Beach, Please: Why Beach is Best if You’re Burned Out on the Usual Backdrops
As a photographer based in Ridgefield, CT, the heart of the Northeast, fall foliage pictures are always highly requested. If we’re outside of the fall season, we’re surrounded by trees and lots of greenery. While there’s no denying the natural beauty that’s all around us here in Ridgefield, sometimes a change of scenery is just the breath of fresh air you need.
Just about 30 minutes away from home, a whole new, sandy terrain awaits: the beach! All along the coast of Fairfield County are the beautiful beaches of the Long Island Sound. Between the sand, the calm, blue water and the cotton candy sky – doing a photo session at the beach is a real treat.
The top 5 things I love about a portrait session at the beach:
You’ll (almost) have the beach to yourself
For lighting purposes, a beach session is often done at golden hour, that magical time just before sunset when the air cools down, the sky begins to change colors and the beach (and its parking lot) empties out. It is so much fun for your family - and so peaceful - to have the beach almost entirely to yourself and SO gorgeous for photos.
You don’t have to worry about footwear
I’m serious about this – planning outfit selections for the whole family can be one of the trickiest parts of preparing for a portrait session. So take shoes off your list of worries. Simply slide on your flip flops before you leave home, and slide them right off once we get to the shore. Bare feet are best at the beach!
Your family portraits won’t look like every other year’s (or everyone else’s)
If you’ve lived where we live for any length of time, and you regularly get professional photos done, you’ve likely done the fall foliage backdrop, or maybe even the spring/summer and early fall greenery. But doing your photos at the beach is a new experience, and your photos will have an entirely fresh look. They won’t look like the photos you always do, or like everyone else’s. And sometimes, it’s nice to stand out in the crowd.
Enjoy an easier-to-schedule session
Beach sessions are great for spring, summer and September – none of these time periods being a photographer’s busy season. And what that means for YOU is likely an easier time getting your portrait session on the schedule, and possibly even a faster turnaround time. Fall foliage is fleeting and a very short season, all in. The beach looks like the beach all the time and doesn’t vary from week to week, meaning you have more flexibility in the weeks and months that you book. Besides, how tempting is it to get those family photos done BEFORE the chaos of fall hits?!
The beach is good for the soul
There is something so calming and centering about being near the water, and going into your portrait session with that energy is contagious in the best of ways. Kicking off your shoes and getting your toes in the sand - or even dipping them in the water - as you watch the sky turn colors at sunset - tends to have an instantaneous, calming effect on even the most stressed among us (hello, it’s me!) What a wonderful vibe to bring to your portraits!
Have more questions about a portrait session at the beach? Just ask! Email me here for a no pressure chat. Always happy to answer questions and get a chance to talk with you!