MacNaught Family on Kiawah Island

It was one of the most beautiful days we’ve had this summer!

Instead of being overcast and gray, as so many afternoons have been lately, the sun was bouncing off beautiful cloud formations in the sky. Yet it was surprisingly cool compared to previous weeks  A gentle breeze was sweeping in off the ocean as the waves lapped the shore.

I met up with the MacNaught Family at their rental house just off the beach. Their three adorable children were excited for our shoot and ready to go! From the first family shots on the boardwalk as we made our way to the beach, to the candids of them playing in the sand as the sun slipped away…the entire session was so much fun!!!

Here are a few favorites from the evening…

Dilella Family on Kiawah Island

As the summer comes to an end, and schools start back up, I am critically aware that there are only a few “perfect” summer evenings left in the season. One of those was yesterday!

I met up with the Dilella Family on Kiawah Island on an absolutely perfect evening! The sun, which had baked the earth just hours before, had slipped into “Golden Hour”. And a gentle breeze was blowing off the ocean to drop the temps to “just right”.

The Dilella family was an absolute joy to work with! The grandkids were delightful and full of energy. It was such a pleasure capturing these beautiful family memories before their children head back to Cleveland.  To top it all off, as I was driving away I noticed these amazing crepuscular rays from the settings sun in the west, extending their fingers all the way to the rising moon in the east.  What a sight!!!   🙂

Parikshak Family on Kiawah Island

A few days ago, I had the great pleasure of meeting the Parikshak family at The Sanctuary on Kiawah Island to photograph their family reunion.

We had a beautiful afternoon with gorgeous light. With half the family coming in from North Carolina, and the other half from Indiana, it was great to see all of them together, renewing family bonds, and building new memories together!

The best part was, the night of the photo shoot was also Rita’s birthday. So after the photo shoot all the kids got to go have cake! Happy Birthday, Rita!!! 🙂

The Ocean Course Rainbow

Something truly magical happened at this family portrait session I had with the Cyrus Family at The Ocean Course on Kiawah Island!!!

Sweigart Family Senior Portraits

It’s been five or six years since I last photographed the Sweigart Family. But I recognized them instantly…in spite of how much the kids have grown!

Back on Kiawah Island for vacation this summer, we met up at The Sanctuary to update their family portraits. Plus since their middle daughter, Kara, is going to be a senior in high-school, we thought it would be fun to capture some unique senior portraits for her. Being from Pennsylvania, this would give her some beautiful lowcountry scenery in her portfolio of images that none of her friends back home will have! 🙂

We lucked out with a GORGEOUS evening! Everyone was so much fun and so into the shoot! We came away with a wonderful set of photos to memorialize this special time in their family’s life!!!

Gilligan Family at The Sanctuary

I was so bummed last year when the Gilligans called to see if I could photograph their family portraits again, and I wasn’t available. I’d photographed their family the year before, and they were so much fun to work with! So this year when they called, I made sure to find a spot on the schedule for them! 🙂

We met at The Sanctuary, near the villa they had rented for the week. Although it had rained that afternoon, the skies cleared up just in time for us to have some beautiful light at the end of the day.

We had an absolute BLAST, and came away with so many fun memories from our time together!!!

Morrison Family on Kiawah Island

Adorable kids make me smile. Last night I had the joy of smiling A LOT!!! 🙂

It was so much fun photographing the Morrison family during their inaugural family vacation on Kiawah Island. They normally vacation a little further south at one of the islands off the Georgia coast. I’m so glad they decided to try Kiawah this year. And I’m so glad they picked me as their photographer!

Hopefully this was the first of many more years of fond family memories (and photo shoots) on Kiawah!!!

Grandparents and Grandchildren

I had a lovely and unique photo shoot at The Sanctuary on Kiawah Island this week!

While they were in town on vacation with the whole family, Debbie and Russell had asked for a very special photo shoot with JUST them and their grandchildren.  Normally these family photo requests include everyone in the family, of course. But I thought it was so special that these two love their grandkids so much that they wanted a private photo shoot of just them and their adorable little people. How cool is THAT?!?

We had an awesome time together. All the kids were fantastic. I could tell their was a very special bond between them!  🙂

Hogan Family on Kiawah Island

Earlier this week I had the pleasure of photographing the Hogan family during their much anticipated family reunion on Kiawah Island!

With families spread across the US these days, it’s always heart-warming to see everyone getting together to renew those family ties. One of grandma’s biggest request as part of the trip was to finally get a family portrait of everyone together!

I had so much fun with the Hogan family and their adorable kids!  🙂

Grindall Family at The Sanctuary

I absolutely love the Grindall family! They are such an amazing group of kind and generous human beings. I had so much fun catching up with them last night at our annual family beach shoot on Kiawah Island!!!  We started off in what I call the “Enchanted Forest” near The Sanctuary.  Then finished up on the beautiful beach in front.  We had an absolutely GORGEOUS day!!!  Here are a few of my favorites… 🙂

Porello Family

Every 3 years or so, our family plans an extended family reunion. Being scattered all over the country, it’s a special time of re-connecting catching up, and making new family memories together.

It’s always so special when I see other families getting together to do the same. And it means a lot to me when families like the Porellos decide to include me in their summer vacation plans. We had so much fun earlier this week, capturing this beautiful time together. I know how much they will cherish these memories many years from now!!!

As an added bonus, even though the skies were overcast on the back side of Kiawah Island where the Porellos were staying, driving out the front side of the island on my way home, I found an open window to the sky where I was able to capture the dramatic sunset.  🙂

Bursky Family on Kiawah Island

I haven’t had so much fun with a gaggle of girls between 2 and 4 years old in AGES!!!  🙂

Celebrating their 40th Anniversary with a vacation to Kiawah Island, last night I had the pleasure of photographing the Bursky Family. From the magical late afternoon light, to the beautiful beaming faces of their adorable grand-daughters, everything was absolutely perfect!  As a bonus, a dainty deer and her playful doe were waiting to welcome me when I arrived in the neighborhood.

CONGRATULATIONS Jane and Andy! May you have many many more!!!