Have a Family Photo Session

Nowadays family photos capture the personality and love of a family, not just what everyone looked like on ‘picture day’. Having a family photo session done on St. Croix is a perfect way to get photos of your family in a fun and relaxed environment while enjoying this beautiful island paradise. There are some wonderful photographers here on the island that can create a photo session experience that will showcase the essence of your family in the most beautiful way possible.

Perhaps for some of you, the idea of taking a family portrait conjures up memories of dressing up in uncomfortable dress clothes and crowding into a small department store photo studio where you and your whole family would cram yourselves together, smile and ‘say cheese’. Well, I have some good news…the days of cheesy family portraits have passed! Today, many professional photographers are out on their own and will bring their equipment to you. This means you don’t have to choose from a series of standard studio backgrounds, but instead can have your family pictures taken just about anywhere. St. Croix offers an endless number of stunning backdrops for family photo sessions. Who wouldn’t love to have the turquoise Caribbean Sea and white sand beaches as a set for their photos? Or, consider the rainforest, sugarmill ruins or historical sites, like the forts in Christiansted or Frederiksted, to set the stage for unforgettable and more personalized family photos. The choice of scenery is up to you, and whichever photographer you choose will have some fantastic ideas for locations.

Photo by Kelly Greer, Photographer

St. Croix is home to several talented professional photographers that can ensure your photo session will be fun and successful. They recognize that the experience of having a fun and relaxed photo shoot is about as important as the resulting photographs, especially for the kids (and the dads). These trained professionals know how to set up shots to look candid while also making each member of the family look their best. They specialize in capturing the small, natural moments that document each family member’s personality in the truest possible way.

The photographers will also give you some great tips for getting the best possible results for your session. Here are just a few tips from some of our professional photographers to get you and your family ready for your photo shoot:

Choose your clothing carefully and make sure that your outfit choices are comfortable and attractive because they will make or break a photo session. If you want pictures that are are soft and elegant consider neutral colors like creams, soft pastels, tans, grays, and light blues. If you want to showcase your family’s fun side, consider choosing coordinating colors (but NOT matchy-matchy) with bold accent colors, such as hues of tan or gray with blue or bright red accents. Limit printed patterns. (Tip courtesy of Kelly Greer, Photographer)
You don’t have to all look at the camera and ‘say cheese’ for each photo. You may not know it yet, but the best photographs are often the ones where the family is engaged or interacting with each other. As I recently learned at my own photo shoot, when you are engaged with your family members and not looking at the camera, your eyes will be lovingly on your family members and your smile with be more natural. These photographs really capture your family’s love and connection.
Time your photo shoot right for the best possible lighting. The best time for lighting is an hour or so before sunset and first thing in the morning. Plan accordingly and you will have great natural lighting for your shoot. (Tip courtesy of Kelly Greer, Photographer)
Relax and have fun! If you have fun with your family, your pictures will reflect it. Give your spouse a kiss, hug your kids, hold hands, toss your kids up in the air, kick a soccer ball around, play a game. Laugh. Joke. Giggle. Doing these things will allow the photographer to capture the emotion and true beauty of your family in a natural way. (Tip courtesy of Sarah Stamper Photography)

Photo by Meredith Zimmerman Photography

If you are vacationing on St. Croix, why not take advantage of the island’s stunning landscape to get your family photo session done. If you are lucky enough to live here, think about the places you love most on the island and have your pictures taken there – that way you can look back on them and remember that special place and time. Let the professional photographers here on St. Croix capture your family surrounded by the beauty of the island in photographs that you will cherish for a lifetime.

– Jennie Ogden, Editor