or any other location) and use natural light and interesting landscapes to provide you a variety of not so corporate headshots to choose from. I can work with you one on one or with your whole office. 

For the next few headshots we explored the Dali Museum area in St. Petersburg. 

During a full family session we took a bit of time out to do not so corporate headshots of mom and dad in downtown Tampa in front of this very art work that actually happens to be a bus that kids had been painting called The Nomad Art Bus.  I loved this background so much I wish I could have my own headshot taken here!!