I love extended family sessions! They're a great option when vacationing together as a large group, especially on the coast! That seems to be a popular thing to do here in Saint Augustine, Florida so I always welcome the opportunity to get multiple generations in the frame. You will be so happy that you did!

This extended family was from all over the country, and doesn't get together all at once very often, so they thought this the perfect opportunity for freshening up those group photos. And they nailed their clothing for a beach portrait session, didn't they?! I always advise people when looking to dress a large group of people to stick to 2-3 colors and build from there. Put a couple of the littles in a coordinating pattern, then coordinate everyone else's outfits from there. Once you break down the outfits for the entire family, and sub family groups, in this way it isn't as daunting as it sounds.

For coastal portraits, I always advise a light and airy look with layered neutrals and lots of textures. Think flowing fabrics with open weave knits, and lots of texture. These simple principles are great for back-lit beach portraits. I also love linen on the beach! Linen fabric gives an effortless and timeless look that never goes out of style. A nice crisp white, or pale blue/gray linen shirt, will always work well on any skin tone. And years from now, when you look back at your photographs, you'll be happy to see that they look the same then as they do now. I cannot express enough how far a classic linen staple will go for your family beach photo session!

This location, near the St. Augustine Beach area, is one of I've been coming to for years with my clients, and it's one I love to photograph extended families because there is so much variety stacked in one place - especially for the beach where usually all you have is sand and sky. Sunrise or sunset, this classic location never disappoints.

Scroll on for a few of my favorites from this St. Augustine Florida extended family beach photo session!

It's always fun during extended family photo sessions to break off into smaller groups and capture the sub-families. During extended family sessions, you will have time to do this! In fact, I encourage it!