Wailea Sunset

Winter in Hawaii is not only one of my favorites for the ability to still wear a bathing suit with shorts without freezing BUT because with this new season in rolls the winter swells and colorful sunsets make an appearance. This darling family in this post ventured all the way from Texas to spend some of the cold season here in warm South Maui, Hawaii for a session that captured our winter best. Dressed to impress with haikus to channel that Aloha spirit my camera and this gorgeous family of four hit up one of my favorite little beaches in Wailea, Maui to make some memories in the sand for them to cherish when they returned back to the cooler weather on the mainland.

As someone whose business began with brand photography with children’s clothing brands it can at times be a little daunting for older kiddos to have their photos taken. I will admit it is easier to crack a smile out of a baby - 6 year old with a goofy face or a silly sound but when it comes to older children those tricks don’t really get the job done. Lucky for me these two lovely daughters were an absolute dream to work with but still it does help to put older kids to ease a bit. With sincere compliments , cheering on their awesome attitude to get these shots snapped, or if there are siblings taking a moment to remind them howwww muchhh they love one another with them never having a disagreement ( sarcasm definitely hinted because though we may have a whole lot of love for our brother/sister we know we are not always on the same page) this helps to bring in that natural smile. Another success tip is to have them act out prompts instead of “pose”. For little ladies I love to have them pretend they are walking on a catwalk from one point of the location to the end - during this time I will run around being their own personal paparazzi cheering them on . Young gentleman I keep the prompt similar but remind them how awesome the shots look and that they are wonderful for getting these shots for their parents - Both of these seem to bring down the walls a bit and help them to forget so much about it being a photoshoot but more of just time on a beach in Hawaii with this lady who is cracking jokes.

At the end of this sunset session we not only were not only able to photograph some beautiful images but spent some time at the end of our scheduled shoot time watching the sun dip below the ocean’s horizon while we talked about life. Photoshoots when I not only get to capture the awe of Maui’s beauty in my clients’ eyes but get to connect with them always have me leaving the session filled with the utmost joy.