Lessons from an Amateur Photographer: How to Capture Family Photos on the Beach

This summer we drove 13 hours down to the Gulf Shore with 16 people – including 5 teenage boys, a toddler, and 3 one year old triplets.

It was the first time our entire family had been on vacation together since my sister had her kids, and the first time several of our children had ever seen the ocean.

It was crazy, chaotic, and wonderful, and we wanted to capture some memories down on the beach of our growing family.

I’m far from a professional photographer, but over the years (and a few trial-and-error sessions), I’ve learned some tricks that make family photos go a little more smoothly. Here are all my best tips for capturing family photos at the beach (or anywhere, really) – including what to do before the trip even begins, how make it as quick & painless as possible, and the important things to know after the photos hit your camera roll. I promise anyone can do this, and you don’t even need a fancy camera – just a smart phone!

Timing the Light

The secret to great beach photos isn’t just the beach — it’s the light.

• Plan ahead: Google the exact sunset time for your location. Start 30–60 minutes before the actual sunset, depending on how large your group is.
• Scout the spot: The day before your shoot, walk the beach at that time to see where the sun sits during that hour.
• Too early? Find shade: If you must shoot earlier, look for open shade from a pier or tall buildings.
• Don’t forget sunrise: Sunrise offers equally gorgeous light — plus it’s cooler, less crowded, and works well for early-rising kids.

What to Wear

The goal: coordinated, but not “matchy-matchy.”

• Pick a palette: Choose 2–3 main colors and 1–2 neutrals. For us, it was soft blue, sage green, white, cream, and beige.
• Share a visual: Search Pinterest or create a mood board in Canva so everyone knows the exact shades. (ex: “soft blue” is different from “royal blue”)
• Texture over patterns: Linen, chambray, cotton, and knits photograph beautifully without feeling busy. Avoid large logos and neon colors that won’t blend well with the surrounding landscape.
• Go barefoot: Shoes tend to look awkward in sand, but bare feet always feel natural and timeless.
• Hair up: It will most likely be windy by the shore, so suggest an updo to anyone with long hair.

Posing Big Groups

• Group families together so everyone feels relaxed with familiar faces.
• Mix heights and positions: some standing, some sitting, and some holding kids, so heads form staggered subtle triangles instead of straight lines.
• Start with the entire group first while everyone is fresh.
• Move into smaller groupings after.
• Sprinkle in candids like walking along the shoreline or kids running ahead. This takes the pressure off getting the perfect posed photo with everyone looking at the camera and eyes open.

Working with Littles

• Photograph families with toddlers and babies first, then let them go play.
• Designate one adult behind the camera making funny noises & waving toys to help capture natural smiles facing the right direction.
• Bring small, non-messy snacks for bribes.
• If they won’t stand still, lean into it — let them dig, splash, or twirl and capture the movement.

Smartphone Settings

If you’re shooting with your phone, these little adjustments make a big difference:

• Turn on grid lines to keep horizons straight.
• On iPhone, tap and hold your subject to lock focus and exposure, then slide to adjust brightness.
• Avoid zoom — step closer or crop later for better quality.
• Use portrait mode only for close-up shots of singles/couples. It can blur edges unnaturally in group shots.
• Wipe your lens often — salty, humid air can create a haze.
• Try burst mode to capture multiple frames quickly, especially with wiggly little ones.
• Download the Lens Buddy app, and set it to take a photo every second until you hit “stop” so you have plenty of chances to catch the perfect shot. You can save your favorites and delete the rest later.
• Bring a phone tripod so everyone can be in the photo!

Time Management

The key to a smooth session is having a plan:

• Make a shot list ahead of time (whole group, grandparents with grandkids, each nuclear family, etc.).
• Put them in order — starting with the shots most important to you and grouping together photos with the same individuals in them so there’s less back and forth.
• Assign one person as the “photo wrangler” with the shot list to keep everyone moving.

Editing Apps

• Snapseed — Free, great for easy white balance, selective brightening, and background clean-up.
• Tezza or VSCO — Ideal for adding a vintage, beachy, or film-style filter.

Typical adjustments I make:

• Lower exposure and highlights
• Soften shadows
• Slightly reduce contrast and saturation
• Increase details/clarity
• Adjust white balance (Snapseed’s auto-adjust is a great starting point)
• Remove distractions in the background with Snapseed’s “healing” tool or iPhone’s “clean-up”

Your photos don’t have to be perfect to be beautiful. Plan ahead, keep it fun, and remember: the best shots are the ones that tell an honest story of what your family looks and feels like right now. I hope this is helpful!

---

STAY CONNECTED:

Shop my Posts | Shop my Amazon Store
Join our Community | Follow on Instagram 
Follow on Pinterest | Follow on Facebook