The family beach photos people keep are almost never the ones where everyone stands in a line and says cheese. They come from giving the family something to do: walk, run, lift, whisper, look at each other. Here are 15 ideas that work on any beach, grouped by who is in the frame, with the order we use so small children and grandparents are finished first.
Most families arrive at a beach session with the same worry: someone will not cooperate. Usually it is the two-year-old, sometimes the teenager, now and then a dad. After more than 500 sessions on this coast, our answer is always the same. Do not ask anyone to pose. Give them something to do, and photograph what happens.
The One Rule: Actions, Not Poses
A pose asks people to hold still and look happy. An action lets them be happy and forget the camera. Every idea below is something to do rather than a way to stand. Your job is to play along; ours is the light, the angle and the timing.
The second half of the rule is the hour. Soft light makes every idea on this page easier: nobody squints, skin looks even and the water turns turquoise or gold. On this coast that means the hour before sunset or the first hour after sunrise. Our comparison of sunrise and sunset sessions explains the difference.
Everyone Together
1. The walk. Hold hands in a line and walk toward the camera, talking to each other, not to us. Then turn around and walk away. It is the first thing we do with almost every family because it needs no skill and it relaxes everyone.
2. The squeeze. Stand close, then closer, until someone laughs. Small children go on a hip or on shoulders. The frame we keep is usually the one just after everyone stops trying.
3. Look at each other. Everyone looks at the youngest person in the family. Then at the oldest. Faces change completely when they have someone to look at.
4. One, two, three, swing. A small child between two adults, lifted on three. It works from about age two until they are too heavy, and the child will ask to do it again.
5. Run to the water. A race from the dry sand to the first wave. Shoes stay behind. This is the one for children who cannot stand still.
6. Sit in the sand. Everyone sits close on the sand, the smallest in front, with the sea behind. It puts faces at the same height, which is hard to do standing when a family has a toddler and a tall teenager.
Just the Children
7. Walking away. Brothers and sisters holding hands, walking down the shoreline with their backs to the camera. It is a favorite for the wall at home.
8. The secret. One child whispers something silly into another's ear. The reaction is the photo.
9. Let them dig. For toddlers, the sand is the activity. We sit low and photograph hands, feet and concentration. Our tips for photos with toddlers go further.
With Teenagers
10. Give them the lead. Teenagers walk ahead and the parents follow, or the other way around. A teenager who is moving is not thinking about how they look.
11. One with each parent. A short, quiet frame of a teenager with mom, then with dad, with no one else watching. These quiet frames tend to matter more as the years pass. More in our guide to photos with teenagers.
Just the Parents
12. Two minutes alone. While the children play at the water's edge, the two of you walk a few steps away. For many parents it is the first photo of just the two of them in years. Ask for it at the start so we plan the time.
Grandparents and Large Groups
13. Grandparents with the grandchildren. Only them, no parents. Seated if that is more comfortable, with the children leaning in. See our guide to grandparents and grandkids portraits.
14. Each family on its own. In a group with several siblings and their children, every household gets its own frame before the big one. It takes a few minutes each and it is what people share afterward.
15. The big one, twice. The whole group once looking at the camera, for the record, and once walking or laughing. With a large group we do this early, while everyone is fresh, and we ask one person to help us call names. Our guide to a multigenerational session explains how we organize it.
The Order That Works
The order matters more than the list. This is how we run a family hour on the beach:
- First: the whole group and the grandparents, while clothes are dry and everyone is patient.
- Then: each household, and the children together.
- Then: the games: the swing, the race, the walk into the shallows.
- Last: the parents alone and anything that involves getting wet.
Grandparents and very small children can leave after the first 20 minutes with their photos done. Tell us in advance about anyone who tires easily or uses a wheelchair, and we choose a spot with firm sand and a short walk.
Five Things to Avoid
- Midday. High sun means squinting and hard shadows. Book the first or the last hour of light.
- Identical outfits. Choose two or three colors and let everyone dress within them. Our guides to family outfits and coordinating outfits by age have palettes.
- A hungry or tired child. Plan a nap and a snack before a sunset session. For early risers, sunrise is easier.
- Saying "smile". Let us do the talking. Children give real expressions to games, not to instructions.
- Leaving it for the last day. Book the session early in the trip, before sunburn, and so there is a spare evening if the weather turns.
Families on This Coast, Through Our Lens
Real IVAE Studios family sessions in Cancun, Playa Mujeres, Isla Mujeres and the Riviera Maya.
How Long to Book
Every collection includes editing and a private gallery, delivered in one to three business days. Sessions need no deposit and are paid at the end of the session, and there is no charge per person.
| Collection | Time | Photos | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Postcard | 35 min | 15 | 295 USD |
| The Keepsake | 45 min | 25 | 375 USD |
| The Chapter | 60 min | 35 | 475 USD |
| The Story | 75 min | 50, 2 looks | 545 USD |
| The Editorial | 90 min | 70, 2 looks | 645 USD |
| The Heirloom | 90 min | Full gallery, 2 looks | 895 USD |
For parents and children, The Chapter at 60 minutes is the most chosen and covers most of this list. For a large group with grandparents and several households, The Editorial at 90 minutes leaves time for every combination. See our family photography in Cancun page for how a session runs.