Since Arizona is landlocked, many people think that you’d have to travel to get beach family pictures. But just because we don’t have a coastline, doesn’t mean we don’t have beaches. Like this beach, Butcher Jones Recreation Site at Saguaro Lake.
What I love about this beach is that you get so much variety in a very small area. Of course, you have the beach and the water, but there’s a whole field of grass leading up to the beach that is also great for pictures!
What you need to know about Beach Family Pictures in Arizona
1. Wardrobe
All of the guidelines and tips in my style guide still apply to your beach family pictures but there are a few additional things to consider.
Beach sessions tend to have a very brown/tan backdrop since the majority of the pictures are taken on the beach. Consider colors that will complement that background and especially provide contrast to help you stand out. My personal recommendation would be blues and whites.
2. Be Prepared to Get Wet
This shouldn’t be too much of a surprise… It’s the beach… Especially if you have kids, they’re going to want to get their feet wet. The best thing you can do, for the absolute best pictures, is to let them! And even more than that, join them!
This means you should be prepared for shoes to come off and pants/dresses to get wet. I suggest you bring towels and a change of clothes, especially if your kids are adventurous.
I don’t recommend water shoes since they don’t look the best in pictures so just embrace the sand between your toes!
3. Beaches are busy
Beaches in Arizona are very popular recreation sites and are therefore usually pretty busy. This doesn’t have to be a deal-breaker for your family pictures though. If you can schedule your session on a weeknight or in the later fall and winter you might just have the whole beach to yourself.
I’d love to work with you! Please contact me to book your next Beach family pictures session! To view more of my work and stay up to date, follow me on Instagram.
