Ali

Tonight I went back to the beach, but instead of shooting little girls I did portraits of Ali who will be a senior in a few weeks. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky when we left Jacksonville, but by the time we got to the beach some clouds moved in. The wind was whipping, as usual, but I’ve learned that there is ALWAYS wind when shooting on the beach. So, all in all, the beach was a good place to be tonight.

As I’ve said before, I LOVE working with seniors – and Ali was no exception. She was an absolute joy. Ali has an innate sense of style and she moves well in front of the camera. At first Ali was a little nervous, but she settled right in and did a wonderful job. But let’s face it, you don’t have to be a world class photographer to take good pictures of Ali. I probably shouldn’t admit it – but anyone this naturally beautiful would photograph well for anyone. I’m just glad they chose me.

Here’s a sneak preview of Ali’s portraits. It was hard choosing just a few to show because so many are great. I can’t wait to finish editing Ali’s gallery – but it will be later in the week before that happens.

Thanks for being such a great model, Ali. It was fun!

Two little girls in white linen dresses + 1 ocean = FUN!

One of the highlights of my summer is a trip to Figure 8 Island to take pictures of the Haley children. I’ve known the Haleys since they were in elementary school and love to see them all grown up with children of their own. They were delightful children and they have only gotten better with age. This is the third year I’ve done pictures at Figure 8 – and I always look forward to the trip. It’s wonderful when a shoot starts and ends with big hugs!

When I first arrived the sun was still a little high, so we let the children play and I relaxed on the beach. I had brought along a small white wicker chair hoping to get a few pictures of Mary in the chair. But, Haley took a seat and started directing the action. In this shot, she sat and instructed her parents to get behind her.

Once the light was right, we got a few pictures of the entire family and of Anie’s and Michael’s families. I had to work fast because the children were ready to play.

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After we got the required family groups, we just let the children play. And being little water bugs, they headed straight for the ocean. Haley would rush in and get her feet wet – then stop. But not Mary! She kept right on running until someone stopped her. I got a lot of pictures from the back because without a snorkel or scuba gear, I couldn’t get out deep enough to stay in front of these little girls. Haley and Mary had a wonderful time playing in the ocean – white linen dresses and all.