Space Coast - Central Florida

Award Winning Family Photographer | From Maternity & Babies to Seniors & Underwater

Space Coast - Brevard County FL

Cocoa Beach Maternity Photographer — What to Expect

Leave a Comment

Patrick Space Force Base beach with rocks

Cocoa Beach Maternity Photographer — What to Expect

You're pregnant, glowing, and somewhere in the back of your mind you're thinking: I should do maternity photos. But then the questions pile up. What do I wear? Do I have to pose the whole time? What if my toddler melts down on the beach? What if I just feel… awkward?

Here's the thing — those feelings are completely normal. And they're also exactly why I've built my maternity sessions the way I have. By the time your session day arrives, every single one of those questions will already be answered. You'll show up to the beach knowing exactly what to expect, wearing something beautiful, and ready to just be.

Let me walk you through the whole experience.

Patrick Space Force Base beach with rocks

Why the Beach Is the Perfect Backdrop

There's something about the sunrises and sunsets on the Space Coast that can really dazzle you with amazing colors all year long. The wind at the beach moves through the fabric of a gown (and your hair) in a way that no studio can replicate.

For maternity photography, the beach is magic. It's a setting that's naturally alive — the movement of the water, the texture of the sand, the open sky — and all of that energy keeps the focus exactly where it belongs: on you and that beautiful bump. There's nothing cluttered, nothing competing. Just you, the light, and the ocean.

I love early morning sessions during the warmer months but the sunsets can be absolutely worth the risk of afternoon/evening storms possibly causing us to reschedule. But those clouds? As long as they're not a solid blanket, the clouds are what bring out those amazing sunset colors.

Patrick Space Force Base beach with rocks

The Wardrobe Appointment — One Month Before Your Session

This is one of my favorite parts of the whole process, and I think it'll become one of yours too.

About a month before your session, you'll come in for a wardrobe appointment at my client closet. You get to try on a curated selection of maternity gowns — flowy, romantic, fitted, structured — and we'll choose one or two together for your session. No scrambling on Amazon at midnight. No ordering three things and hoping one fits. No showing up and realizing the color you loved on your screen looks completely different in the Florida light.

When we're choosing your gowns, we're thinking about everything: your color preferences, the season, the mood you want for your gallery, and how the fabrics will move on the beach. We find what's yours.

You leave that appointment with a plan. And that peace of mind? It's genuinely priceless.

Patrick Space Force Base beach with rocks

Patrick Space Force Base beach

Coordinating Everyone Else

Your partner. Your two-year-old. Your older kids who swear they don't want to be in photos but absolutely will want to once we're out there. Everyone is welcome.

Once your gowns are chosen, I'll help guide the rest of your family's wardrobe so everything coordinates beautifully without looking matchy-matchy. We'll talk through colors that complement (not compete with) your gowns, what fabrics and textures read well on camera, and a few things to steer clear of. I'll send you off with clear direction so going through their closet or shopping is simple.

Partners who don't enjoy being in front of a camera: I've got you. Toddlers who refuse to cooperate: I've handled it (and totally expected). This part of the process is meant to feel easy, and I'll make sure it does.

Patrick Space Force Base beach

The Day of Your Session — Here's What Actually Happens

You arrive at the beach and the first thing we do is get you settled. I bring a pop-up changing tent so you have a private, comfortable space to change into your first gown right there on location — no hunting for a bathroom, no awkward parking lot scrambles.

Then we get started.

My approach to posing is all about guidance without stiffness. I'll tell you where to stand, how to shift your weight, when to look out at the water or at each other, when to look back at me. You don't have to think about any of it — I'll direct you through the whole session, and the results will look natural and effortless because that's exactly the energy we're creating. Organic, not performed.

If we're working with two gowns, we'll do a mid-session change inside the tent and keep the momentum going. It's a natural little pause that often leads to some of the most relaxed and joyful moments of the whole session — you've warmed up, you're comfortable, and the second look often feels like a completely different chapter of the story.

If your partner and kids are joining, we'll weave them in and out throughout the session. Some moments just for you, some moments together as a family. The goal is a gallery that captures the full picture of this season of your life.

Patrick Space Force Base beach

After the Session — Your Gallery and Finished Images

Once we're done, I get to work. Every image from your session goes through a careful proofing process, and then your full gallery is delivered to a private online gallery where you can browse, compare, and choose your favorites all from the comfort of your home. If you like a little more help narrowing down your favorites and figuring out what to do with them, we can also schedule an in person appointment where I will help you through this part of the process, as well as design wall galleries and figure out sizing that works best for your walls.

Then comes the part I love most.

Every single image you order is retouched by hand — by me, personally. This isn't batch-processed, automated editing. I go through each image individually, with care and intention, to make sure the final result is something truly worthy of being printed and displayed. Skin tones, light, detail — everything is refined by hand before it ever reaches you. And if you opt for an album or prints, you are taking home a work of art that you'll be able to pass down to your little one some day.

Patrick Space Force Base beach

The Bottom Line — You Just Have to Show Up

Here's the summary of everything you don't have to worry about:

The gown — chosen and waiting for you
What everyone else wears — guided and coordinated
Posing — I'll direct every moment
Changing at the beach — the tent has you covered
Retouching — done by hand, with care, on every image you order

Your only job on session day is to be present. To breathe in that ocean air. To let yourself be seen in this incredible season of your life.

If you're ready to book your Cocoa Beach maternity session — or you just have a few questions — I'd love to hear from you. Reach out here and let's start planning something beautiful together.

Kimberly Tank is a fine art maternity and underwater photographer serving the Space Coast, Melbourne, Viera, and Orlando areas. Specializing in beach maternity sessions, underwater portraits, and lifestyle family photography.

Below the Surface: Underwater Senior Portraits | Space Coast - Viera FL Senior Photographer

Leave a Comment

Below the Surface: A Senior Portrait Session Unlike Any Other

Underwater High School Senior Photography | Melbourne - Viera, Florida

underwater high school senior boy

"He never looks so relaxed as he does here."

That's what his mom said when she saw the photos. And honestly? That one sentence is the whole story.

When this family reached out about senior portraits, they knew pretty quickly that a traditional session wasn't going to feel like him. No staircase. No brick wall. No forced smile in a button-down while standing in a field somewhere. What they wanted — what he needed — was something that actually captured who this kid is. And who he is, at his core, is someone who loves the water.

So that's where we went.

underwater high school senior boy

Senior Portraits Don't Have to Look Like Senior Portraits

This is something I feel pretty strongly about. Your senior photos should look like you — not like a template, not like what everyone else did, not like what you thought you were supposed to do because that's what seniors do. They should look like the specific, irreplaceable, one-of-a-kind human being you are at this exact moment in your life.

For this young man, that meant a pool session. Underwater. With fins and a snorkel mask and, yes, a cap and gown.

Three Looks, Three Stories

We worked through three different looks during the session, and each one told a completely different part of his story.

The swimsuit shots are where he was most completely himself. No props, no costume, just him in the water — his environment, his element. The light filtering down through the surface, the stillness of being below it. These images have a quietness to them that I find really beautiful. This is what peace looks like for this young man.

The snorkel gear and fins brought out a whole different energy — playful, a little goofy, totally genuine. There's something about a kid in full snorkel gear grinning underwater that you just can't manufacture. You either love the water that much or you don't. He does. It shows.

And then the cap and gown.

I'll be honest — this was my favorite concept going into the session, and it delivered exactly what I hoped it would. There is something about seeing a graduation cap and gown underwater that just stops you. The meaning shifts. The world above the surface says: he's graduating, he's achieved something, he's stepping into the next chapter. The water says: and this is who he actually is. And yes, the cap was soggy by the end!

That contrast — the milestone and the person — is what a senior portrait should capture.

underwater high school senior boy

What the Water Knows

Above the surface, the world can be a lot. Loud. Overwhelming. Full of expectations and noise and things to navigate. Below it, everything gets quiet.

Some people come alive in a crowd. He comes alive in the water. And getting to document that — getting to show his family a version of him that feels completely free and completely himself — is exactly the kind of work I love to do most.

His mom said it best. He never looks so relaxed as he does here.

That's not just a compliment about the photos. That's a truth about her son. And now it's preserved.

underwater high school senior boy

Is a Non-Traditional Senior Session Right for Your Kid?

If your senior has a thing — a place, a passion, an environment where they're just undeniably themselves — I want to hear about it. It doesn't have to be water (though if it is, hi, this is literally what I do). It just has to be real.

This family actually booked both an underwater session and an outdoor senior session with his dog — and when you book both together, you get a discount. Two completely different sides of the same person, documented in one package. Honestly? It's one of my favorite ways to do senior portraits, because no single session can capture every dimension of who someone is. The water shows you one truth. The world above it shows you another.

The senior photos you'll actually want to print big and hang on the wall are the ones where you look at them and think: yes. That's him. That's exactly her. Not the ones that look like every other senior portrait you've ever seen.

Let's make something that actually looks like your kid.

underwater high school senior boy

BOOK YOUR SENIOR SESSION

Questions first? Reach out — I answer everything before you commit to a thing.

Underwater Maternity Photography | Orlando & Space Coast FL

Leave a Comment

Why Underwater Maternity Photos Are the Most Unique Way to Celebrate Your Bump in Florida

Underwater Maternity Photography | Orlando & Space Coast Florida

underwater maternity photo in pool

There are a lot of ways to document your pregnancy in Florida. Golden hour on the beach. A field of grass. A sun-drenched studio with flowing fabric and soft light. All of them beautiful. All of them done.

And then there's this.

You, weightless. Fabric moving around your beautiful belly like something out of a dream. Light rippling through the water and wrapping around your belly in a way that no golden hour ever could. Your baby, safe and quiet inside you, captured in the most otherworldly, intimate, extraordinary way possible.

That's underwater maternity photography. And there is nothing else like it.

underwater maternity photo in pool

They're Not Like Any Maternity Photos You've Ever Seen

When most people think of maternity photos, they picture a few things: a beach at sunset, a flowy dress, maybe a field or a park. Beautiful, yes. But also… everywhere.

Underwater maternity is a completely different category. These aren't photos you scroll past. These are photos that stop people mid-scroll, mid-sentence, mid-whatever-they-were-doing. Guests see them hanging on your wall and ask where you got that. And then you get to tell them: that's me. That's my baby. That's us — right before everything changed.

The images we create together aren't snapshots of a moment. They're works of art. And they exist because you were brave enough to try something extraordinary during one of the most extraordinary seasons of your life.

underwater maternity photo in pool

What Makes Underwater Maternity So Special

The way light moves underwater is unlike anything else. On land, you're working with the light you're given — golden hour, open shade, a softbox. Underwater, light bends and scatters and dances in ways that are genuinely magical. It wraps around your bump. It ripples across your skin. Every image has a quality to it that's soft and dreamlike and impossible to replicate any other way.

Your bump becomes the focal point in the most beautiful way. There's something about being weightless underwater that changes everything. On land, we often angle and position and work to flatter the bump. Underwater, your belly floats forward naturally — beautifully — and becomes the center of every frame. It's stunning in a way that surprises almost every client when they first see their images back.

The fabric does things it simply cannot do on land. Flowing chiffon, lace, even tulle — underwater, these fabrics come alive. They float and fan out around you in ways that no wind machine or careful positioning could ever achieve. The combination of your bump, the fabric, and the light creates something that looks genuinely otherworldly.

It's a completely private, controlled experience. This isn't a crowded beach or a public park. Sessions are held in a private pool in a calm, controlled environment. It's just you (and whoever you want to bring), a safety swimmer on deck, and me. The whole experience feels intentional and personal in a way that's hard to describe until you're in it.

underwater maternity photo in pool

"But I'm Not a Strong Swimmer"

Good news: you don't need to be.

You do not need to be able to swim laps or hold your breath for minutes on end. The pool is shallow enough to stand in at its deepest point — you can always just stand up. The breath-holds are short, relaxed, and we practice them together before we ever start shooting.

We go at your pace. We take breaks. We laugh when something doesn't go quite right, and then we try again. By the end, most of my clients tell me they wish the session had lasted longer.

Also — and I want to be clear about this — every session includes a lifeguard/safety swimmer on deck the entire time. Your safety and your baby's safety are the absolute priority, always.

underwater maternity photo in pool

Why Florida (and the Space Coast Specifically) Is the Perfect Place for This

Here's something I love about being based on the Space Coast: we have access to beautiful private pool locations and we're about an hour east of Orlando. For expectant moms coming from the city, a session here isn't just a photo shoot — it can be a whole experience. Come out for your session, walk the beach, grab dinner on Cocoa Beach. A genuinely special day to mark this season of your life.

Sessions are available April through October, which lines up perfectly with Florida's long, warm seasons. If you're due in the late spring, summer or fall, your sweet spot for an underwater session (more on timing in a future post!) likely falls right in the heart of our season. If you need your session during November - March and have access to a heated pool, you may still be able to get an underwater maternity session in those months too.

underwater maternity photo in pool

This Is the Photo That Stops Time

Pregnancy goes so fast. And no matter how much everyone tells you that, you don't fully believe it until you're on the other side of it, holding your baby, and realizing that chapter is already behind you.

These images don't just document that you were pregnant. They capture the feeling of it — the anticipation, the quiet power, the complete wonder of growing a human being. Floating underwater, everything goes still. The outside world disappears. And for just a few seconds, it's only you and your baby, suspended in something soft and glowing and beautiful.

That feeling, captured — that's what makes underwater maternity photography unlike anything else.

underwater maternity photo in pool

Ready to Create Something Extraordinary?

Sessions are held April through October at a private pool on the Space Coast in Central Florida, about an hour east of Orlando. I have a client closet full of fabrics and gowns, so you don't need to figure out what to wear on your own — we'll choose together.

If you've been looking for maternity photos that feel different — that feel like you, like art, like something you'll want on your wall for the rest of your life — I'd love to hear from you.

Contact me here to learn more about booking your underwater maternity session. Sessions are limited, and this season of your life only comes around once.

Family Sunset Beach Photos on the Space Coast | Cocoa Beach Family Photographer

1 Comment

Family Sunset Beach Photos on the Space Coast

Cocoa Beach Family Photographer

fun family photos on Cocoa Beach at sunset

I'm not an early morning person, so sunset has always been my favorite. After moving to Brevard County in Florida, however, I have begun to love sunrise sessions more and more, especially during the summer and fall months when there's almost always a chance of afternoon thunderstorms and the uncertainty of how late they might go into the evening. That said, if you love sunset, are not a morning person, and are willing to be flexible if the weather turns ugly on session day and we find we have to reschedule, then sunset is still a great option any time of the year!

fun family photos on Cocoa Beach at sunset

The Case for Sunset (and the honest truth about summer)

Summer and Early Fall: Sunrise is my first recommendation for summer beach sessions (read more here). But sunset is still magical and absolutely worth it. You just need to know what to expect: it'll be warm, it may be a bit hazy, mostly likely windy, and afternoon storms sometimes require a weather eye. Still worth it, just go in informed. And if we have leftover clouds from a late afternoon thunderstorm, it may give us an excellent sunset!

Late Fall through Spring: Sunset is prime time during these months. The temps are cooler, the light turns gold, and the beach quiets down beautifully. It's my favorite time to visit the beaches here on the Space Coast as well as photograph at them.

fun family photos on Cocoa Beach at sunset

The Locations

Location is always an important part of a session, and with beach sessions, I have my favorites for different reasons.

Lori Wilson Beach Park — my go-to for families that want a variety of photos in their session. Just about an hour east of Orlando in Cocoa Beach, this beach park has a large parking lot and bathrooms, making parking less stressful and changing out of wet clothes easier. When we first arrive and there may still be a lot of people on the beach, so we start along some of the many walkways and dune areas that are accessible (we never walk into the dunes where there isn't a path so that we don't disturb or damage the dun ecosystem). This gives you some greenery options if you don't want everything to be in front of the water. Plus, the dune area gives us some shade from the harsh light of summer when golden hour is more like golden half-hour. Then, in the second part of the session, we can move closer to the water as the crowds really dwindle and get those photos along the water as the sun sets and starts turning the sky into a beautiful palette of colors.

Tables Beach at Patrick Space Force Base — probably my favorite beach session location and maybe I shouldn't include it here so it doesn't end up more crowded, haha! Just south of Cocoa Beach, the beaches along A1A across from Patrick Space Force Base are some of my favorite. There tend to be less people and best of all, no condos along the beach here. Definitely worth going a little further south for. Only downside is that there aren't bathrooms at this one.

fun family photos on Cocoa Beach at sunset

What Should We Wear for Beach Photos?

The sunset palette of colors tends to work best — peaches, pinks, soft blues and purples, warm whites; but don't feel like you can't go outside of that color palette. If you like darker colors, like navy, you can totally incorporate those into your wardrobe too. I had an extended family who chose sage green and cream/tan with a little light blue and light pink and it worked so beautifully. Everyone should be comfortable in what they're wearing and there's no need for everyone to be in the exact same colors; in fact, I advise against this. Barefoot always at the beach — no need for shoes. And if figuring out what everyone is going to wear gives you hives, I have a What to Wear Guide that I'll send you and I'll also help you choose what everyone will wear by giving feedback on individual pieces as well as on how everyone's clothing coordinates together. Maternity clients have access to my client closet as well!

fun family photos on Cocoa Beach at sunset

What Actually Happens During the Session?

While this varies depending on the family and must-have shots, we typically start with a group photo of everyone looking at the camera as well as interacting with each other. Then we jump into a variety of games to really get everyone relaxed and feeling like themselves, which turns into amazing photos that really capture everyone's personalities. We'll alternate between high-energy, action shots and calmer, connection moments. The focus on fun and connection helps me capture everyone authentically with real smiles (no cheese!). I'll capture each kiddo by themselves as well as together, each kiddo with each parent, and at least one of just the parents together. There's no need to worry if you have young kiddos who can't be still for long, we're not doing a ton of sit-still-and-pose photos and I'm all about capturing the action.

Once we head down by the water, we'll do some wave jumping, walking and even running along the shoreline, kids looking out at the water or just doing their thing. This is the part where personalities are really showing through and we're just having a lot of fun. We'll still pause for more looking at the camera photos down by the water and calmer, connection images too. And of course, there's always a risk of getting wet so be sure to bring a change of clothes! The more playful you are with your kids, the more fun everyone will have and the better your photos will be.

fun family photos on Cocoa Beach at sunset

By the end of the session, everyone has been laughing and playing together for an hour. You all feel more connected to each other and the ocean has helped you feel more grounded; your stress floating away on the waves. When you look back at the photographs from your session, you not only see the beautiful beach, skies, and smiles, you also remember how much fun you had together. Those are the kinds of photos you want to flip through regularly in an album on the coffee table or walk by every day on the walls of your home. Children grow up so quickly, cliche but true! You'll never regret documenting your family as you all are right now.

fun family photos on Cocoa Beach at sunset

Does this sound like the kind of session you'd want for your family?

This version of your family — right now, this summer, this year — only exists for a little while.

Sessions are limited. I'd love to make photos like these for your family.

BOOK YOUR SUNSET SESSION

Questions first? Reach out — I answer everything before you commit to a thing.

Fine Art Underwater Portrait Photography | Melbourne FL

Leave a Comment

You've Never Seen Yourself Like This: The Case for a Solo Underwater Portrait Session

Melbourne Florida Underwater Photographer

underwater fine art portraits in pool of woman in flowing black dress

There's a photo I want you to imagine.

It's you. Not you at someone's wedding, or holding a baby, or standing in the back row of a family photo at the beach. Not you making a face because someone shoved a camera in your direction.

You. Floating. Fabric moving around you like something out of a dream. Light rippling through the water and dancing across your skin. Your hair fanning out around you. Your face — calm, or joyful, or quietly powerful. Everything around you still and soft and glowing.

That photo exists. And it's waiting for you.

underwater fine art portraits in pool of woman in flowing black dress

You're Always Behind the Camera

I talk to so many women who haven't had a real photo taken of themselves in years. Not a selfie. Not a candid someone snapped at a birthday party. A real photograph — intentional, beautiful, made just for them.

They're usually the ones making sure everyone else is documented. They're behind the camera, or they handed their phone to someone and it didn't quite turn out. They're so busy preserving everyone else's story that their own goes unrecorded. (It's me. Hi, I'm the someone. It's me.)

Does that feel familiar?

I created these underwater portrait sessions for women like you. Women who have never seen themselves the way the people who love them see them. Women who are ready — even if they're a little nervous — to finally be the subject.

underwater fine art portraits in pool of woman in flowing black dress

What an Underwater Portrait Session Actually Is

When I say "underwater portrait session," I don't mean you're going to free-dive in the deep end of a pool for an hour (or two). I promise. Here's what it actually looks like:

We meet at a private pool in a controlled, safe environment. You'll have a lifeguard/safety swimmer on deck the entire time. The water is shallow enough to stand in at its deepest point — you can always just stand up. We have a full consultation before we ever get in the water to talk about colors, fabrics, and the look and feel you want to create together.

Then we take short, relaxed dips below the surface. You come up, you breathe, you laugh, we adjust. I'm right there with you the whole time. We go at your pace.

By the end, most of my clients tell me they wish it had lasted longer.

underwater fine art portraits in pool of woman in flowing black dress

You Don't Need to Be a Swimmer. You Don't Need to Be a Model. You Just Need to Show Up.

The complaints I hear most often:

"But I can't hold my breath for very long." That's okay — you don't need to. The breath-holds are short and relaxed. We practice, we adjust, we laugh when it doesn't go perfectly, and then we get the shot.

"I'm not photogenic." I hear this a lot, and I respectfully disagree with every woman who has ever said it to me. You haven't had the right photographer yet. Underwater light is extraordinary — it's soft and dreamy and forgiving in the best possible way. The images we create together are not going to look like any photo you've ever had taken.

"I wouldn't even know what to wear." You don't have to figure that out alone. I have a client closet full of fabrics and dresses — flowing chiffon, lace, rich jewel tones, soft neutrals — and we'll choose together before the session based on the look you're going for. Are you drawn to something ethereal and soft? Bold and dramatic? We can do both.

"I'm self-conscious about my body." This is a common phrase and as someone who didn't used to not be but am now, let me just say, I got you. We'll choose the right clothing and fabric to make sure you look and feel your best. Then, we'll go with poses that are most flattering for you. These aren't your typical portraits anyway; you'll look at these differently because they are different. They're art.

underwater fine art portraits in pool of woman in flowing black dress

This Is Art You'll Actually Want on Your Wall

These aren't photos that live in a digital file you'll look at twice and forget about. When you hang one of these images in your home, you're hanging a work of fine art. Guests stop and stare. They ask where you got it. And then you get to tell them: that's me.

That moment — that specific look on someone's face when they realize it's you — is one of my favorite things about this work.

We can create something with a clean black backdrop for a gallery-fine-art feel, or let the blue and light of the pool become part of the image. We can go bright and ethereal or deep and moody. This is collaborative. Your vision shapes helps everything.

underwater fine art portraits in pool of woman in flowing black dress

Why Now

Here's what I want to say to you directly, woman to woman:

You keep waiting. Waiting until you lose the weight, until things calm down, until you feel more like yourself. But the version of you that exists right now — today, this year, at this age and in this body — is the one that deserves to be documented. Not the hypothetical future version. This one.

There's no perfect moment to finally treat yourself like you matter. There's just the decision to do it.

underwater fine art portraits in pool of woman in flowing black dress

Ready? Here's How to Get Started.

Sessions are held April through October in a pool on the Space Coast in Central Florida, about an hour east of Orlando. No experience required. Come as you are.

If you've been reading this and feeling something — that feeling is your sign.

Contact me here to learn more about scheduling your underwater portrait session. I'd love to create something extraordinary with you.

underwater fine art portraits in pool of woman in flowing black dress

Cocoa Beach Sunrise Family Session | Space Coast Master Family Photographer

Leave a Comment

What a sunrise beach session actually feels like

And why your family deserves this morning more than you know

sunrise photos at the beach with mom dad and son

It's 6:10 in the morning. The parking lot is empty. Your kid is half-asleep in the back seat, and honestly, so are you. You're questioning every decision that led to this moment.

And then you step onto the sand.

The sky is doing something you can't describe — pink bleeding into orange bleeding into the softest gold you've ever seen. Your kid's feet hit the sand and something switches on in him. He's off. And the two of you are laughing before the camera even comes out.

That's what a sunrise beach session actually feels like. Not stiff. Not scripted. Not uncomfortable. Just your family — the real one, the loud one, the one that doesn't hold poses for more than three seconds — in the most beautiful light Florida will ever give you.

This is what I do, despite not being a morning person either. And I want to show you exactly what it could look like for your family.

sunrise photos at the beach with mom dad and son

"We have about 50 shots that we would gladly display as "our favorite one."— Kristen C

sunrise photos at the beach with mom dad and son

The chaos is the point

The wave jump where everyone gets soaked. The failed attempt at a serious face that dissolves into laughter. The moment your son takes off sprinting down the shoreline for no reason at all.

Those aren't the outtakes. Those are the photos.

I'll guide you enough to keep things moving, and then I'll get out of your way and let your family be your family. The best photos come from real moments — and real moments happen when everyone's having too much fun to think about the camera.

"We knew we were supposed to smile, but we were smiling because we really enjoyed the photo shoot."

sunrise photos at the beach with dad and son

THE CASE FOR EARLY MORNINGS

Why sunrise changes everything

Yes, it's early. Here's why it's worth every minute of sleep you'll lose.

☀️ The light

The first 30 minutes after sunrise produces the warmest, softest, most forgiving light of the entire day. It's the light photographers dream about — and it lasts less than an hour.

⛈️ The weather

Summer and fall afternoon thunderstorms mean stalking the weather to make sure we won't have to reschedule for a sunset session. Sunrise time avoids the risk of afternoon storms, plus it's usually not as hot and sticky yet.

⚡ The energy

Kids, especially younger kids, are often fresher in the morning than at golden hour — before the heat, before the hunger, before the afternoon meltdown. An early morning often produces the best energy of the day.

⏱️ Done by breakfast

We wrap up before most people eat breakfast. The rest of your day is wide open — and you'll spend it knowing you did something extraordinary for your family before 8am.

sunrise photos at the beach with mom dad

"I never felt 'stiff' or awkward — you don't really need to hold the poses long. It is more fluid and natural."

sunrise photos at the beach with mom dad and son

I love a good beach walk on the wet sand with a reflection when we can get it. And then if your family is up for it, we'll have some real fun and get wet! Jumping waves is always fun for the kids. Sometimes, it's dancing on the beach, or throwing a younger child into the air. If you have two or more kiddos, we'll often have the kids run around mom and dad in a circle.

I work quickly and with intention. I'll give you direction that feels easy, adjust the small things that matter, and know when I already have the shot — often before you do.

"She works quickly too. Sometimes I wonder how she knows she already got the best shot — it seems fast and effortless. Then we get the photos back and I am amazed at how much she captures."

sunrise photos at the beach with mom dad and son

Some of my favorite expressions come from getting everyone together in the water for a portrait shot while the waves come up from behind them and splash all over them. Sometimes you can hold a smile, and sometimes you can't help but laugh! I always give a heads up. to bring a change of clothes if you're willing to get wet. And let's be honest, for the kids, they'll probably get wet either way so at least bring extra clothes for them!

sunrise photos at the beach with mom dad and son

Your family, perfectly themselves

I pay attention to everything — not just the poses, but the details. I'll notice the shirt that needs a small adjustment, suggest a slight angle that flatters, and handle every retouching request with care. If there's something you're self-conscious about, tell me. I've got you.

The editing process is where the photos truly come alive. The colors warm, the light deepens, and those already-beautiful moments become something extraordinary.

"The photos look great at pre-edit, but they really shine afterwards."

You'll also hear from me before we even meet. I answer every pre-shoot question, offer wardrobe suggestions, and make sure you arrive knowing exactly what to expect — so the only thing you have to do that morning is show up and enjoy it.

sunrise photos at the beach of boy standing in waves

DON'T TAKE MY WORD FOR IT

Here's what one family had to say

★★★★★

Perfect shots each session. I am a repeat customer and am always certain she will get "the one" shot that captures my son's true smile. But she gets SO much more! When we get the proofs back, I find a huge range of shots and subtle mood changes that show him from so many nice ways that I have a hard time choosing which to display in my home.

We also did a family beach session that was so much fun! We knew we were supposed to smile, but we were smiling because we really enjoyed the photo shoot.She explained how to go through each shot and easily and politely adjusted my son's shirt. She listened to our suggestions and provides creative posing ideas. I never felt "stiff" or awkward — you don't really need to hold the poses long. It is more fluid and natural.

Kim answered all of my pre-shoot questions and even gave wardrobe suggestions. We have about 50 shots that we would gladly display as "our favorite one."

She works quickly too. Sometimes I wonder how she knows that she already got the best shot as it seems fast and effortless. Then we get the photos back (quickly) and I am amazed at how much she captures.

The photos look great at pre-edit, but they really shine afterwards. She will touch up anything you would like and even "de-emphasized" my son's pushed out tooth while keeping his youthful grin.

I usually think I am not going to buy the entire package… but then I see them and I do. It is worth every dime and time spent to capture these moments with my family. We are truly appreciative for all she has captured and wouldn't hesitate to recommend her to anyone.

~Kristen C.

Cocoa Beach family session · Multiple sessions

YOUR FAMILY IS NEXT

Your kiddos are this age once.

This version of your family — right now, this summer, this year — only exists for a little while.

If this morning made you feel something, that feeling is your sign.

Sessions are limited. I'd love to make photos like these for your family.

BOOK YOUR SUNRISE SESSION

Questions first? Reach out — I answer everything before you commit to a thing.

Florida Tech Botanical Gardens Extended Family Session | Melbourne Family Photographer

Leave a Comment

The best shots happen
in between.

A morning session, four little cousins, one very special gift, and a bubble that stopped time for just a second.

This session was a gift. Not a gift card, not a hint dropped into a birthday wish list — an actual, intentional gift for a daughter who looked at her family and thought: I need to capture this. All of us, together, right now. That kind of intention sets the tone for everything that follows, and this morning at the Botanical Gardens at Florida Tech was no exception.

Ten people. Two grandparents, a son and his wife with their baby girl and toddler boy, and the daughter — the one who made this happen — with her husband and their little girl and boy. Two families, one set of grandparents, and four cousins who collectively contained more energy than the morning light filtering through those beautiful gardens.

Extended family sessions with young kids

When you have a family group like this, you are not in control. And the sooner everyone accepts that, the better the photos get. Kids at these ages are not going to hold still, look at the camera, and smile on command for long stretches. They're not supposed to. We're going to play games and interact so that I can capture everyone's personalities and making it fun means smiles too! This family knew there would likely be some chaos and they were ready to embrace it. Honestly, that's the best attitude to have because then the pressure is off and no one is tempted to scold the kids (which never ends well).

The Bubble

We hit a point in the session where the kids needed a break. So we did what you do — pulled out the bubbles.

I kept clicking, take photos of the kids chasing the bubbles and having a great time. When I loaded the photos onto my computer to edit, I found this gem. A bubble perfectly hovered over the toddler's eye, but where you can still see his eye clearly through it.

That image didn't happen because I planned it. It happened because we slowed down. Because the kids were given a few minutes to just be kids, and I stayed ready. Some of the best photos from any session live in those in-between moments — the pauses, the breaks, the seconds when nobody is thinking about the camera anymore.

A Mix of Posed and Playful

Family sessions, even extended family sessions, are always going to be a mix of posed/semi-posed and interactive/playful. Sometimes we still want that "everyone is looking at the camera" photo but some of the best moments, like the bubble image above, happen when everyone is relaxed and themselves, whether playing a game or interacting with each other. Those genuine moments of connection, that's where it's really at. Those are the photos you will savor in the years to come, the ones that bring you back to the moment where you can feel the emotions portrayed in the photograph.

I love making sure to get the adults together without the kiddos if possible too. We still love our parents and want photos with them as we get older, not just when we're younger. I'll probably do something weird or say something goofy to get everyone to smile authentically or laugh a little (so be prepared haha!). In order to get a group shot with all of the adults in this session, I had to get a little creative because there was a baby who couldn't be put down. So I did what any photographer who's also a mom might do, I held the baby on one hip and got the shot with my camera in my other hand. It was an impressive feat if I do say so myself.

Why sessions like this matter

Here's what I want you to take away from this post — and I mean this genuinely, not as a sales pitch. The season when your kiddos are young is a blur. It is loud and exhausting and sticky and gone before you know it. The baby in these photos is already a toddler as I write this blog post. The toddler with the bubble eye will be in kindergarten before we know it. The grandparents, who are vibrant and present and so clearly in love with this whole crew, are not going to be this age forever.

None of us are.

A session like this doesn't just give you pretty photos. It gives you proof. Proof that everyone was here, together, at the same time — in the middle of this beautiful, ordinary, irreplaceable season of life. The bubbles. The chaos. The kids running around and playing. The toddler's eye, round and wondering, caught in a bubble for just a fraction of a second before it floated away.

The best gift you can give your family isn't a thing. It's proof that this moment existed — and that it mattered.

If you've been thinking about putting together an extended family session — the grandparents, the siblings, the cousins, the whole beautiful crew — I hope this is the nudge you needed. You don't need a big occasion. You just need a morning, a good location, and maybe a bottle of bubbles.

Let's make something worth keeping. Contact me for information on scheduling an extended family session.

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

SaveSave