Anna Grace, one of this year’s senior spokesmodels, had her heart set on capturing her senior portraits in the sand at Gulf Shores. We had meticulously planned the date months in advance to coincide with her Spring Break getaway. Originally scheduled for a Saturday, Anna Grace’s session had to be rescheduled a day earlier due to our family’s commitment to hosting our church’s Easter egg hunt on Sunday. Then as Friday approached, a storm threatened to disrupt our plans once more, prompting us to move her session up again. Despite the challenges, we were blessed with picture-perfect beach weather.

Beach sessions can be a photographer’s delight and challenge simultaneously, with the absence of open shade and the harshness of direct sunlight. However, the heavens smiled upon us with soft, overcast skies, gently diffusing the sunlight to create a dreamy ambiance that perfectly complemented Anna Grace’s outfits.

As we strolled on the beach, we noticed a blue heron walking along the shore. Anna Grace shared that she was scared of them, so we opted to keep the bird out of her portraits. Later on as we were wrapping up her portraits, a blue heron conveniently perched itself on the pier post behind Anna Grace. In a moment of courage, she decided to face her fears and cautiously approached the majestic creature to take some pictures.

Before I left, we seized the opportunity to gather Anna Grace’s fellow spring-breakers to capture these friends all dressed up for the evening. Four of the girls were this year’s senior spokesmodels, so we made sure to get a few spokesmodel photos too!

Anna Grace, thank you for asking me to take your senior portraits at the beach! It was so fun to be back in my hometown (Mobile) for a few days and get my toes in the sand again. You were such a joy to photograph and I love every single photo! I can’t believe we hit the jackpot with the beach weather!