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Award Winning Family Photographer | From Maternity & Babies to Seniors & Underwater Space Coast - Brevard County FL Why do a Sunrise Beach Session? | Satellite Beach Family Photographer | Extended Family SessionIt's summer and the afternoon/evening thunderstorm season is here. That means photographers and their clients are often fretting over whether or not their evening sessions are going to be rained out. The solution? Sunrise sessions! If you know me, you know I am not a morning person, but I love sunrise sessions and they are worth it every time! You may be asking yourself why go through the extra effort to wake up early, get yourself and your family ready, and get to the beach before sunrise? Especially if you're like me and are not a fan of early mornings... keep reading for my list of reasons you might want to do your beach session at sunrise.
1. If you have little ones, especially babies and young toddlers, they are more likely to be happy for an early morning session than a sunset session that is likely past their bedtime or during evening cranky time.
2. Mornings are often cooler so you're less likely to feel like you're melting if we don't have much of a breeze. But don't worry if it's still muggy and gross, you'll never be able to tell by your photos that it was hot and sticky!
3. We are much less likely to have to reschedule due to rain! The rainy season can make sunset beach sessions a little stressful leading up to them with wondering if it will be raining or not. Skip the stressing and let's do it at sunrise instead.
4. When you do your session at sunrise, you get it done first thing and then you have the rest of your day to do as you please. You won't be thinking about your upcoming session all day, hoping your little ones nap on time, figuring out a quick dinner before or after your session, etc.
5. Since the sun rises here over the ocean, we get the sunrise and it's colors over the water instead of the sunsets that are over the dunes (or blocked by buildings).
6. If we're lucky and have some clouds in the east, not only will we get more amazing colors but they'll last longer throughout the session and give us softer light for your photos.
7. There's no worries that we'll run out of light if anyone needs a little longer to warm up or needs a quick break.
8. The beaches are much less crowded in the mornings so we don't need to worry about a bunch of extra people around or being in the background. This is especially important around the major beach holidays and vacation times.
9. Sunrise sessions can sometimes be easier to coordinate when working with varying work schedules, especially with extended families who live locally.
10. Bring swim suits and beach toys and make a day of it! With toddlers and younger kids, they're usually wet by the end of the session anyway from playing near or even in the water. Enjoy the beach without the big crowds and let your kiddos continue playing after the session is over.
A sunrise session was not what we originally planned for this extended family session, but after having to reschedule sunset times for rain and illness, the timing just worked out better for a sunrise session. It turned out to be a beautiful morning and I'm honored to have been chosen to capture this beautiful family. <3 Kim Owner/Photographer-Artist Kimberly Tank Art & Photography Looking to capture your family as they are right now? Do you want to capture the connections you have with your loved ones? Whether you are local to the Space Coast or coming in for vacation, there's never a better time than now to create beautiful family photos that you'll cherish. Contact me today for more information on scheduling a family session!
Small Business Spotlight - Hello Again Books | Historic Cocoa Village
Hello Again Books has a very special place in my heart, so, naturally, they were the first small business I wanted to feature as I reboot my Small Business Spotlight posts after moving to the Space Coast in Central Florida. If you haven't checked them out yet (what are you waiting for?!), Hello Again Books is a women-owned, LGBTQ+ owned new and used independent bookstore in Historic Cocoa Village in Cocoa, FL (not to be confused with Cocoa Beach, which is west of Cocoa and Merritt Island). In addition to new and used books, they also carry a variety of fun gifts for book lovers of all ages. Honestly, you'd never know upon first walking in that they sell used books as everything is organized and displayed so well! There are cozy chairs and a couch to sit and relax, which every good bookstore should have. You can even sit and play a game of chess with their super fun rainbow chess board. Hello Again Books is more than just a bookstore though. They really live out their mission (from their website): Provide a safe space that embraces our three core values (community, diversity, and creativity) by offering a variety of new and used books, literary gift items, and inspiring, fun events for readers of all ages. There is almost always something going on in the store, and their events are free! From author book signings, story time for kids, special guests like Alligator Robb with his reptiles, pop ups of local artisans with their wares, and you can't forget their two book clubs! They have a great book club on the last Wednesday of the month at 6:30 PM and a "smut" book club on the 3rd Wednesday of the month at 6:30 PM. On Fridays, they host LGBTQ+ (and allies) game night, and Sunday afternoons you can bring in your knitting/crocheting/stitching projects and work on them while chatting with fellow crafters. There's always something fun for Independent Bookstore Day (last Saturday in April) and other events throughout the year. Plus they host/co-host two big events in the village each year: Historic Cocoa Village Book Fest and Be the Rainbow, a fun, family event in the village to celebrate and honor diversity in our community (humanity is a rainbow!) and raise money for charity. There are even more things they do throughout the year to support the community. The best way to find out about events is by following them on Facebook and/or Instagram.
The owners, Amy and MerryBeth, are two of the kindest people you'll ever meet. They are so welcoming to all and they are such a great part of the community. One of the reasons they opened their store was to build community, and they have done an amazing job of it! Amy has a day job, so you'll most likely catch her on the weekends (usually on the couch!) and at book club on the last Wednesday of the month. Most days, you'll find MerryBeth behind the counter or about the store working on something. If you're interested in hearing more about why they opened the bookstore and how they got started, you can listen to their podcast interview with EEARSS. In their three years of being open (as of this writing), they have been featured in a multitude of publications and lists of bookstores to visit, including: September 2022 issue of Southern Living article about Cocoa (both print and online), Flamingo Magazine's 13 Favorite Indie Bookstores, Southern Living's 20 Bookstores Everyone Should Visit in Florida, and even a list on Oprah Daily.
There's something for everyone with their wide variety of books, including a great children's section. Don't forget to check the clearance deals in the back of the store! And while you're in the back, look down and check out the cool floor covered in book pages.
And now for a personal note on why this small business and the people here are so close to my heart. When we first moved to the Space Coast in early 2021, we were in the middle of a pandemic and I wasn't sure how we would find community here. I figured it would take longer than usual to find our people since I homeschool my son and we were still mostly staying away from people at that time. Thankfully we connected right away with another homeschool family that we really clicked with, which was amazing that it happened so quickly. As soon as I found out there was an independent bookstore close by, I knew I needed to check it out. We went a couple of times and then over the summer, they put a call out for puzzlers to help put together a 3D puzzle of Hogwarts in preparation for their Harry Potter birthday celebration. Well, my family and I love both puzzles and Harry Potter so my son and I went in for an afternoon to hang out and work on the puzzle (and then he watched some Harry Potter when he eventually got bored from how long we were there). Puzzles are addicting, so we went back a couple days later to help them finish it. And then we attended the birthday celebration and it was starting to feel like we were finding community here. Fast forward to early 2022 when I found out they had a book club and joined and have met so many wonderful people. I finally found somewhere here I felt like I belonged. My son also loves stopping in to check for books or even just see if he can help. He loves when MerryBeth lets him check people out! Moving is hard, especially trying to find your people after a move and during a pandemic, and I'm so glad we've found them. And now I teach my camera classes at Hello Again Books! I am forever grateful to them for the community and support. They are truly some of my favorite people <3.
If you're local to the Space Coast or come here for vacation... stop in and see what they have! If you have books you no longer want/need, you can bring those and donate them to the store. This helps them keep the used book prices low, as well as continue offering free events for the community. Follow them on Facebook and/or Instagram Order books through their Bookshop page.
Do you need photos for your website and marketing to help potential clients/customers see what you're all about? Do you want custom stock photography that speaks to your brand (and save you hours of searching on a stock website)? Do you want to stand out with professional photos to use in your social media posts that actually speak to you and your brand? Contact me to learn more about my small business lifestyle branding sessions! Melbourne FL Underwater Kids | Award-Winning Child Photographer
Underwater sessions aren't only for capturing pregnancy... underwater sessions are also a super fun way to capture your kiddos! Underwater sessions with kids and teens incorporate a lot of play with a little direction or suggestions when needed. Kids usually come up with great ideas for what they want to do in the water and I fill in where needed with direction to get a fun photograph you'll want to hang on your wall. With kids and teens, they are typically going to wear swimsuits, preferably ones without wording, big logos, or pictures unless that's part of the look you're wanting. They can also wear goggles (which I generally don't recommend for adults) as long as the googles are clear and not tinted so we can see their eyes. A full mask is often better for those who tend to get water up their nose without a mask or nose plugs. And if they're up for it, we can do some without masks/goggles with their eyes closed. I give them tips on how to keep their faces relaxed and how to prevent water from going up their noses too! These teen/tween brothers did great and one of their images even won a Recognition of Merit in the Siblings category of the NAPCP International Image Competition! That image (above) was taken while they both did somersaults underwater, a favorite thing for kids to do! Check out some of the favorites from their underwater session.
<3 Kim Owner/Photographer-Artist Kimberly Tank Art & Photography Are you ready to try something fun and creative? Do you want to capture this time in your life with a beautiful work of art to display? No need to have your own pool! Contact me for information on scheduling an underwater session!
Cocoa Beach Florida Babymoon | Underwater Maternity PhotographyIt's no secret that Florida is a popular vacation spot. Whether it's the theme parks, the beaches, or just the warm weather, there's variety for anyone looking to get away. Here on the Space Coast, there's plenty to do for those with a taste for adventure, an interest in space, golf enthusiasts, and of course, beach lovers. So whether your idea of a vacation is to explore someplace new or find a spot to unwind and relax, this is a great place to be. And if you happen to come here for your Babymoon, like this adorable couple featured here, you can even schedule an underwater maternity session and have some unique, artistic photos to capture your pregnancy. It can be just you or bring your partner and any other kiddos along with you! These two drove down from Nashville, TN for their Babymoon in Melbourne Beach and made time for an underwater session to capture this special time, awaiting the arrival of their first baby, a sweet baby girl. We typically use two gowns to give more variety, plus different fabrics will react differently in the water so we can achieve different looks depending on the gowns chosen. It also ended up being a cloudy day, but as you can see, with underwater photos, we can even do them if it's raining (as long as there isn't thunder)! Mom-to-be channeled her inner mermaid and rocked her session.
Thank you Mr. A and Mrs. K for trusting me to capture these for you! <3 Kim Owner/Photographer-Artist Kimberly Tank Art & Photography Are you ready to try something fun and creative? Do you want to capture this time in your life with a beautiful work of art to display? No need to have your own pool! Contact me for information on scheduling an underwater session!
Rockledge FL Underwater Photographer | Underwater Maternity PhotosI recently shared an underwater maternity session that showcased the beautiful light and bold colors we get underwater when the sun is on the pool. This session shows the soft, even light we get when it's cloudy or the pool is covered in shade. Some people find it difficult to stay fully underwater or aren't as comfortable with it, but that's ok! We can still get gorgeous images and I will coach you to help you get fully under for at least a few images if you want. Some of my favorite images don't require your face to be under! And you can also see how much I love bubbles and the magic they add to photos. Which do you prefer, calm water or bubbles? Sometimes I have trouble choosing... I love both for different reasons!
Thank you Mrs. D for allowing me to capture these images for you! <3 Kim Owner/Photographer-Artist Kimberly Tank Art & Photography Are you ready to try something fun and creative? Do you want to capture this time in your life with a beautiful work of art to display? No need to have your own pool! Contact me for information on scheduling an underwater session!
Underwater Maternity Photographer | Space Coast FLBeing pregnant in the hot Florida summer can become a bit uncomfortable. And let's be honest, the third trimester can get uncomfortable anyway. But your maternity session doesn't need to be hot and miserable! Underwater maternity sessions can not only help you beat the heat, but floating in the water is a nice relief for your body too. You should be comfortable in the water but you don't need to be an expert swimmer to do a session in the pool. You don't even need to have your own pool! The pool I use is only 5 feet at it's deepest so you don't have to worry about super deep water. If you have your own pool, and it's big enough, we can use your pool if you'd like. Safety is my top priority so there will also be a lifeguard at the session. I have a client wardrobe full of a variety of maternity gowns for you to choose from, all you need to do is have neutral undergarments (skin tones typically work best). Not only will you have beautiful photographs to document this time in your life, you'll have something unique and artistic to showcase the beauty of your pregnancy. This session showcases the beautiful bold colors and light we get when the sun is on the pool. I love adding bubble for an extra fun effect!
<3 Kim Owner/Photographer-Artist Kimberly Tank Art & Photography Are you ready to try something fun and creative? Do you want to capture this time in your life with a beautiful work of art to display? Contact me for information on scheduling an underwater session!
Space Coast Senior Photographer | Historic Cocoa Village Senior PortraitsI met Miss J when I photographed the Titusville High School Cheerleading team in the fall. Then her mom contacted me for senior portraits. We scheduled them for spring and we ended up having gorgeous flowers to work with for her Downtown Historic Cocoa Village senior session. One of the things I love about this location is the variety we can get as we walk to different spots, especially the wall of jasmine flowers blooming in spring! We had a breeze coming off the river which was too much to get photos with the water but was perfect further away from the water where we took the photos. And although fall is often the time to schedule senior photo sessions, it's never too late! Fall can be so busy so if spring works better for you, let's do them when it works for you! Plus the weather isn't as hot, so another bonus!
Thank you Miss J for allowing me to capture your senior photos! Good luck at Alabama! You're going to make a great veterinarian! <3 Kim Owner/Photographer-Artist Kimberly Tank Art & Photography Are you ready to try something fun and creative? Do you want to capture this time in your life with a beautiful work of art to display? Contact me for information on scheduling a senior photo session!
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© Kimberly Tank Art & Photography, LLC
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Kimberly Tank is an award-winning professional photographer in Rockledge, FL, servicing Brevard County on the Space Coast in Central Florida (including Melbourne, Cocoa Beach, Satellite Beach, Merritt Island, Viera and surrounding areas). Using natural light and custom on location sessions, Kimberly Tank specializes in photographing families from babies to seniors and commercial clients, both on land and underwater; providing an exceptional customer experience and helping save you time and preserve this chapter in your life's story. Kimberly Tank is a proud member and ambassador of National Association of Professional Child Photographers. Signup for my monthly newsletter and receive a FREE PDF on taking better photos of your kids! Click HERE Contact Me for more info and/or to book a session
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