It’s not every day (or really, ever) that I get to do a classic family-on-the-beach session, but when I do, it’s with several generations of absolute gems like the Gosiers on Kiawah Island, South Carolina. I love that Kiawah Island + Beach is close enough to Charleston to be able to swing a casual weekend trip, but just far enough to feel like you’re somewhere else entirely. Arriving to their rental villa on Kiawah Beach, I was immediately welcomed with lush foliage, the rising sun over the water, and distant waves. This is literally the stuff that romance novels are made of, but the way, but I digress.
More importantly, there was a perfectly coordinated effort from the perfectly coordinated folks that comprise of this sweet family. I cannot! Stress! Enough! How much admiration I have for anyone who has successfully wrangled a crew of 10+ individuals (2 of whom are very adorable little faerie sprites masquerading as tiny humans) for a beach time, and every single person in this session did just that – helped each other out with carrying all-the-things, getting the kids dressed, checking the time to beat the overhead sun, making sure everyone had what they needed, etc. It was beautiful.
I’m sure I’ve said this before, but one of my favorite things about sessions like these is just how much I learn. Not just about the photographing itself (which, I absolutely did — I am not the typical beach photographer and I have all the respect for folks that do these types of sessions so effortlessly), but about the people I’m photographing. Finding tenderness in the tiny moments and adding punctuation on the big moments (more is more, baybayyy) is where it’s at, and I love learning how different people express it. This Kiawah Island family beach session was a beautiful day with beautiful folks, simply put.