​Digital painting is an editing process that enables artists to create portraits with a classic Heirloom painting. I use images from your session and turn them into portraits that feel timeless and resemble classic portrait pieces. 

Despite a Bachelors degree in painting, I rarely bring out a brush and canvas these days. 
However the love of the art has not left me. 
Using a digital tablet and pen, I am able to essentially paint on the digital image. 
Turning photographs into heirloom paintings involves a meticulous editing process. I begin by recreating the atmosphere of the portrait's mood, enhancing the overall tone and emotion of the image. Using dramatic lighting, I strengthen the focus on the subject, drawing the viewer’s attention to key elements. I soften edges, blend textures, and refine details to mimic the delicate brushstrokes of a traditional painting. Each piece is carefully crafted to convey a timeless, artistic quality that transforms the original photograph into a cherished work of art.

We now offer this as an upgrade option with images from your session! 

Our Classic Session is our most requested. We have found that 45 minutes is the perfect amount of time to capture the essential shots and a few fun shots!​

WEATHER
First let's talk a little about the weather. It can be frustrating when your job depends on the weather! I have five weather apps that I refer to constantly. In a traditional Florida summer it is raining somewhere, it could be a mile down the street and sunny where you are!  The short version is we try to wait until the session day and just before everyone begins the process of getting ready to decide. You can read more about the weather policy HERE. For more information on what to expect during windy conditions, you can read HERE.  
TIMING
​All beach sessions are held just before sunset. We do account for time walking to the location when setting the meeting time so we aim to meet at the agreed upon time. Traffic here is unreliable however so you may want to leave early. We have a lot of bikes and golf carts that like to ride on back beach roads and in most areas there is just 98 so if there is an accident there is no way around it. However arriving early does not necessarily mean we will begin early,  light is everything in portraits. 
We will typically meet in the parking lot and from there we will walk down to the beach while discussing final details. I will ask if there is anything you especially want to get or if there is something you are wanting printed large. We will prioritize getting those shots first to capture optimal lighting suitable for large prints. ​

We have a general list of standard shots to include with every session. I try to work in this order so I don't forget anything: family close up and full, couple, individual shots of the children, siblings together close up and full body. We will end the traditional shots with another family shot as the light will have changed by then, providing you with more options. These are the standard traditional shots that are usually printed for walls or wallet size for sharing. By this time we're all somewhat familiar with each other, everyone is a little more relaxed and we're ready for some cozy, fun lifestyle shots that more reflect your personality than traditional posed shots. These are great for albums and social media. We will end the session when the sun gets below the water and we start losing the light. ​

WHAT IF MY TODDLER DOESN'T WANT TO COOPORATE? 
Leave it to us. We both, Amy and Caitie, have worked with little ones for 15 years in addition to having 4 and 5 of our own and we love working with little ones! If you are especially worried let us know and we will be prepared. Amy has worked with toddlers for over 20 years teaching general education, special education and has trained as a Registered Behavior Therapist. 
You can read more about preparing your toddler and how we can help HERE.

AFTER THE SESSION
I will then get to work on the after session; culling and editing. 
The images will be uploaded into an online gallery where you can download the full resolution digital files and place your order. Our job is not done until you are satisfied that you got what you came for. We are fully educated in the printing process and can help you decide what to print at what size. 
When you look good, we look good! 
Moreover, simply right-clicking, printing from a phone, or using a kiosk will not deliver the quality you are investing in. HERE is a blog you can check out with information about digitals and prints. 

Who doesn't love a beach vacation!?
A day at the beach, relaxation, free from work and home responsibilities. 
Only to find new ones, sand in everything, sunburn, over heated and tired kids, carrying everything but the kitchen sink, wondering if your keys will still be there when you get out of the water. 

​Read below to see how we've come to combat a few of these problems! Between Caitie being a Florida native and Amy's 14 years in the area, they have learned a thing or two about making a trip to the beach a little easier. Read on for some tips on how to deal with sand and heat. 

We absolutely love photographing children. They are honest, expressive, funny, and wonderfully unpredictable. No two sessions are ever the same, and honestly, that is part of the magic.
Between Caitie and me, we have raised nine children, worked in education, preschool, special education, art, and spent years photographing families along the Emerald Coast. We understand that every child has a different personality, comfort level, and way of experiencing the world.

​We want your child to feel safe, relaxed, and genuinely happy.
When children feel comfortable, real smiles happen naturally. Those are the moments you will treasure years from now.

Children get overwhelmed sometimes. Toddlers melt down. Some children are shy. Some are sensory-sensitive. Some need time to warm up. Some are bursting with energy after sitting in traffic all day on the way to the beach. All of that is completely normal.
Amy has experience teaching special education and is trained as a Registered Behavior Technician, so there honestly is not much we have not seen over the years. We have never viewed a child as “bad.” Usually, there is simply a need that has not yet been communicated — whether that is needing reassurance, space, movement, attention, or just a break from the unfamiliar environment.

Beach sessions are exciting, but they can also be a lot for little ones.
Think about it from a toddler’s perspective for a moment:

• A new place
• Bright sun
• Wind
• Sand touching their feet
• Waves making loud noises
• Adults asking them to sit still and smile

That is a lot happening at once.
Children often look to their parents to decide whether a situation is safe and enjoyable. If you stay calm and relaxed, your child is much more likely to feel secure too.

  Once we are at the session we won't have a lot of time to coax out natural smiles for each shot. So how do we get the little ones to understand the concept of smiling on command when there's nothing in particular to smile about? We have a few tricks but there are things you can do to help as well. ​

​ If your child has never visited the beach before, start introducing the idea beforehand. Show them photos or videos of the beach and talk positively about it.
Some children absolutely love sand. Others immediately decide it is the worst substance ever invented.
If your child is sensitive to textures, it can help to let them play with sand, dirt, or kinetic sand at home beforehand. If you already know your child dislikes sand touching their feet or legs, just let us know. We can work around it with blankets, chairs, towels, or other simple adjustments.

​Children feed off our energy. If you relax and trust the process, they usually will too.
We promise — some of our favorite images have come from sessions parents thought were complete disasters at the time.
Real smiles, cuddles, movement, and personality matter far more than perfect behavior.
And yes… we may still keep Smarties in our camera bag as a backup plan. Professional photographers have tricks too.

Photographing clients is the one part of our job clients see, we do much of our work before and after the session. Editing is harder, and easier, than one would imagine. It takes a lot of classes, research and testing to get it right and we are always learning and expanding as our programs are. Take a look below to get an idea of how we like to edit.

             As photographers and not digital artist we strive to retain the integrity of the image and subject while enhancing the overall image. For instance, a general rule is 'if it will be there in a month it stays'. Tattoos, birthmarks, scars will remain unless requested and face blemishes, bruises, spots on clothes will be edited out. We smooth the complexion while retaining wrinkles. We want you to look like the best version of you while not feel like you are a stranger. 
              We edit out flyaway hair,  extra subjects in the background,  cars/buildings if possible. My goal with each image you get back is for it to be a 'portrait', not simply a photograph someone took of you. 
         ​

      We take hundreds of pictures during a session, making real time adjustments to each shot. Every click is intended and planned for. Sometimes it's to get extras to use for face swapping, sometimes to catch the hair not billowing to the sky, or to expose for different lighting situations, or it's to ensure there's no eye blinking. There are just way too many reasons to list here. It’s necessary to take these images, they are part of the working process of art, just as a painter sometimes tries a few colors before making the final stroke. 
​        We then go through the images and cull them, marking the ones that will be edited, discarding the eyeblinks and my own testing shots to select the real pieces of art that all the other shots helped create.  We choose the best of each 'pose', combining several photos together if necessary so hopefully we can get some of everyone smiling, not blinking and looking their best. We love to add extra shots, the story telling images taken throughout a shoot in addition to the posed images. ​

We take those shots and spend a great deal of time working with them by hand to tone the color, smooth any imperfections, and produce heirloom pieces of art that are up to our artistic standards – the same quality of work you saw in our portfolio. 
​And finally, to answer the question of why we do not give out all the images we shot. Not all shots are created nor intended as final products – they simply enabled us to work out issues that arose to ensure you’d get the high quality images you received. ​

We meet at Grayton Beach State Park and George immediately showed us he was a beach loving boy. 

Plaid on the beach?  Yes, please!  This fall mini session turned out just perfectly!

August and September have become increasingly popular months for our beach photography business. Jessica reached out to us in July of this year about her family's upcoming beach vacation to Destin, Florida.

"A grandparent is a little bit parent, a little bit teacher, and a little bit best friend."  That about sums it all up perfectly.  Amy D. contacted me during the summer for a September session that would be near and dear to her heart and a special gift for two folks she loves very much...