Proposal Photography In St. Pete Beach Florida
While vacationing in Orlando, this family made a trip over to the Gulf Coast for family photos at sunset on the beach. However, there was one detail that daughter Rachel didn't know...her boyfriend Juan was planning to propose during their beach photography session!
After the family photos were done, just as the sun was setting, Juan dropped to one knee and popped the question!
Booking with a Company vs. an Independent Photographer
We know, or at least we hear, there is a stigma when it comes to booking a company for your photography needs as opposed to booking an independent photographer. We wanted to bust those myths in the blog today as well as point out some of the benefits to booking a photography company (in this case us, Shore Shooters)
Lets's Start with the Assumptions!
1. A big company doesn't care
A lot of people think that a big company means we don’t care, when in all actuality, we probably care the most. We have a year round staff that is here to please our clients and our photographers. When you call or email, they will always answer quickly. They are dedicated to helping you do things like download images, place print orders, book your appointment, plan your shoot, etc...
2. They just hire and anyone and send them out there with no experience
Our entire team has gone through an application process and multiple training sessions before going out on their own. All of our photographers are also required to meet certain equipment standards. This is really just a small part of what goes into our onboarding process.
3. You don’t know what style of photography you are going to get with a larger photography company.
Every one of our photographers are shooting how they are trained to shoot by our team. No matter how photographers shoot on their own time, when they are shooting for Shore Shooters, they are shooting "on brand". On top of that, all editing is done in house. We have staff editors also trained to create the "Shore Shooters look".
Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s talk about the pros to booking with our company. The main thing is that we have a staff that works for us full time and their job is customer service. Not to throw any other photographers under the bus, but we are constantly receiving calls and emails in our office from people saying that the photographer they booked didn’t: show up, return calls, send their photos, canceled last minute, etc...
With Shore Shooters, none of those things would be a concern. Our company is a well oiled machine with six staff members who care greatly about our photographers and our clients. In the case of emergencies, because we are a team, we can generally re-schedule as well. Something to consider if you are hesitating about booking with our company vs seeking out an individual.
Today on our podcast our owners discuss this very subject. Hear more on this topic here.
Why You Should Hire a Professional Photographer.
With iPhone camera quality advancing the way it is, we want to talk about why you should hire a professional photographer.
This is the perfect session to use as an example of all you can get out of a beach portrait session.
These beach portraits are generations celebrating a milestone together. Sometimes there’s no milestone to celebrate but just BEING TOGETHER.
We understand that sometimes getting the whole family together can be difficult, so why not document that? It is worth celebrating.
That’s what it’s all about to us! We go out to the beach night after night to capture beach portraits for families from all over the country, and we LOVE it.
If you think you can skip out on hiring a professional, we challenge you to consider the following: quality, memories, and a good experience.
If you are taking the picture, you don't get to be a part of the memory.
Setting up a timer and running back to jump in the photo, no way! Using an iPhone? Your photos will eventually be outdated. Thinking about paying low prices for someone with less experience? You get what you pay for. 😬
With the help of a professional photographer, you won't have to worry about things like awkward posing and lighting. A photographer can also help capture candid moments that you should be a part of.
If we could sum it all up, we would say, HECK YES hire a professional photographer for your next beach trip!
What to Wear for Beach Portraits
When it comes to family portraits, what you wear is HUGE! It determines the mood of your photos and even the overall coloring. We are here to tell you not to overthink it.
What we mean by that is, put effort into coordinating your outfits, but don't overdress. Beach portraits are meant to be laid back, so you don't want to overdo it. Think, sundresses for the ladies and t-shirts and shorts for the kids.
Now let's talk about colors; neutral colors like white, tan, and beige will always work at the beach. It works for a reason! It almost always compliments skin well, and it photographs well.
Avoid loud colors like coral, red, bright orange, yellow, or even some shades of blue. This is a big challenge for photographers and editors, as it does not compliment the skin and tends to leave people looking orange or sunburnt.
With that being said, we want your family to have a good experience, so dress how you feel comfortable and have fun!
The Kling Family - St. Augustine Photography
The Kling Family
When I visited St. Augustine last March, I knew it was special. There was so much about the city I was surprised by. It felt at times like I was in Europe! But then driving over the Bridge of Lions I was in for an even bigger surprise!
The small beach town of St. Augustine has all the vibes I enjoy. Laid-back surf culture, tacos (plenty of tacos), a few breweries, and incredible beaches. The high-rise condos and chain restaurants are nonexistent. The mom-and-pop surf shops are alive and well. It’s not overwhelming, it’s relaxing in the best way.
So naturally, I go to Instagram to find things to do (basically the best coffee shops) and I come across Gabe and Megan Kling who are realtors in the area. They do an incredible job of showing what makes the town and the lifestyle of St. Augustine so magical. I even joked with Megan that we should move to the area (jokes on us, here we are, going on our 7th month living here).
Fast forward to this shoot, with their family. We worked with them to purchase our home and absolutely loved them. Doing these photos for their family was special because they are such a great family! The boys are so much fun to be around!
We also have some other projects in the works with the Kling’s. Make sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook so you don’t miss out!
-April Loyle
St. Augustine Family Beach Photos
I'm so happy this local ( St.Augustine) artist reached out for a family session. They just had the sweetest little boy three months ago and she explains that she didn't want a session that was stiff or forced looking.
She admitted that she knew that could be a challenge with a new baby that couldn't run and play yet, but that she trusted my vision to make something great and we as photographers truly appreciate that.
When it comes to Shore Shooters, we work with so many different types of clients, and meeting their expectations is always our priority. A lot of times that requires traditional posing with candid moments. Since this is something we face daily, we are so excited to announce that we will be releasing a course on this very topic after the first of the year! So stick around for that, it's going to be a good one.
Meanwhile, enjoy this beautiful family we had the pleasure of meeting and hanging out with at sunset along to Matanzas River.
Florida Family Vacation - Perdido Key Photographer
Brittney and her extended family recently traveled to the beach for a Florida family vacation. Their session with Perdido Key photographer Michelle also included some maternity photos.
Have you ever visited the sugar-white beaches of Perdido Key, Florida? If this beautiful beach is the location for your next family vacation, our photographers would love to meet you for a sunrise or sunset photography session. See this page for more information and to schedule with us in the Perdido Key area. If you're visiting a different beach, check our home page to see if we have photographers in your vacation destination.
Navarre Beach Family Photos
Navarre Beach, Florida refers to itself as "Florida's Most Relaxing Place" and we would have to agree with that statement! Navarre Beach is an uncrowded, unspoiled, and unhurried little beach town located on Florida's Emerald Coast between Pensacola and Destin.
The Whitener family chose this beautiful little town for their beach vacation this summer and we are so happy they chose us for their Navarre Beach family photos!
Here are a few of the photos captured by photographer Else during their sunset beach photo session.
Fun Beach Photos - Fort Morgan Photography
Dani contacted us asking for fun beach photos during her vacation at Plantation Dunes in Fort Morgan. After looking through our blog, she decided that she really wanted something like this session from last year, including the duck blowup float! We love the way Dani, Travis, and Rowen dressed for their Fort Morgan photography session.
With us, there's no dress code! Show up in your swimsuit or your Sunday best. Either option is fine with us! To book your beach photography session with us, start by choosing the beach you'll be visiting by going to the "Locations" link in our main menu, then follow the steps on that page to get on our schedule. If you have any questions, our customer service team is always ready to help you. Just send them an email to info@shoreshooters.com.
Graduation Trip - Photography In Hilton Head
It's been a really busy summer for our team, so we're just now getting around to sharing some of our favorites from June and July. This session took place in early June...
Tess, Charlotte, Emily, Dana, Courtney and Anna graduated from high school and celebrated by making a graduation trip to the beaches of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
If you're looking for photography in Hilton Head, we'd love to meet you! Visit this page for pricing, availability, and to book your beach photography session with us. Visiting a different beach? Click the "Locations" tab at the top of this page or go to our home page to see all of the areas served by our beach photographers.
