A Pensacola Beach Sunset SEssion



In all fairness, I have to begin this blog post with a little confession: the model featured on this page is my daughter, Olivia.


She has been my muse for almost 20 years.


When Olivia was just two years old, she was one of those little girls who seemed to smile all the time. All I had to do was play Barney songs on my iPhone, and she would start dancing right there in the street—sometimes stopping traffic in our neighborhood—while I stood nearby clicking away with my camera. Looking back, I’m pretty sure those neighbors thought I was a little crazy, but I was busy capturing a little girl who was full of personality and completely unaware of the camera pointed at her.


Some things never change.


Olivia helped me back then when I owned Kinder Kouture, my small Etsy children’s clothing shop, and in so many ways, she still helps me today with my photography business. She has grown from that tiny, dancing little girl into a young woman in her 20s, but she remains one of my favorite people to photograph.


I have photographed Olivia so many times over the years that you might think I would eventually get tired of it. But I don’t. I still genuinely enjoy planning a session around her, photographing her, and then sitting down afterward to edit her images. There is something special about photographing someone you know so well. I already know her expressions, her personality, and the little things that make an image feel like *her*.


Of course, I have to admit that as her mom—and especially as her mom—I am completely biased. I think she is beautiful. But that is also part of why I love these sessions so much. I can plan a photoshoot from beginning to end simply because I want to see what happens. I can experiment with a location, an outfit, the light, the posing, and the editing, without having to worry about anything other than creating something beautiful.




Blonde woman in white strapless dress sitting on sandy beach with ocean waves in background at sunset.

So What Was I Trying to Create?


For this particular shoot, I had a few things I really wanted to work on:


**Sunset. A beautiful, flowy dress. Movement. And haze.**


I wanted to see how all of those elements could work together to create something soft, romantic, and a little bit dreamy. The dress was perfect for movement, so instead of having Olivia simply stand and pose, I wanted her to move—to let the fabric catch the breeze and become part of the photograph.


And then there was the light.


Sunset has always been one of my favorite times to photograph, but there is something about that last bit of golden light that can completely transform an image. I wanted to use the setting sun to create that beautiful glow around her while experimenting with haze to soften the image even more.  I also wanted to show my customers that sunset pictures will not be edited in the airy, clean and bright look as my midday or morning sessions.  You basically get a lot of different pictures, and as we lose the light, the pictures become darker and darker.  


This wasn't really about getting a particular pose or checking off a list of must-have shots. It was about experimenting. What happens when the light, movement, fabric, and atmosphere all come together? How much can I push an image while still keeping it natural and beautiful?


Young woman in white ruffle dress sitting on white sand beach dunes with sea oats in background.

A Little Advice About Beach Sessions


I will definitely write a separate blog post about this topic because there is a lot I could say, but it is worth mentioning here: **when you book a photography session at the beach, there is a very good chance it is going to be windy.**


Ladies, bring the bobby pins. Bring the hair clips. Bring the scrunchies. Bring whatever you need to help keep your hair under control when you need it.


Because I cannot promise you a calm beach.


In fact, during this particular session, Olivia and I almost called it quits. We were struggling to get a shot without her hair blowing directly across her face, and, as you might imagine, my daughter has absolutely no patience for this sort of thing. 😂


I just laughed.


Because after nearly 20 years of photographing her, I know something she was forgetting in that moment: **you have to be patient to get that gorgeous shot.**


The wind will take a break. I promise.


It may only be for a few seconds, but it will happen. And when it does, I'm ready.


And honestly? I love the wind.


There is something so beautiful and natural about the way it moves through someone's hair and catches a dress. A flowy dress blowing in the breeze, hair moving around the face, fabric lifting just slightly—those little imperfections are often what make a photograph feel alive.


I don't want every strand of hair perfectly in place. I don't want every dress perfectly still.


I want movement.


I want emotion.


I want that little bit of unpredictability that makes a beach portrait feel like it actually happened rather than being perfectly staged.


So when you arrive for your beach session and the wind is blowing, don't panic. We will work with it. Sometimes we will fight it, sometimes we will wait for it, and sometimes we will embrace it completely.




Smiling blonde woman in white dress standing at beach shoreline with ocean waves behind her.
Smiling young woman in white dress sitting on sandy beach at golden sunset.
Woman in white maxi dress posing by beach fence on white sand dunes with sea oats and ocean backdrop.


Because after nearly 20 years of photographing her, I know something she was forgetting in that moment: **you have to be patient to get that gorgeous shot.**


The wind will take a break. I promise.


It may only be for a few seconds, but it will happen. And when it does, I'm ready.


And honestly? I love the wind.


There is something so beautiful and natural about the way it moves through someone's hair and catches a dress. A flowy dress blowing in the breeze, hair moving around the face, fabric lifting just slightly—those little imperfections are often what make a photograph feel alive.


I don't want every strand of hair perfectly in place. I don't want every dress perfectly still.


I want movement.


I want emotion.


I want that little bit of unpredictability that makes a beach portrait feel like it actually happened rather than being perfectly staged.


So when you arrive for your beach session and the wind is blowing, don't panic. We will work with it. Sometimes we will fight it, sometimes we will wait for it, and sometimes we will embrace it completely.




Smiling blonde woman in white ruffled halter dress standing on sandy beach dunes with sea oats in golden sunlight.
A smiling blonde woman in a white ruffled dress walks barefoot along a sandy beach at sunset.
A smiling blonde woman in a white strapless ruffled dress walks barefoot on a sandy beach with ocean waves behind her.

Because some of my favorite images happen when we stop trying to control everything and simply let the beach do what the beach does.


And having a willing muse who has been helping me test my ideas for nearly 20 years is pretty wonderful.


So yes, this blog post is about a photography session, but it is also about something much more personal. It is about watching your children grow, finding ways to preserve those different seasons of their lives, and realizing that the little girl who once danced to Barney in the middle of the street is still there somewhere.


She just looks a little different now.


And thankfully, she still lets Mom bring out the camera.

Blonde woman in flowing white ruffle dress walking barefoot on sandy beach with wind in her hair.
A smiling blonde woman in a flowing white dress walks barefoot along a sandy beach with ocean waves.
Young woman in white tiered ruffle halter maxi dress standing on sandy beach with dunes and clear sky.
Young woman in white tiered maxi dress standing on sandy beach, hand raised to head, looking away.
Young woman in white ruffled halter maxi dress standing barefoot on white sand beach dunes.
A blonde woman in a white halter maxi dress poses by a beach fence on white sand dunes with sea oats.
A blonde woman in a white one-shoulder maxi dress poses gracefully by a beach fence on white sand dunes.
Woman in white maxi dress standing by beach fence with sea oats, smiling in golden sunlight.
Smiling blonde woman in flowing white dress leaning against pier pillar on sandy beach.
Bride in white tiered gown standing on sandy beach path with sea oats, ocean in background.
Smiling blonde woman in white tiered halter maxi dress standing on sandy beach path with sea oats and ocean backdrop.
A woman in a white flowing gown stands on sandy beach dunes surrounded by sea oats with ocean in background.
Young blonde woman in white halter dress standing on sandy beach dunes with sea oats in golden hour light.
Young blonde woman in white tiered ruffle halter dress smiling on white sand beach dunes.
Smiling blonde woman in white ruffled maxi dress standing on sandy beach dunes with sea oats in golden light.
Smiling blonde woman in white ruffled halter maxi dress standing on sandy beach dunes with sea oats.
Young blonde woman in white tiered ruffle halter dress posing among sea oats on a sunny beach.
Young blonde woman in white tiered halter maxi dress stands on sandy beach path with sea oats and ocean in background.
Blonde woman in white tiered ruffle maxi dress posing on sandy path between dunes with ocean in background.
Blonde woman in white tiered halter maxi dress standing on sandy beach path with ocean in background.
Blonde woman in white maxi dress standing on sandy beach path with sea oats and ocean in background.
Happy blonde woman in white layered ruffle halter maxi dress laughing on sunny beach with ocean.
Blonde woman in white ruffled halter dress posing among sea oats on white sand dunes in golden light.
Blonde woman in white halter ruffle dress standing on sandy beach dunes with sea oats in background.
Blonde woman in white tiered maxi dress posing on white sand beach dunes with sea oats in background.
Young blonde woman in flowing white dress standing barefoot on white sand beach dunes with sea oats in the background.
Smiling blonde woman in white ruffled dress sitting on white sand beach with sea oats in background.
Young blonde woman in white ruffle dress sitting on white sand beach dunes, smiling softly at camera.
Young blonde woman in white dress sitting on white sand dunes with sea oats, smiling outdoors.
Smiling blonde woman in white tiered maxi dress posing by beach boardwalk railing with sea grass.
Young woman in white dress smiling on sandy beach boardwalk with sea grass.
Young blonde woman in white halter dress poses by wooden beach fence with sea grass in golden hour light.
Smiling blonde woman in white halter dress sitting on sandy beach at golden sunset.
Woman in white dress sitting on sandy beach at golden sunset, hand raised to head in serene pose.
Smiling blonde woman in flowing white maxi dress walks barefoot along shoreline with ocean waves behind her.
Black and white photo of a smiling young woman in a white dress on a beach with wind blowing her hair.
Smiling blonde woman in white ruffled maxi dress standing at ocean's edge on a beach at sunset.
Smiling blonde woman in white dress standing at ocean shoreline with waves.
Blonde woman in white strapless maxi dress walking barefoot on sandy beach with ocean waves behind her.
A blonde woman in a flowing white off-shoulder dress walks barefoot on a sandy beach with ocean waves behind her.
A smiling blonde woman in a white strapless maxi dress walks barefoot along a sandy beach with ocean waves behind her.
A smiling blonde woman in a flowing white maxi dress walks barefoot along a sandy beach with ocean waves behind her.
Barefoot blonde woman in flowing white dress bending down at ocean shoreline on a white sand beach.
Blonde woman in white ruffled maxi dress poses on beach shoreline at sunset, hand in hair, smiling over shoulder.
Young blonde woman in white dress sitting on white sand beach with ocean waves in background at sunset.
Blonde woman in white halter maxi dress sitting gracefully on sandy beach during golden hour sunset.
Smiling blonde woman in white ruffled halter dress sitting on white sand beach at golden sunset.
Young blonde woman in white dress sitting on sandy beach at golden sunset, smiling over shoulder.
Blonde woman in white dress sitting on sandy beach at golden sunset, hand in hair, with serene ocean backdrop.