Kauai family photos: Christy Ensign and family at Hanalei Bay.
Kauai family photos
are always fun to do at Hanalei Bay. What a location! A beautiful family from Utah contacted us to do photos at Hanalei Bay so they could use some Kauai Family Photos for years to come as well as for their family Christmas card. It was December 18th, 2016. When they arrived, we met Christy Ensign and her beautiful family – she had 5 sons ranging in age from 13 to mid 20s. The oldest had already married, so one of the “kids “was a 25-year-old beautiful blonde. The whole family was Mormon and they lived in Salt Lake City.
Wearing Shorts in December?!
They were thrilled to be out here in such gorgeous weather and wind. Their mom asked them to wear khaki shorts or pants. It was easy for them to all show up wearing khaki on the bottom and white on the top – I was surprised that not one person in the family had to buy anything new. When I look carefully at the pictures I realize that no one actually had the same shirt and same shorts, yet they all seemed to match perfectly, looking very much like mainlanders with their perfectly white clothing that no locals. Everyone had big bright smiles … you could tell how happy they were to be in paradise for Christmas!
Great Weather for Kauai Family Photos
The weather was perfect! When it sprinkled lightly for two or three minutes we went to the end of a pier and took a couple of interesting shots out over the water. Since it was a bright sunny day the issue was not really rain but rather how to pose the family so that they were not squinting. It was fun for them to get their toes in the water and for their 13-year-old boy to be able to look at me instead of the water when I took the pictures.
Vibrant Colors for Kauai Photography
As expected, the pictures turned out beautifully with vibrant colors of blue in the sky and the water, white with their shirts and the seafoam, brown from the sand and the pier, and to top it all off, vibrant green from the fact that they were standing in the middle of one of the most beautiful tropical places on earth. The end product of the photos had a nice range of group shots, couple shots and individual shots of everyone there including the parents, as well as photos of just the boys, and all the grown up “kids”.
Even though the family met with me only a few days before Christmas they were able and excited to “rush” their photos for a mere $40 and have them within several days. Most photographers here on Kauai charge $75 and would not do that right before Christmas! We aim to please with our Kauai family photos!
Pretty! This featured kauai family photo shoot has some girls in sync.
Our featured Kauai family photo shoot
took place on December 20th, 2016, at Kealia Beach, Kauai. Right before Christmas we had the opportunity to meet a lovely family from California who were out here on Kauai for their parents’ 30th wedding anniversary. The 5 siblings decided to gift their parents with a long overdue photo shoot of the whole family. The siblings had contacted Timory McDonald Photography ahead of time, splitting the cost of the photo shoot so it didn’t cost any of them very much money.
The Best Way to Incorporate the Surprise Element with Women and Photo Shoots
Additionally, we planned to do the whole thing as a surprise, and we love surprises! However we‘ve learned over the years that while it’s a great idea to surprise a woman with the photo shoot (you can’t go wrong with offering her photos) … it’s not always a good idea to spring it on her right in the moment. A woman needs to be ready, with her hair and makeup the way she feels comfortable, in order to enjoy the pictures! So the mom and dad were told that they were going to take some family pictures with their iPhones down at the beach – the surprise was that it would actually be Timory, a professional photographer.
Family Photo Shoot with A Christmas Theme
Since it was right before Christmas, Timory met with the siblings right before the photo shoot to come up with a plan to make it as festive of a surprise as possible. She drove up in her white SUV, decorated as Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, put on a Santa hat and met them right next to the bike path full of Christmas joy and enthusiasm as she wished them a happy 30th wedding anniversary surprise as well as “Merry Christmas”!
Great Variety of Backdrops for Photos
One of the 5 siblings was a very wonderful disabled man in a wheelchair. Timory had gone early to find the perfect location where we could get a picture with the beach in the background but still keep him on the cement bicycle path. We took a surprisingly large selection of background shots given that we only left the path once. For instance, we took pictures near a tree with the ocean background, just an ocean background, trees and pine trees surrounding the sand and the ocean and we even went down to a bridge to have a river and the ocean in the background. It was a wonderfully varied 60 minute photo shoot!
Happy Anniversary and Happy Holidays
The clients were very happy. We received this testimonial about their featured Kauai family photo shoot:
“Thank you again for the quick turn around with the photos. They turned out amazing! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Best“ ~ Hannah
Happy 30th wedding anniversary and happy holidays to Hannah and all her family!
The more guests you have, the more time you will need. A good rule of thumb is 3 minutes per picture setup.
Kauai photography
for the most part is an outdoor activity, due to the warm tropical Hawaiian temperatures year-round, as well as the spectacular natural beauty you can use as a backdrop for your photos. However, if you’re new to Kauai or the Hawaiian islands, there are some things you need to know first, if you’re about to have your photos taken, whether they be wedding photos or family photos. Below are some basics are Kauai photography timing we have learned from our experience as a professional photography company.
Kauai Photography Timing: Best Times of Day
In Hawaii, the best time of day for photos is sunset, but we suggest starting your Kauai photography shoot around 90 minutes before the sun actually sets, depending on the season. At the height of summer (Summer Solstice) the sun sets around 7.30pm here. Obviously, you need to allow more time if you are having a Kauai wedding reception. It’s definitely preferable to use natural light if possible. Natural light is superior to a photographer using a flash, which makes skin look too white or artificial.
Kauai Photography Timing: How Much Time You Need
The amount of time you need depends on how many guests you have, but a good rule of thumb is 3 minutes per picture setup. This doesn’t necessarily mean 3 minutes per guest, because you have have a guest in several pictures or combinations, e.g. a photo of you and your mother, a photo of you, your mother and your father, a photo of you, your mother and your aunt, etc. By the way, the wedding ceremony itself normally takes around 15-20 minutes, and when you add in signing the wedding license and people’s congratulations, it’s around 30 minutes.
Life’s Too Short to Get your Wedding Day Wrong!
Photography is our passion. Please contact us or call Timory McDonald Photography on 888-939-3885 for a free consultation. Remember, we are wedding coordinators too! We are happy to provide wedding planning tips also.
