Family Sessions

Jaricca + Mike Family Sunrise Session Pass-A-Grille Beach Florida

August 9, 2019

Ah, the salt life!

Florida is best known for its spectacular sunsets. All those jaw dropping reds, oranges and yellow hues sparkling off the water in brilliant deep tones making Golden Hour truly Golden. But there is something equally special about our sunrises with their Easter Egg pastel colors sweeping across the sky light a watercolor painting.

It was one of those glorious mornings when we met on Pass-A-Grille Beach for a family session at sunrise. To watch the sky go from twilight to a blue so pale it almost seems translucent is an amazing experience.

You see we were supposed to meet the night before for Sunset pictures at Fort DeSoto Beach where I had taken their engagement pictures a few years back. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other plans and brought us heavy thunderstorms and lightning, which is a big avoid the beach entirely kinda thing. (Side note: It amazes me every year the number of tourists who suffer lightning strikes because they stay on the beach and near the water during a thunderstorm) Well, the morning of I drove over to Fort DeSoto only to find the road closed due to a Triathlon being under way. So, we had to switch over to Plan B, or C as it would seem and find yet another location.

Thankfully, Pass-A-Grille Beach was only minutes away and not yet packed with the vacationing masses. We were able to stroll the powdery white sand beach without distractions. The Gulf reflected like a mirror against the sky, while the rising sun played peek-a-boo behind some fluffy white clouds. Yay, as you know direct sunlight on the beach without anything to diffuse it can be harsh.

Jaricca and Mike live in Ohio and vacation here in Florida on the beautiful Gulf Coast. They are two of the sweetest people I know, and I finally got to meet their newest family member and adorable little girl Amaya. Oh my gosh, does she have the hair! It was the funniest thing, she loved being outdoors and would smile, laugh and interact. When they tried to put her little toes into the sand or water, she was NOT having any of it. You can tell she has her Daddy wrapped around her little bitty finger already.

At one point Mike lifted Amaya up over his head in the classic Lion King pose. There I am geeking out taking pictures and singing “The Circle of Life” aloud not caring who hears. We all laughed, and yeah, I even laughed at myself. I mean, why not right?