Candid Family Beach Portrait at Sunset on Honeymoon Island State Park - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/5.6 ISO 200 1/200th Strobist: SB-800 in front of subjects & SB-600 behind & to the right of subjectsThe streak continues for photographing past clients. This time it was DSLR Photography Lesson student Angela's family for sunset beach portraits out at Honeymoon Island State Park. We had to reschedule our candid portrait session three times due to various weather, including tropical storm Debbie. There was a bit of a time issue as well as one of Angela's daughters was soon off to college! In the end we had perfect weather for the entire shoot.
Family Beach Portrait on a swinging bench on Honeymoon Island State Park - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/7.1 ISO 200 1/200th Strobist: SB-600 to frame left & SB-800 to frame right
This bench swing was the first and only prop we used during our photo session. With a little careful arranging the entire family of five were able to (comfortably?) fit on the bench. To make the image more candid and natural I had them actual swing back and forth, capturing this image as they swung farthest forward. This also helped solve a problem with shadows coming from the beams holding up the swing.
Trying out new poses during this family beach portrait session - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/9 ISO 200 1/200th Strobist: SB-600 to frame left & SB-800 to frame right
Using a handy new iPhone posing app, I showed the family exactly how I wanted them to arrange themselves for a more together looking portrait than if they were all just sidding side-by-side or even in a standard two-row pose. This was Angela's favorite photo from the session.
A 60's sitcom promo inspired shot - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/6.3 ISO 200 1/80th Strobist: SB-800 to frame left & SB-600 to frame right
The above image is also an entirely new shot I never made before. I asked if everyone was willing to lie down on the sand. Everyone agreed and we were thus able to make this fun photograph that somehow reminds me of The Monkees or other such 60s era type of promo shot. Since they were wearing white shirts and the sand was off-white, I decided to convert the image to black & white as there was little color in it.
Sisters having fun on Honeymoon Island State Park - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/5.6 ISO 200 1/200th Strobist: SB-800 next to camera & SB-600 behind to the right
We had a theme going of giving piggy-back rides which the three sisters continued for their siblings only shot. This is yet another uniquely composed beach portrait staggering height rather than depth, creating a vertical look in a square framing.
Moon rising over Honeymoon Island State Park family beach portrait - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/8 ISO 200 1/80th Strobist: SB-800 to frame left & SB-600 to frame rightAs we were finishing the family beach photo session, I noticed the moon rising and a great purple sky. Now I have made a shot very similar to this one before a few years back much further south near the Tradwinds Resort. Surprisingly similar as I myself look at them both side-by-side right now. I was glad that Honeymoon Island State Park provided such a variety of backgrounds for what I consider one of my very best family beach portrait sessions ever. I have to give a lot of the credit to Angela and her family for their relationships with each other and how well they all interact and can simply just have fun and be themselves, even though I am surrounding them with speedlights and pointing my lens at them.
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