Family photography

Families travelling to Mexico usually book this session during a reunion, a milestone birthday or a holiday that brings three generations to one resort in Los Cabos, Riviera Nayarit or Cozumel. The order of the 30 minutes is fixed in advance because energy is the scarce resource: the full group first, while shirts are clean and children are curious, then households, then small portraits, then free play at the water’s edge, which is where the most natural pictures of children tend to happen.

Timing works around naps and meals rather than around a sunset chart. Early morning, before the beach fills and the heat builds, suits families with small children best; the hour before sunset gives warmer light but runs into dinner and bedtime. Shade matters more than scenery at midday on the coast. Choose two or three colours and let each person wear a different mix of them in light linen or cotton; identical white shirts photograph as a uniform and show every splash.

Resorts and vacation rentals set their own rules for outside photographers, so ask the front desk or the host before booking whether one may work on the property and the beach in front of it. A family session differs from a vacation photoshoot, which is paced for adult travellers of any kind, and from a maternity session, which centres on one person. A longer family session can be added and is quoted in writing before booking. Family galleries are delivered within 7 days, and every branch of the family can download from the same gallery link.