About a month ago I took my boys to a beach I vacationed on every year growing up. My grandparents moved to Pensacola, FL when they retired and before I was even born. I’m the youngest of 16 grandchildren for them. My parents are originally from Michigan, which is where a good portion of my family still lives.

What our vacation was like

During the summers, a lot of the family would come down to Florida and we would drive across the state. Sleeping on the couch was reserved for the oldest cousins, you would find someone sleeping on every inch of that floor during a week or two every summer. My husband has a hard time understanding why my mom and I love having company all the time, I think its one of those things that we grew up around so many people, it makes us feel good to have people over and to entertain them! The summers were filled with sunbathing on my grandmother’s dock (they lived on the sound) running around the yard, swinging on the tree swing, going to the beach, and trips to our favorite restaurants. Growing up in Florida, the beach wasn’t that big of a deal to me, until I moved to Seattle for 6 years. During my time in a cold state where everyone comes outside when the sun shines taught me to appreciate the things I grew up with. Pensacola Beach is one of those beaches with white sand and blue water, you can’t beat it!

What does summer mean now?

Now that we are all grown up and have our own kids, summer vacation looks a bit different. This year several of us got a condo on the beach to vacation right before school was back in. My kids are not school age yet, but the rest of my cousins do have school age children and they are teachers! For them, it was their last hurrah of summer. Of course I couldn’t resist pulling out my camera to capture some family shots of anyone who would jump in front of my camera.

Alpine Grove is a photographer's dream location.  It's really a beautiful location with a lot of variety.  From walking trails, to old farmhouses and barns, big draping trees, fields, hanging Spanish Moss, and a waterfront/beach area, you really get it all in one location.  Can I please do a maternity or high school senior here? 

Fall Family Sessions

The fall is a photographer's busy season.  I thought that was  only true in the Pacific North West where the weather  takes a turn for the worse in late fall, but it seems to be true everywhere.  Family's want an updated photo for their Christmas Cards.  In fact, I'm considering an early bird special discount for any family who does their family photos before the fall.  What do you think? Would you book earlier in the year for a discount? 

We decided to brave the crowds at Alpine Grove in the fall for some updated family photos for the Johnson's.  There certainly was a crowd! Luckily I know how to Photoshop people out of the background! Its such a gorgeous location, it really is worth waiting your turn for certain spots!  

Their little boy was so stinking cute! He was such a good sport and of course a ham, just like his older sister.  These kids were so great to work with, I hope they had as much fun as I did.  Check out some of the photos from the Johnson's family session below.