Blog Posts

The History and Evolution of Beach Photography

Beach photography has a long and fascinating history, evolving alongside technological advancements and popular culture changes. From early black-and-white images to the vibrant, sun-soaked photos of today, beach photography has captured the beauty, joy, and relaxation associated with the seaside. In the early days of photography, capturing beach scenes was a cumbersome and challenging process. Photographers had to lug heavy equipment to the beach, including large format cameras and tripods. The long exposure times they required meant that subjects had to remain still for extended periods, resulting in stiff and posed images. As technology advanced, so did beach photography. The invention of the handheld camera and the introduction of color film in the mid-20th century transformed the genre. Photographers were now able to capture spontaneous moments and vibrant colors, bringing a sense of life and energy to their images. During the 1960s and 1970s, beach photography experienced a surge in popularity. With the rise of the counterculture movement and the advent of mass tourism, beaches became a symbol of freedom, relaxation, and escape. Photographers sought to capture the carefree spirit of beachgoers, often focusing on young people enjoying the sun, sand, and surf. In the 1980s and 1990s, beach photography became more commercialized. Advertisers and fashion photographers began using the beach as a backdrop for their campaigns, showcasing models in glamorous swimsuits and designer clothing. This period also saw the rise of underwater photography, as photographers explored the world beneath the waves and captured stunning underwater landscapes and marine life. With the advent of digital photography in the late 1990s and early 2000s, beach photography became more accessible than ever before. Compact digital cameras and smartphones allowed anyone to capture high-quality images of their beach adventures. Social media platforms like Instagram further popularized beach photography, with users sharing their sun-drenched images and creating a virtual beach community. Today, beach photography continues to evolve with the emergence of new technologies and trends. Drones have enabled photographers to capture aerial views of beaches, offering a unique perspective on the coastline. Additionally, there is a growing interest in environmental photography, with photographers using their images to raise awareness about the impact of pollution on our beaches. The history and evolution of beach photography reflect not only changes in technology but also shifting cultural attitudes towards the beach. From early posed images to spontaneous snapshots, beach photography has captured the essence of seaside life and continues to evolve as a dynamic and ever-changing genre.

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July 15, 2023 9:59 am
Sunset Beach candid family photography NC.
Session Tips

Top 6 Tips What To Do If Squirming Toddler Won’t Cooperate For Family Photos

It’s time to update your annual family photos and it can be a challenge to get kids, especially busy toddlers, to sit and smile for a picture. Having to sit still and smile at a stranger with a camera probably sounds like the least fun thing for a kid who would much rather be playing. So, what should you do if your kids won’t cooperate with your family portrait session? What if I told you, it is okay that your kid doesn’t sit still and smile at the camera for every shot? No, really. I won’t even ask them to be still if they don’t want to. Instead, I will work with them to capture your unique family portraits in a way that is fun for everyone! With candid lifestyle photography, it is not expected to have everyone looking at the camera in every picture. Candid photography is all about capturing the simple moments in-between that mean the most. Family photography sessions are a fun experience to share with those you love most, there is no stress. All you need to do is trust the process. By following our family photos style guide and these tips on what to do if your toddler won’t sit still, I know we will create magic. Without further ado, here are some tips on what to do if your toddler won’t cooperate for family photos. Don’t stress it Firstly, I deal with this ALL THE TIME. I promise you, your kid is not the first or the last kid to not want to sit for a picture. THAT’S OKAY! As a professional family photographer, I’ve developed some child taming tactics and a boatload of patience. I’m a mother of two wildlings myself and they don’t make it easy to get a good picture, especially when they think they know all of my tricks. The truth is, sometimes it’s best to sit back and embrace the chaos thrown at you. Please don’t feel the urge to apologize for your kid being a kid. Encourage it! I use a variety of prompts and tools to keep our sessions flowing along nicely. This can look like playing games, running wild, looking for shells, and frolicking along the shore. The best family photos are the candid ones filled with movement and memories. It’s authentic. Honest. One day you will look back and miss this chaos, let’s savor it. Make it fun When kids are having fun they radiate pure joy, and we want to capture that joy. Kids are also more likely to cooperate if they were having fun. So let’s make getting family portraits fun! Updating your family photos may not sound very fun to a toddler, in fact, it could even be stressful. What kid wants to sit still and smile for a stranger holding a camera in their face? And who said it was expected of them to be comfortable with that? For this reason, I always start my family sessions by introducing myself to the kids first. I want them to get comfortable and laugh a little with me before I try taking their picture. Once we are on level ground, I use a variety of prompts to bring out their special little personalities. Sometimes I photograph kids who love having their pictures taken, and sometimes I have kids who are much timider. I have methods to work with both. The best thing to do is to make it a fun and enjoyable experience for everyone. Tell silly jokes, have a tickle fight, make funny faces, play tag, etc. The more fun the kids have, the better the pictures. Let them take the lead I won’t force your kid to sit still. Yup, not gonna do it. When you try to force kids to do something, it takes all the fun out of it. They push back, get grumpy, and probably have a meltdown. Grumpy faces aren’t exactly what you are hoping to display on the walls of your home. I find it’s best to avoid the meltdowns and instead come up with creative ways to meet everyone’s needs. Letting them take the lead gives them the freedom to play and be themselves without having to worry about sitting still to get a picture with a forced smile. I want to capture real smiles, authentic moments, and happiness. How can I photograph these special moments when I’m forcing them to do specific poses? I encourage a lot of movement like running around the parents, racing to a tree and back, playing on the shore, skipping rocks, etc. Giving the kids take the lead and doing something they want keeps everyone happy. Explore Exploring our surroundings is what kids do best, embrace it. There may be a time during our session when your toddler needs to redirect their energy into something else. Again, what kid wants to sit and smile for a stranger with a camera? Kids want to play! Kids have all the energy in the world, but they usually lack in their attention span. I am primarily an outdoor portrait photographer so I work in locations out in nature with stunning landscapes. This gives us space to explore, and there is always something for kids to explore in nature. Show them a cool plant, look for wildlife, tell them about the birds in the trees, and look for shells or rocks together. Exploring in nature always makes children excited and light up. Get them involved Kids love helping out, let them! Give them a job to do so they can focus their attention on that, not the camera. Honestly, I can always use a little assistant while behind the lens! Have the kids race toward my camera, tickle their sibling, tell Dad a joke, and ask them to find a flower for mom. There are endless ways to get them involved so we get the most out of our session. Giving them a job and letting them help with family photos makes

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May 10, 2022 3:38 am
Candid Kure Beach family photography golden hour.
Session Tips

5 Helpful Tips What To Wear Beach Family Photography Style Guide

What to wear for your beach family portraits and what to avoid Deciding what to wear for your beach family photography session can seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. I’ve created this beach family photography style guide to give you the best photography experience at the Brunswick County beaches! Part of that is ensuring you all look and feel your best. No need to rush out and buy the family a whole new wardrobe, you can use what you already have first! Family portraits are fun and stress-free, even while working with toddlers. Check out these beach family photography style guide tips to get the most out of our session! Don’t wear identical outfits I know you may have heard in the past, that having everyone wear white polos and khakis is a good idea for your beach family portrait session. I am here to tell you, don’t do it. Avoid this uniform, because that’s what it is. A uniform. Growing up at the beach, this dated family beach photo uniform is something you can spot a mile away. Being overly matchy-matchy doesn’t photograph well and makes the family blend together. Instead, let’s allow the freedom of individuality to shine through your family photos. We want to capture personalities and be authentic to ourselves. Find outfits that go well together as a group. Pick your complementary color scheme and coordinate everyone with that. Have a color scheme Having a family color scheme is an effective method to ensure your whole family looks great as a group. Pick a beachy color scheme for your family photography session and coordinate everyone’s outfit accordingly. You’ll be happy with the results. Have everyone coordinate their outfits to match some of the chosen colors. Soft pastel colors work well for family beach photos. Others may choose bold, vibrant colors with jewel tones. Bonus Tip: Avoid neon colors as they shine onto your face and are distracting. Solid black or white tends to look flat for beach family photos, choose something with texture. Don’t be afraid of color! Wear simple patterns Simple is key here. Decide on one simple pattern and pull colors from it to use in your style choices. Build your group outfits around complementing solid colors with simple patterns. Avoid patterns that could clash too much with your surroundings or stand out too much from the group. Avoid anything with a logo or a large graphic. Remember, the key is simple, non-distracting patterns that help tie your group together as a whole. Soft florals is a great option! Wear something that’s comfortable and fits well Everyone should wear something that they like, feel comfortable in, and that makes them feel good. You will look and feel more confident! Sometimes people will buy clothing for their kids that can be grown into, but that isn’t the best for photographs. We want these photos to be framed on the wall for decades to come, right? It’s important to decide on outfits that are well fitted and make you feel good and confident. Accessorize with layers Don’t be afraid to add some layers to your wardrobe choices! Accessorize to your heart’s content! This helps give the images more dimension, which creates better photos. Adding different textures to the wardrobe help tie the group together! Some good beach accessories would be hats, hair clips, jewelry, belts, scarves, jackets, cardigans, etc. Bonus Tip: Be sure to remove any unnecessary or distracting layers before your session! Things like hair ties on your wrist, FitBits, airpods, cell phones, etc. Tips for women Ladies, you can never go wrong with a long flowy dress at the beach. Anything that has a bit of flowyness to it will look amazing on a windy beach. Pair your favorite dress with beachy jewelry and hair clips. A maxi dress or skirt with a cute hat. Go for a more relaxed look and wear denim or white shorts and a shirt with a pop of color. For larger groups, don’t be afraid to mix and match styles and have everyone wear a variety of these choices, it will help tie the group together! Tips for men Guys can almost always find something to wear in their closets. Solid color button-down shirt with khaki shorts and a belt. Simple pattern shirt with your chosen colors and denim shorts or jeans. Polo shirt, khaki shorts, and your favorite watch. Just be sure to pick colors that go with your scheme. Simplicity is key! Following these simple beach family photography style guide tips will ensure you get the most out of our session! Check out more helpful session tips

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May 8, 2022 4:45 am
Events

2022 Shallotte Brunsco Has It Business Expo

Over the weekend the Brunswick County Chamber of Commerce held an event that was certainly the place to be if you are a small business within our community. The 2022 Brunsco Has It business expo was a free public event presented by Paula Ogden and sponsored by Klington’s Flooring. With over 50 local vendors and small businesses present, there was something for everyone to see. There was a great turn out from the public coming to check out all the local businesses and listen to informational programs. I was there to photograph the event and connect with fellow business owners in Brunswick County. I had a blast seeing lots of smiling faces and meeting wonderful people. Here are some of the businesses that attended, check them out! AR WorkshopBad EatzCarolinas Coastal Adventure YoursColdwell Banker Sloan Realty – Teresa BoydComfort KeepersThe Daily Scoop on MainEast Coast MovingFree Spirit Conservatory of the ArtsFulford Heating & Cooling, IncGreenwood Pet CampHabitat For HumanityKahuna PhotoKlinton’s Flooring Long Bay SymphonyMiracle MoversNational Property InspectionsNorthwoods InsurancePaula Ogden – Metro to Coast Real EstatePelican’s SnoBallsPlanet FitnessThe Printing Shoppe, IncSamara’s VillageShallotte CleanersSynergy WellnessTru Fit GymVacasaWhite Funeral and Cremation Service 2022 Shallotte Business Expo

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April 3, 2022 4:17 pm
Lifestyle family photography session with newborn at Sunset Beach Park.
Blog

Festive Baby’s First Christmas At Sunset Beach Family Photography

Sunset Beach Family Photography When you become parents, you do a lot of celebrating “firsts”. Your baby’s first smile, first laugh, first tooth, the list goes on but you get the point. Every milestone with your baby doing something for the first time is exciting! For this Sunset Beach family photography session, we celebrated and documented quite a few firsts! What could be more exciting than your baby’s first Christmas? Many parents look forward to this time of year and seeing their children joy on Christmas morning. Home For The Holidays The McLamb family was going home to Sunset Beach, NC for the holidays with an extra special gift. A brand new baby boy! You can imagine the excitement! Since the McLamb’s live overseas, this special Christmas would also be the first time meeting everyone in the family! As a lifestyle photographer, it’s exactly those moments that I want to capture. So many “firsts” for this family that deserve to be celebrated, experienced, and remembered! Documenting a family’s first child, first Christmas, and first meeting with the whole family calls for professional family photography. That’s when I come in. The week of Christmas rolled around and after flying over 13 hours, the McLamb’s made it safely to Sunset Beach. Next stop, our Sunset Beach family photography session! Session Day On the day of or session, it was a warm and sunny day in December. Living in eastern North Carolina on the coast means it’s usually a pretty mild winter. Being that I am primarily an outdoor photographer, I generally appreciate it when we have warm weather especially when I am photographing an infant. Luckily we picked a great day to do Christmas family photography! We decided to head to the park for our Sunset Beach family photography session. Sessions always turn out great at the park, it’s a beautiful location with easy walking paths and lovely wooden swings. This is important, especially when photographing people who might struggle walking in sand or too much distance. Sunset Beach Park allows you to get the beautiful marsh and Intracoastal waterway without having to deal with the sometimes harsh conditions at the beach. It’s definitely a favorite of mine for Sunset Beach family photography sessions! The Sunset Beach family photography session was set to include four generations made up of the baby, mom, grandma, and great-grandma. Generational family portrait photography is something I love to capture because it tells an important story. It can be hard to get everyone together at the same time and when you do, you should absolutely photograph it! Time waits for no one! It is so nice being able to get family generational photos that you’ll be able to look back on and remember when everyone was together. Sunset Beach family photography is the perfect location that can accommodate everyone with a stunning background for your portraits. We started with the large group shots on a bench at the park before moving on to smaller groups. I photograph a lot of babies being a family photographer and newborn photographer. I am not above acting silly to get a child to laugh, because that is exactly what I’m looking for! Some children are easier than others, and this little dude was not entertained by anyone’s shenanigans! In his defense, our session wasn’t long after he got off a 13hr flight. His first time flying too! Some eggs are hard to crack, but we always try to get them to! After trying a handful of tricks to get the baby to smile, it was when his great-grandma got really close to his face and started playing with him that really did it! It was such a sweet moment and luckily I have a pretty quick trigger finger and was able to capture that precious moment! For the remainder of our session, we walked around the park and stopped at a few of my favorite spots. The family was happy and enjoying the moments shared together and I did my job preserving them. The light was great and we got a stunning sunset at Sunset Beach Park. Photographers Tips When I hold sessions at Sunset Beach Park I like to challenge myself to use different angles and try seeing things from a new perspective. The park has many stunning views, which is why it’s so popular for photographers. Depending on where and what you’re trying to photograph, it’s likely that you will have some background distractions, such as people, buildings, pets, trash cans, cars, etc. For some photographers, these may be considered “eyesores”, although it is an entirely personal preference. With that in mind, finding a beautiful spot you want to photograph at Sunset Beach Park is a pretty easy task. Explore the park and try out different spots! The Sunset Beach Park is a great location especially for older folks who like being near the water but without dealing with the difficulty of walking on sand.

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February 13, 2022 3:39 am
Fine Art Lifestyle Maternity Photography Sunset Beach NC
Blog

Thrilled To Be A Loving Family Of 3 – Lifestyle Maternity Photography at Sunset Beach Park, NC

It’s not every day that I get to photograph clients who are pregnant with my very own nephew! But on this day, I did! Becoming a family of 3 is a life-changing event, in every meaning of the word.This lifestyle maternity session was extra special for me. I’m an aunt and my sons have a cousin! Lifestyle Maternity Photography When my sister became pregnant I was overwhelmed with excitement about her lifestyle maternity photography portraits. I started brainstorming as soon as I found out. I always have a ton of creative maternity portrait ideas so I was eager to try some out for her session! I specialize in maternity photography because I fell in love with it during my own journey entering motherhood. I love how authentic lifestyle maternity photography is. It’s emotional and honest. Families will cherish such photography for generations to come. Becoming a family of 3 is a beautiful transformation that is so important to photograph. Let’s be honest, entering parenthood is terrifying. Nothing can really prepare you for it. It’s walking straight into the unknown with endless questions and no real direction. All while knowing soon you will have a tiny human who you will be responsible for. Sounds fun, right? It can be scary, but it is also the most excitingly beautiful time in someone’s life. As pregnancy progresses and the due date gets closer, there is a certain radiating glow that just pours out. I’ve noticed this glow is present with not only the expecting mother but also in their partners and siblings. Pure excitement for whatever journey lies ahead. Lifestyle maternity photography is the best way to preserve that glow for generations. That glow is why I love being a maternity photographer! Being able to photograph a woman’s journey into motherhood is always meaningful. It is my passion to be the best maternity photographer that I can be. Capturing my sister’s journey was an honor. I will be able to look back on our lifestyle maternity photography session at Sunset Beach and remember it vividly. I’ll even be able to share them with my nephew one day! Lucky for me, my sister was between the weeks I prefer to do maternity portraits during the peak of fall. Fall is one of my favorite seasons to photograph. I look forward to seeing the vivid colors of the leaves changing every autumn. Sunset Beach, North Carolina Sunset Beach is a gem of Brunswick County and North Carolina as a whole. I have always gushed about it. The Sunset Beach Park is an especially beautiful addition to the area that opened in spring 2015. It’s located right next to where the old bridge use to stand until it was replaced by the new bridge. The Sunset Beach Park sits on around 5 acres of land with live oak trees, marsh boardwalk, ample fishing, and wooden swings to enjoy the view. AKA my kinda location for the best lifestyle maternity photography. During the fall, the trees lining the Sunset Beach park boardwalk like to show off their color. We planned the maternity photography session during peak season so the colors would be most vivid. Sunset Beach Park also has a great overlook of the Intracoastal Waterway with the new Sunset Beach bridge in the background. It’s a very versatile location for many genres of photography! Part of providing my clients with the best maternity photography experience is understanding their needs. I want to help relieve any stress they have about getting high-quality portraits. I provide my clients with everything they need to know to get the best maternity photography session results. I walk them through everything, listen to their ideas, and build creative works of art specifically for them, Like many expecting mothers, finding what to wear can be a daunting task. The last thing you want to worry about is what to wear for your maternity portrait session. For this reason, I do have a growing client closet available for maternity photography. I’ve been building my client closet for this reason to relieve that stress. I offer my maternity clients access to my client closet where I supply dresses and accessories they can wear for our session. Of course, some mothers would prefer to get something special just for their session! There are so many gorgeous styles you can do for maternity photography! This session was less styled and more focused on simplicity. I was happy to provide the wardrobe for my sister and help her find something that was comfortable and made her feel stunning. She picked out a long black dress with gold buttons and paired it with a red crochet cardigan and black flats available in my client closet. Simple and elegant. The dress is one of my favorites because it’s so versatile and flattering for different body types. A wonderful choice for our lifestyle maternity photography session. Session Day We scheduled our maternity session for golden hour in hopes of getting an epic sunset. As you can imagine, Sunset Beach photography is incredible during sunset. Having our outdoor portrait session scheduled during golden hour gives off the softest, warmest light that is stunning for lifestyle maternity photography. We started our session with her and her partner leaning against one of the live oak trees. We walked on the boardwalk to the trees covered with bright yellow and orange leaves. I always like to include personal items in my lifestyle maternity photography sessions and I encourage my clients to bring something. She brought a few baby items such as onesies and baby shoes. After some photos with the sentimental baby items, we walked down to where the water meets the marsh. The sky looked like a cotton candy sunset and was absolutely gorgeous. With lifestyle maternity photography you don’t do much posing of the clients, but rather capture the authentic moment. I use prompts to get the expecting parents to interact in ways that truly embrace who they are. I prefer the

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February 10, 2022 4:42 am
Fine art maternity photography outdoor portrait near Shallotte in Brunswick County, NC.
Session Tips

8 Tips To Prepare For Maternity Photography Session And Get Amazing Results

One of my favorite things as a maternity photographer is being able create incredible art during special chapters in my clients lives. Maternity photography can be so beautiful and captivating. Pregnancy is a exciting journey, but it can’t also be a stressful time for many. I do everything I can for my maternity clients to ensure they have a relaxing session that gives them the best results. Maternity portraits do also require a bit of effort for the client, so to make this go smoothly I’ve come up with some tips to help you prepare for your maternity photography session!

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January 17, 2022 5:36 am
Lifestyle family photography with the Loy family in Holden Beach, NC.
Blog

The Unforgettable Loy Family – Holden Beach Family Photography Session 2021

This past summer the Loy family reached out to me looking to book a family photoshoot at one of my favorite Brunswick County beaches, locally also known as Golden Holden. Holden Beach, North Carolina is known as the family beach in the South Brunswick Islands, and for good reason. One aspect of my style that I specialize in is Holden Beach family photography sessions.

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January 17, 2022 5:04 am

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