Peace, sh

Occasionally over the years, clients have expressed concerns about typical weather conditions on the beach, and are disappointed that the photoshoot was not conducted under studio conditions. The first thing to understand about beach portraiture is that it is not conducted in the studio, and Mother Nature is the boss! As a photographer, she has a direct effect on the very approach I’m going to take towards a family beach portrait session, and she loves to throw me core balls on a daily basis, and as a beach portrait photographer, I need to be able to deal with this. Don’t think I’m complaining, in fact, this is what I love most about family beach portrait photography in Destin Florida. I never get bored, and I get a different studio just about every day. One thing I have learned about beach portrait photography is that you have to construct the photoshoot around the weather conditions, don’t fight it that just leads to tons of frustration. Just go with it, these images are being captured to memorialize this particular time and place with friends and family in which weather conditions are a big part of the composition of the portrait. Remember these images are to be handed down through the generations and I feel that the weather conditions should play a big part in the memories of that particular day in your life story. So when families and friends gather on the beach for a beach portrait session keep in mind that this can be an adventure and in fact a lot of fun! Keep in mind there are many photographers in Destin Florida but there’s only one Sand Hippie.

I trust everyone is having an awesome summer. The couple quick reminders it is been hot is a blast down here in Destin make sure you hydrate well, in other words, drink plenty of water, and stay in the shade. Due to road construction, the traffic in Destin this summer has been most horrible. So make sure to give yourself plenty of extra time to get to where you’re going. Especially if you are on your way to a family beach portrait session by Sand Hippie Beach Photography. I want everyone to arrive safe and stress-free. Be sure to book your sessions as far in advance as you can. My calendar is filling up fast! Remember there are many photographers in Destin Florida but there is only one Sand hippie. I look forward to hearing from y’all, be sure to drop me a line or give me a call at 850-307-2628 to book your fun, affordable family beach portrait session by The Sand Hippie a photographer in Destin Florida.

Peace, Sand Hippie

Beach Photographer in Destin Florida

One thing I'd like to mention real quick is our Christmas family beach portrait sessions are starting to fill, so give us a call or drop us a line at 850-307-2628 you will not be disappointed.
 

Our $175 beach portrait special is still in effect and will be until the spring of 2019. This special includes at least one hour of photography time, a copyright released DVD disc containing all of the edited photos, all editing, and post-production work, no limits on poses for outfit changes, and a password-protected web page where I will post your family beach pictures as I edit them.
 

We all know how what a stressful time Christmas can be. But there's no better way than to work out the stress lines than a laid-back day on the beach. Even better than that, how about a fun, affordable family beach portrait session with the Sand hippie, a local photographer in Destin Florida. Destin Beach photography can be quite tricky at this time a year so it's good to trust in a local Destin photographer who is familiar with the changing conditions on our beaches.
 

Along with beach portrait photography, I also do beach wedding photography, Mini beach photography sessions, Engagement photography, And family reunions. I also work with both natural light and flash photography.
 

Although our low $175 winter family beach portrait session is a cheap photography price. However, I am not a cheap photographer in my approach to beach portrait photography, in that I put a lot of time and attention into the small details of every beach portrait, along with the overall big picture issues that are so important in the making of an awesome beach portrait photograph. Anyway, I could go on all day about that. Y' all have an awesome holiday season and I look forward to hearing from you!
 

Peace, Mark

 

What should we wear?!! That question is easily answered by this one statement, keep it simple!First of all let's start with what not to wear such as stripes, plaids, T-shirts with logos, and bold patterns. This particular type of clothing detract from the composition and should be avoided at all costs. Instead you should choose neutral colors such as khaki, white, and off-white, and of course all pastels. Try very hard to avoid the more trendy styles. I have found that some trends seem to fade more quickly than others, which detracts from the timeless nature of the image itself. Try to choose clothing that fits nicely. Loose clothing has a tendency to fold and crease in the wind. You should also try coordinating the style of clothing as well. Have everyone dress in a similar style. In other words keep it beach casual. Last but not least if you plan on spending time on the beach before your photo shoot please remember to use plenty of sunscreen. Especially on your face that way we can avoid the reverse raccoon eyes!

Peace, Mark

While here make sure you have some awesome beach portrait's to kick back and enjoy with your family and friends when you get back home. Check out our $175 beach portrait special. This price includes everything there are no hidden charges and I don't require a deposit. So give us a call or drop us a line at 850-307-2628 would love to hear from you! Remember there are many photographers in Destin Florida but there is only one Sand Hippie.

This picture I titled Lurking Disaster. The reason for this ominous title is, I took this series of photos included into this composite at the beautiful Gulf Coast of Northwest Florida in 2010 right after the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. If you look at the photo closely you'll see little black spots those were actually pictures of tarballs. Needless to say, when I put this image together I was in a very dark and pissed off mood.  This was right after Hayward the former CEO of British Petroleum was whining and pissing and moaning on the air about how he wanted his life back, oh boo freaking who. What a damn baby. Multi-billionaire wants his life back. Go buy you one dumb ass! I see I am going off on a tangent again I need to come back to the image, fortunately, our beautiful Gulf Coast of Northwest Florida was not impacted heavily by the oil spill. Nevertheless, as a consequence of the negative press, I almost went out of business hence the name "Lurking Disaster"! I have many other fine art photography prints available for sale along with my landscape photography galleries please feel free to hang out with us and shop in our galleries got some really cool stuff there! Oh yes, you happen to be visiting our beautiful beaches in the Destin, Pensacola Beach, and Panama City area of Florida check out our awesome beach portrait package.
Peace, Mark

Photographers in Destin Florida on the Beach

by Mark Benjamin on 01/27/15

 In the summer of 1982 I was still in the U.S. Navy. Although by then, I had been a shutterbug for quite some time and even had a few events such as weddings and reunions under my belt.  The concept of beach portraiture had never quite crossed my mind. Until one day when some of my shipmates (I was stationed on the USS Lexington in Pensacola Florida at the time ) approached me about photographing their families on the beach during our next shore period. They promised to pay for my film and buy me a bunch of beer. Based on that (especially because of the beer thing) I consider that to be my first professional beach portrait session. The location we chose for this session was Fort Pickens in Pensacola Beach. We all showed up at Fort Pickens about 2 1/2 hours before sunset to give us plenty of time considering this was my first ever beach portrait session. Everything just seemed to fall into place I felt right at home. Maybe it's because I grew up on these beaches, or maybe it's just because I am a natural born beach hippie. Who knows? Anyway the beer started flowing and next thing I know I was having a blast. The pictures came out awesome! I did not have a darkroom at the time so I sent the film to a photo lab that was recommended to me by another photographer. The pictures came out awesome in fact I regret very much losing the negatives from the photo shoot. Oh well! Like they say (whoever they are) “you never forget your first time”!

Peace and Hair Grease,

Mark