Are you coming to vacation in South Haven along Lake Michigan? One of our favorite sessions to do is family sessions with families that are coming to Lake Michigan to vacation together and make quality memories, and what better way to do that then with a professional photography session to remember your amazing time together! Our favorite locations are in Saint Joseph, Michigan and South Haven, Michigan.
Did you know photographing at Lake Michigan is quite tricky for photographers?
Its all about timing!
~Morning Sessions~ I do sessions first thing in the morning before the sun gets too high in the sky and the temps become uncomfortable. I photograph a lot of families vacationing on Lake Michigan and find they love doing their session in the morning because you can wake up, get ready for pictures and then be done before mid morning and enjoy the rest of the day relaxing and playing at the beach! The main reason though I prefer morning sessions is if you have young children, they tolerate a morning session much better than an evening session. I know that 8am is early, especially on vacation and with a house full of people, however, the best lighting is in the early morning and that prevents squinting of eyes. Morning sessions are scheduled at 8am.
~Evening/Sunset Sessions~ I do evening sessions about 45 minutes before the sun is scheduled to set. If we do it before then on a sunny day then the light is to harsh over the lake. Think of the lake like a big mirror reflecting the sun and it is very bright out there all day long until the sunset is starting to set. When we go to the beach, we usually wear sunglasses or a hat because of the combination of the sun and the lake….which is great when we are just relaxing at the beach for the day…but not for family portraits. The downside of a sunset session is that in the Summer the sun sets late, and though we all love the longer days, its really tough on younger children after a fun day outside. So if you have young children and don’t mind not having the sunset images then go for a morning session since kids are much more compliant in the mornings than 9pm at night! 
~What to wear~ With any session I do, I always suggest families coordinate but not match. Pick two to three colors and work within those colors and tones. Creams and light blues look great on the beach. Long flowy sundresses are a favorite of mine on the beach as well. You don’t have to worry about shoes….we have families go barefoot!
The images below are some examples of photographs taken at Lake Michigan…..if you would like to book a session with us, please feel free to email us melissa@gregersenphotography.com or contact us through the website by clicking HERE!
If you have young children, please know I shoot fast and with purpose, but completely understand if little ones need some time to adjust, get used to the surroundings or just run off energy. My goal is keep the sessions around 35- 45 minutes because we have learned children and dads don’t tolerate much longer that, and yes dads can be just as tricky as the kids. 😉
Our goal is to have a nice balance of candids with a posed smiling at the camera shot too. Our clients love both!!
In the end, we want you to walk away from the session thinking it was a great experience, and then go off and enjoy the rest of your vacation knowing you have some gorgeous photographs from the session that you will love and cherish for a lifetime.
We have created a list of fun things to do in South Haven while you are on vacation, feel free to click here to check it out!
If you would like more information on pricing and booking a session with us, please click here!!
Please let us know when you are coming to vacation and how many people will be photographed, will there be small children, do you prefer a morning or sunset session and any other details on the initial contact and always very helpful as well.