Extended Family Photos in South Haven, MI
If you’re traveling to South Haven, Michigan with the whole gang, you might be tempted to schedule family pictures while you’re there. It’s so beautiful, after all. Plus you are all together! Grandma! Grandpa! Your siblings and their spouses and all your precious nieces and nephews! Should you give in to the temptation? It’s a YES from me.
Tips for extended family pictures in southwestern Michigan beach towns
The towns south of Holland are where I’m heading most of the time. Over time, I have come to figure out which the best beaches are for morning sessions, evening sessions, parking, etc! If you have a question, email me. I’ve probably had to answer it for myself before.
But what if you’re thinking…
We don’t want the beach!
Newsflash! Just because you are vacationing at the beach, you might not want to shoot your photos on the sand. I’ve heard lots of reasons for this over the course of owning my business. Here are some:
-Mobility. If someone in your group has mobility issues (age, disability, injury), walking on the sand might be an issue.
-Distraction. If you have 4 nieces and nephews under 4 years old that make a bee line toward the water every time you go to the beach, they might be too distracted to cooperate for the more traditional family photos you are after.
-Sleeping in/can’t stay up late. At MOST Lake Michigan beaches, I am going to suggest a sunrise session. The sunsets that we get to watch sink into the water are beautiful, but they are a) LATE and b) shining the sun directly in your face during evening sessions, with nothing but the beautiful blue sky to diffuse the light. Without diving too deep into the geeky stuff of photography, just know that the window of “good light” for a session is incredibly small at night while facing the sun. Sunset sessions are possible, but if your crew can’t hang after a day of soaking up the sun, it might be too late for your bunch. You might not be feeling the sunrise option either. You’re on vacation, so you might want to sleep in and miss the 6 AM wake up call, right? If this sounds like you, a 9 AM start time at a park nearby will be the better option.
Parks near beach towns are great options.
If you are planning a trip to South Haven, Holland, Union Pier, St. Joseph, or New Buffalo, we can definitely find a place that isn’t on the shore for your family photo session. Don’t worry. (Hint: the house you are renting might be the perfect option. Let’s chat!)
This session was shot at Dyckman Park, one block behind the access to Dyckman Beach. This park is nestled between Lake Michigan and the Maritime Museum, on the North Beach side of the river. It would be fun for kids to see the boats at the Marina and museum after their session. There is a draw bridge on one side of the park and an adorable coffee shop on the other. (The coffee shop sits on the Lake Michigan side. Bunde’s Bakery and Cafe’s bathroom doors were so darn cute and tiny. I know that’s a weird thing to be excited about, but just trust me. The sticky pecan roll is also worth stopping for.)
Reviews for extended family pictures in South Haven
Before I even showed the gang a single picture, I got the sweetest text from Elizabeth:
We all agreed you were incredible with our families— you have such a kind, gentle presence that put us all at ease. What a gift! Can’t wait to see the photos. Thank you for such a lovely morning, and I really appreciate the extra effort to drive all this way, especially when our housing plans fell through and we were worried we wouldn’t have a place to stay.
After she got her pictures, she left me this review. I’m so thankful.
16 of us (including 8 kids) from 4 states gathered on Lake Michigan to celebrate some big, special family milestones (like my parents’ 50th Anniversary). We knew we wanted to have family photos taken to commemorate our time together, and I went to Google to find a photographer. I liked Lindsey’s style from her online galleries, and resonated with her bio. From our first conversations, she was warm and easy to connect with. After our session was over, my entire family agreed she made our session feel easy and effortless, and it truly was the least stressful photo session we’ve ever had! We are thrilled with our photos, and especially love how she captured our kids most authentic smiles and expressions. We will treasure these forever and are so grateful for her expertise, approachability, and care for our family’s memories. My only “problem” will be narrowing down my favorites to frame on our wall!
This job is so fun. Thank you again, LDP family. xo
