Beach Mini Sessions
in Santa Cruz, CA

A family poses on a sandy beach with a rocky cliff and ocean waves in the background. The parents stand with two young daughters, all dressed in light-colored clothing. The scene is foggy with a serene coastal atmosphere.

Beach Mini sessions in the Bay Area, Ca.

Last year, a lot of people asked me to do Mini Sessions at the beach. The beach isn’t an easy location for minis, but I decided to give it a try, and the results were amazing. I chose a scenic beach in Santa Cruz, CA, and it didn’t disappoint.

Something I’m always super careful about in mini sessions is the light. I want the minis to look like my regular sessions, and light is key when you’re photographing outdoors. So I did all the Beach Minis at sunset, in 20-minute back-to-back intervals, to fit a couple of families and still get that perfect light.

The soft light, sandy feet, ocean breeze, and kids running along the shore create the perfect setting for the kind of photos I love most, natural, warm, and full of connection.

And the best part? Even in a 20-minute session, we captured something beautiful.

What to wear for Beach Sessions?

Choosing outfits for family photos can sometimes feel like the hardest part, but you don’t have to figure it out alone.

Every family who books one of my Mini Sessions receives access to my Styling Tool, along with a Styling Guide created specifically for the location.

For beach sessions, I love soft, earthy and coastal colors that complement the sand, rocks and ocean. Think creams, warm neutrals, muted blues, dusty pinks, rust, soft browns and subtle patterns. The goal isn’t for everyone to match. Instead, we’ll create a color palette that coordinates beautifully while still letting everyone feel like themselves.

Flowy dresses also photograph beautifully at the beach, especially when we get a little ocean breeze!