Max turns one! I absolutely love photographing baby's first year milestone on the beach! Here in Saint Augustine, at sunrise, there is almost always no one ever on the coast so it's a great opportunity to have a private family portrait session.

Sunrise is also my favorite time to shoot for the sheer fact that the afternoon tradewinds have not yet picked up, nor the sand hasn't been kicked around just yet, so there is a serene vibe to the coast. The untouched sand, the carefree hair without being too windswept, it all just works for a morning photo session. You also have the added bonus of no one else being on the beach in the mornings. You may have the occasional fisherman or jogger, but other than that you're completely alone to play as a family.

Baby Max turned one shortly after our photo session so Mom wanted to document the day in a special way. We incorporated a simple prop (probably the only prop I use from my arsenal these days) and made sure to end the session with a bit of a cake smash. I loved the simple white cake for Max, and of course, the sprinkles! My daughter loves rainbow sprinkles too so it was fun to sort of relive the moment with Max. First year milestone photos are the best!

When people ask me what to wear for a sunrise family portrait session I always recommend that they go casual. A laid back white shirt and jeans is a timeless and classic look that cannot steer you wrong. Bare feet, of course, and lots of candid smiles and you're good! For this session, we made sure to give Max lots of time to roam around the shoreline and play in the rocks. He really enjoyed walking, and got a bit salty (pun intended...haha) when we wouldn't put him down. I actually like incorporating the candid images along with the smiles in every portrait session I deliver because that's life. It's not always perfect, but it's true to what we experience as parents. I know that as a mother myself, that is what I want to relive and look back upon down the road - the real...maybe a little bit elevated.

I've included a few of my favorites from the beautiful Darm family one year photo session with Baby Max. As always, thank you for reading!