A Beautiful Evening with the Whitman Family at Navarre Beach
The Whitman family came into my life rather unexpectedly on a beautiful Friday morning. They were visiting the area while Dad, a pilot with the United States Navy, was in town on business. With their two-year-old daughter and three-month-old baby girl along for the trip, they decided it would be the perfect opportunity to capture this season of their family’s life.
Once September arrives, I normally begin looking forward to a slower schedule. Most of the summer tourists have gone home, and I finally have a little more time to finish galleries, write blog posts, and catch my breath after the whirlwind months of June, July, and August. I had also just completed a very large senior session, so I will admit that I hesitated for a moment when this last-minute request arrived.
But I had nothing major planned for the day, and a quiet evening photographing a small family at Navarre Beach sounded peaceful and fun. Of course, life with two very young children is rarely quiet—and this session turned out to be anything but predictable!
Before moving forward, we had an important conversation about privacy. Like many parents today, the Whitmans are thoughtful about where photographs of their children appear online. I completely understand why families are becoming more careful about their children’s digital presence, and I respected their wishes.
It also gave me an opportunity to reflect on the important role my photographs play in sustaining my small business. Sharing my work allows future clients to see how I photograph real families, especially the wonderfully imperfect moments that make every session unique. It is a delicate balance between respecting a family’s privacy and maintaining a photography business built almost entirely through my website, blog, and social media.
In the end, what mattered most was that we communicated openly, established expectations that made everyone comfortable, and moved forward with mutual trust and respect.
That evening at Navarre Beach was absolutely beautiful. For the first time in what felt like months, the heavy Florida humidity was softened by a lovely breeze coming off the water. The temperature was comfortable, the beach was peaceful, and everything seemed ready for a relaxing family session.
Then little Josephine arrived!
With her beautiful curly hair and seemingly endless supply of energy, this sweet two-year-old had absolutely no interest in stopping to pose for photographs. She wanted to run, explore, play in the sand, and discover everything around her. I think her parents and I spent most of the next 90 minutes following her up and down the beach, hoping to capture a few moments when everyone happened to be in the same place at the same time.
Photographing a busy toddler alongside a three-month-old baby is no small undertaking. There were moments of nursing, running, crying, laughing, sandy feet, water play, and plenty of movement. It was real family life unfolding right in front of my camera.
Through it all, Stephanie remained remarkably calm and patient. Even while caring for her newborn and trying to keep up with Josephine, she never became upset. She simply continued doing her best, always ready with a smile whenever an opportunity for a photograph appeared. Her husband stayed right beside her, loving, patient, and attentive to his beautiful family.
Sessions like this remind me that meaningful family photographs do not always come from perfectly posed moments. Sometimes they are found in the middle of the movement—in a mother comforting her baby, a father chasing his little girl, tiny feet in the sand, or a toddler laughing as she runs toward the water.
In the end, I captured far more photographs than I initially thought possible. Some were gently posed, but many were beautifully candid. Together, they tell the honest story of this family during one short and incredibly special season of their lives.
The newborn days will pass. Josephine will not always need to be chased across the beach. Life will become a little quieter, and these precious girls will grow far more quickly than their parents can imagine.
But through these photographs, the Whitman family will always be able to return to this beautiful evening at Navarre Beach—a season filled with sandy feet, newborn snuggles, boundless toddler energy, and so much love. Please remember out of respect no family pictures are being shown.
