Lake Michigan Family Photography Sessions
Take advantage of our gorgeous “Great Lake” and the sunsets we get to enjoy every night in South Haven and Saint Joseph Michigan by having your family photographed right on the beach! We specialize in gorgeous, quality photography that you will love and cherish for a lifetime as you look back on this Summer full of warm memories.
Living in West Michigan we are blessed living so close to Lake Michigan…and living on the side where we get to experience gorgeous sunsets night and night.
One of my favorite sessions to do in the Summer is Lake Michigan Family Sessions…..any excuse to drive out to South Haven or Saint Joseph and just enjoy the lake with my camera and a sweet family. We are happy to service the South Haven and Saint Joseph are as a family photographer.
The images below are some examples of photographs taken at Lake Michigan…..locations vary from South Haven to St. Joseph, Michigan.
Did you know photographing at Lake Michigan is quite tricky for photographers?
Its all about timing!
~Morning Sessions~I recommend to do sessions first thing in the morning (8am or 8:30am) before the sun gets to high in the sky and the temps become uncomfortable. I photograph a lot of families vacationing on Lake Michigan and find they love doing their session in the morning because its easy to wake up, get ready for pictures and then be done before mid morning and enjoy the rest of the day relaxing and playing at the beach! The other key point to include about morning sessions is that if you have young children. These mornings sessions are the best for you, because most children are unable to stay awake long enough and be ready for a fun photography session at 8:30pm when we photograph for the sunset.
~Evening/Sunset Sessions~ I recommend to do evening sessions about 45 minutes before the sun is scheduled to set. If we do it before then on a sunny day then the light is to harsh over the lake. Think of the lake like a big mirror reflecting the sun!! When we go to the beach, we usually wear sunglasses or a hat because of the combination of the sun and the lake….which is great when we are just relaxing at the beach for the day…but not for family portraits. I don’t know anyone who likes to have images of them squinting….or wearing their beach sunglasses! 😎 So we schedule our sessions for one hour before sunset and that allows the light to just get prettier and prettier through out the session as the sun sets! The downside of a sunset session is that in the Summer the sun sets late, and though we all love the longer days, its really tough on little ones. I find that if you have a little one and don’t mind not having the sunset images then go for a morning session since kids are much more compliant in the mornings than 9pm at night! 😉
The images below were taken first thing in the morning before the sun was to high in the sky. Which is key prevent squinting of eyes, and getting to hot. Once the sun comes up, it is difficult to keep your eyes from squinting and your skin from sweating on our lovely Summer days at the beach.
~What to wear~ With any session I do, I always suggest families coordinate but not match. Pick three colors and work within those colors and tones. Creams and light blues look great on the beach. Long flowy sundresses are a favorite of mine on the beach as well. You don’t have to worry about shoes….we have families go barefoot!
I would love to hear from you and photograph your family on one of our lovely Michigan Summer Days at Lake Michigan soon. Please click here to learn more information about our availability and pricing.
