Growing up in our family, beach pictures were some of my favourites. Why? Because our beach vacations are some of my favourite memories from being a kid.  

Beach vacations are the best. It doesn’t matter how old you are, sand castles and waves for the little kids, swimming in the sea, squishy feeling of sand beneath your feet. It’s just the best.  

We enjoy those moments so much no matter what age we are, and we want to save those feelings and bring them home. Well, you can do just that! 

How? WIth pictures. Pictures help you preserve those memories, take you back in time, and can even help your kids feel a sense of belonging (it’s true – check it out!) 

And we have taken a lot of family photos with kids of all ages and stages. We have had sessions where we know that some people were more excited than others. We’ve seen it all. 

So how can you make the most of your session? Here are our best tips.

When is the right time for my family session? 

The right time is the right time for your family. 

Come on Kat, that wasn’t a real answer.

I know, but hear me out…you know your family and if you have kids, you know there are times of the day where they shine brightly…and other times when they don’t. 

Just because you’re on vacation does not change that – they are going to have their windows where they are their best selves. That’s when we want to book. 

Happy kids = happy photos = an all round fun time and pictures that literally glow with awesomeness. 

If you don’t have kids, give some thought to the type of pictures you want. For example, the sun sets here in Roatan around 6:00 p.m. all year round. So if you want sunset pictures – which are gorgeous and romantic and epic- then book your session around that time. If you want the sea to really pop its brightest blue, aim for earlier in the day. 

It also needs to fit in with the rest of your vacation – we don’t want to rush and don’t want you rushing to us. So give yourself some breathing room if you’re booking other excursions, dinner reservations etc. 

And if you’re not used to the heat, early morning and evening will be your coolest times of day!

What should I do to prepare for my family photoshoot?

Remember the Snickers commercials – you aren’t you when you’re hungry. 

That’s a fact – you aren’t you when you’re hungry. And for our parents out there – you KNOW your kids aren’t themselves when they’re hungry. So make sure you eat beforehand – not too much – you don’t want to feel stuffed and lazy – but enough. 

And think about bringing some snacks…unless you want an album full of your kids saying, “But i’m huuuuuuuunnnnnnggggggggrrrrrrrryyyyyyy.”

Why are you sending me a family portrait questionnaire? 

This is another way that you can prepare for your shoot. We’re going to send you a pre-session get to know you survey. 

Yes, it’s going to feel a bit annoying to fill out…unless you really love paperwork, in which case, you’re welcome. 

BUT getting to know you better is actually going to go a long way in our photoshoot. 

For example, we ask what kind of hobbies or interests your children have. And here’s why.

Talk about the photoshoot you did with the kids where it was “you guys are going Sonic fast and I need you to go Tails fast”. 

Speaking their language and using what they already know makes it easier to give instructions.

What kind of family beach photo poses should you go for?

If you’re Pinterest-ing, you’ve probably found a bunch of articles about the 150 best beach family photo poses. 

So what kind of poses are we going to get? As they’d say in the 90’s – PSYCH! We aren’t posing you – we are capturing you as your natural, awesome selves. 

You want photos that show connection in your family, that showcase everything that makes you weird and wonderful. We want you to smile because you’re having a blast together, not because we told you to smile. Because posing like you’re getting a school photo taken isn’t fun, it’s not going to look natural and you’re going to hate those pictures. We take pictures THAT YOU LIKE!

What should you wear for beach pictures? What kind of outfit ideas do you recommend? Should we coordinate colors?

We have a whole guide that includes tips on what to wear (and we can definitely talk about it when we meet), but here are a few tips. When it comes to your outfit, here is what you should be thinking about: 

1. Comfort. Be comfortable. If you’re not, it’s going to come through in your photos, trust us. 
2. Someting you can move in: Because we are going to be moving. 
3. Avoid neon colours. Yes the 90’s are back in a big way, but for photos, they tend to be distracting and take away from the REAL star (which is you!)
4. If you do go with patterns, do small patterns and not overwhelming big ones. They’re distracting. 
5. Complement, not matching. Go for colours that match each other, but mix it up within your family.

The MOST Important thing to bring to your family photo session…

Okay yes that’s a little click baity, but this might be THE MOST IMPORTANT THING: bring yourself! 

It’s like your mom told you when you were kids…just be yourself. Because trust us, your family is cool, interesting and beautiful and definitely needs to get captured!

Your kids are big balls of energy? Great, let’s capture that wild side! 

You’re not “the center of the dance floor” kind of couple? Neither were Debbie and Rony and their photos reflect their down-to-earth, mild selves. And they look amazing. 

You get the point – we are taking pictures of YOU!

Let’s talk about taking some family beach pictures in Roatan!

If you’re ready for some family beach photos that will bring your Roatan memories to life, we’ve got you covered. We’re TKM Photography and we’re awesome. We think about LITERALLY everything and have this down to an art AND a science. SO if you’re coming to Roatan and want photos that take you right back in time to your epic vacation with the people you love the most, then let’s have a convo. 

AND if you want to see more of what we’ve done, check out our galleries and be sure to follow us on IG.