Some sessions just feel easy from the start, and The Maynard Family was a prime example. 

They booked a family session in Cocoa Beach, Florida while they were vacationing here from North Carolina for the holidays. All eight adults (including the sweetest of grandparents) and all TEN kids were together for the week. They shared a home just steps from the ocean. The three sons and their wives wanted to gift their parents an extended family session. I absolutely love when there’s that kind of intention and sentimentality behind a session.

We met near the famous pier on the Space Coast just before sunset. Being the day after New Years, there were only a few other families in sight. There was a steady ocean breeze, birds overhead, and such perfect light that gradually softened everything. It was just pretty, natural, golden hour light that kept changing as we captured these photos on the beach.

With a family of 18, things were definitely lively. Kids running toward the shoreline, cousins laughing, parents talking and enjoying themselves as it was their final day here in Florida. That’s the beauty of choosing the beach for your portraits, the kids can run their little hearts out, hollering away as they chase the seagulls. It could have felt overwhelming, but instead it felt relaxed and fun. The Maynards are such an easygoing and clearly close knit family, which made it that much better.

We made sure to capture the full group, grandparents with grandkids, each individual family, and even a few quick couples photography moments for the sons and their wives. Those in-between moments — a quick laugh, someone throwing a child in the air, grandparents watching the chaos with a smile — are always my favorite.

As the sun dipped behind the dunes, the light faded softly and the kids were fully sandy and carefree. Ice cream was promised to them, which was the perfect way to end the evening.

If you’re planning a trip and considering booking a family photo session, this is exactly what it can look like: organized but flexible, lightly guided but natural, and focused on capturing your family exactly as you actually are.