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The best part about making sandcastles...

Earlier this week I met up with the M family out at Ironwoods beach in Kapalua. This family was referred to me by the A family; and I can totally see why these two families are friends. Needless to say, I got my belly's worth of laughs in this week. First with the Haws family, then with the A family, and now with the M family. Holy smokes. I have the best clients ever.

Anyway, on to sandcastles. I always encourage my clients to get comfortable in front of the camera by playing with each other. Whether it's picking up the kids and swinging them around or running through the surf--whatever it is, if you're having fun the pictures are going to turn out splendidly! While I was busy snapping photos of the Isabella and her dad Felipe, mom Katie and son Connor started building a sandcastle. How sweet I thought to myself. They made a small little castle as I snapped away.

And then they stopped, looked at me, and said "You know what's best part about building a sandcastle?" Then without warning Isabella comes charging into the scene like Godzilla on Tokyo and she proceeds to, with the help of her brother, smash the castle to bits. Well, I guess I know what the best part about building a sandcastle is now...

 Anyway, we had so much fun running through the surf and playing in the sand--these guys definitely had no problem warming up to the camera!

And there were some tender moments too (I told Connor and Isabella not to look for fear of their eyes melting out of their heads--"Mom and Dad, kissing? Gross!") :)

M Family: Between chasing the kids up and down the beach and laughing until my sides were sore, I can't think of a better way to spend my evening (topped off with dinner for my husband's birthday, of course). A huge mahalo to you all for allowing me to be your Maui photographer!

A Very Merry Christmas Present...

Earlier this week I met up with the spunky and energetic A family from Sacramento! They were here cashing in their Christmas present from Grandma and Grandpa--and what could be a better present than a trip to Maui! This family was a whole lot of fun--and believe me when I say they weren't shy on personality either!

Meet Abbey, Hailey, and Travis. The giggliest most energetic kids ever!

And did I mention that they have moves too?!

 Here are the two folks that made this trip possible. 45 years later and still in love!

Kristina and family: Thank you so much for choosing me to be your Maui photographer! I had so much fun with you and your family--they were a bright ray of sunshine on that cloudy day!

Mahalo, mahalo, mahalo!

The Haws Family comes to Maui!

This past Sunday I had the pleasure of hanging out with the Haws family at their beautiful beach rental home in North Kihei. There were fourteen people in total: Grandma and Grandpa Haw, their three children and their spouses and then their children! Growing up I always dreamed of having a huge family like this--and it was clear that they had so much fun together!
 

This is Grandma and Grandpa Haws with all their grandkids--they are truly loved!

The wind was howling that day but that did not stop this family from playing in the surf and laughing when a ::ahem:: certain someone's hair kept flying in her face (and her husband's face...and her children's faces...). It was all in good fun, of course. That's part of being on the beach: getting wet and letting those long locks frolic in the wind!

The kids wasted no time getting in the water! After everyone realized that keeping a kid out of the ocean is like keeping magnets from a refrigerator (sorry, I'm terrible at idioms)...the real fun happened! And I got some great shots of their faces as the ocean slapped at their feet!

 ...and eventually, everyone got in on the action!

Haws family: thank you so much for choosing me to be your Maui photographer! I had so much fun with you all--I hope these last few days on Maui are amazing!

Mahalo and safe travels back to Montana!

Outfit Planning 911: Coordinating your outfits for your Maui beach photography session

So you have booked a photo session with Angela Nelson Photography. Your deposit is in, the location and time are set, and now you only have one worry: what in the heck are you going to wear?!

This can be, hands down, the most stressful part of planning a photo session. Keeping in mind the colors you look good in, the colors your children refuse to wear, and taking into account what your significant other likes...yikes. Take a deep breath. Relax. It's not as difficult as you may think it is! And I'm here to help!

I have only FIVE rules for planning your outfits. They are as follows:

1. Wear something you're comfortable in. If you're not a dress kind of gal, don't wear a dress! (I'm partial to jeans and a t-shirt myself). If you know your husband is going to be complaining about wearing a dress shirt, don't force it on him! Dress you and your family in something EVERYONE is comfortable with! (Check out little dude below--his clothes match but aren't too tight on him and allowed him to be active during our session)

2. YOU ARE GOING TO GET WET. There, I said it. At some point we are probably going to end up playing in the surf. There will be a rogue wave. It will get your pants wet (and hopefully I will be able to catch the look on your face when it does!). The sand is going to stick to your clothes after you get wet. It's a fact of life. But you're on the beach for goodness sakes! The absolute best photo sessions happen when we get to play in the ocean. It doesn't matter if you're eight or eighty; it will make for an amazing photo!

These couples loved the water! I can almost hear them laughing...

 Sometimes it can get romantic too!

And other times it's just down-right sweet.

...then there are those folks who throw caution to the wind and just jump in at the end of the session!

One of the best parts of Maui is the ocean; be ready to get wet and wild!

3. Hair, make-up, and accessories (yup, I'm looking at you, ladies). Keep in mind that sometimes Maui can be very windy (fun fact: did you know that Maalea Harbor is the windiest harbor in the world?!) if our trade winds are at their pique. They come and go as they please and there is no way to predict when they will be here (we don't have a windy season). So that means you should be prepared! Think long, loose locks instead of a tight smoothed back ponytail. Let the wind play with your hair and I promise the results will be great!

As for makeup--please make sure that it is MATTE makeup. If you have anything with shine or sparkles (i.e. bronzers) the sun will bounce right off of that and you will come off looking oily and spotty. Sometimes taking a blush brush with some light baby powder will take the edge off of shine! And don't forget about those sneaky eye shadows; many of them have sparkles!

So this isn't as bad as it could be...but here is a picture of my beautiful cousin Jen several years ago at her wedding. This was at least 4 hours after she had her make up done. See how she has minimal shine and her skin looks like a porcelain doll? It's because he makeup artist used MATTE makeup (well, that and she is just that beautiful). See how I'm shiny? Yes, well, lesson learned.

 Lastly: Accessories. Let them compliment but not overshadow your entire look.

Senior Liz wore this great necklace. No need to have long earrings too--the necklace was perfect!  Baby Kylie wore a simple headpiece that complimented her outfit! Adorable.

One last word: beware of trends. Young ladies: shortie shorts are totally in right now, but it makes it difficult to bend and move--don't wear them. I know they look great now, but you will be looking at these pictures in years to come and you want something that is timeless. Trends will quickly date your photos!

4. Wear colors that compliment one another. Disclaimer: when I say this it doesn't mean that your whole family should 100% match. In fact, when that happens it takes away from the individuality of the members of your family! Keep it interesting and simple. I suggest that clients keep to the earth tones--and pastels work the best (think light blues, pinks, greens, yellows). And remember, just because you want your family wearing blue doesn't mean that they should all wear the same shade! Mix it up and the results will be great!

This family had multiple shades of salmon, khaki, blue, and white.

I loved how the salmon tones picked up the sunset pink that reflected off the ocean!

These families of four chose different shades of blue and white. Check out the mom's dresses (aren't patterns great?!). I love the different blue combos happening here!

 

 And then there's always the white and khaki/blue jean combo. It is simple and easy to find in stores. If you are totally overwhelmed with the coordinating process, this will be your most stress-free route but I don't recommend it for groups of more than four. You may end up looking like a giant white blob if there is a large group of you!

 

Hey--these two look familiar. Oh yes, that is my husband and myself three and a half years ago on Big Beach (we did one year anniversary photos). We went for white tees and jeans look, too. It's an oldie but a goodie!

Photo Credit: Jenna Strubhar

5. The last rule is simple: avoid large logos. I know, gentlemen: you really, really like Nike, or Mountain Dew, or Billabong, or John Deere tractors, or whatever--but please leave those gently-loved large logo tees at home. Going with a subtle pattern or with solid colors is going to be your best bet. Large logos can be distracting; especially if only part of the logo is visible in the picture.

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Well there you have it: my five simple rules to coordinating your outfits for your photo session. I hope you find this helpful and not over-whelming. Remember to relax, breathe, and think happy thoughts. No matter what you wear your session will be fun, unique, and totally you.

Aloha,

Angela

Reid's First Maui Vacation!

A few days ago I had the pleasure of photographing this awesome family from British Columbia, Canada. I admit it: I have a soft spot for Canadians. I grew up about an hour from the Canadian border and I have fond memories of traveling across the bridge (the Ambassador Bridge out of Detroit) to Canada!

Anyway, we had originally decided to meet at DT Fleming Beach in Kapalua, but the rain deterred our plans. Instead, we met at the 505 Front Street Beach--which worked out great! We had some awesome cloud action, blue skies, and a gentle shore break. It was perfect.

Seriously. Look at this little guy. Just looking at this picture makes me want to make googly-oogly-baby noises. I'm on a true cute-ness overload.

I have found, more often than not, that little boys LOVE this. Reid was squealing with joy!

Julie, Tod, and Reid: I had such a great time with the both of you on 505 Front Street! And thank you for being flexible with the location (doesn't that make Maui wonderful? If it's raining in one place, it's sunny in another)!

I do hope our paths cross again. Safe travels back to BC! Aloha and ahui ho!

Angela and Jack are on their Honeymoon!

And what better place to honeymoon than in Maui? In fact, my husband and I originally honeymooned here. As I always warn my newlywed clients: be careful honeymooning here, you just may end up staying!

I had so much fun with Angela and Jack at our shoot on White Rock Beach! They really have a great energy together. I enjoyed hearing about their journey from acquaintances to lovers as well as some small snippets of their wedding (which sounded absolutely beautiful).

We were treated to the most beautiful sunset that night. There were so many dynamic colors in the sky; it truly doesn't get better than watching the sunset on the beach with people who are in love! What a treat for the two of you! 

Angela and Jack: It was a true pleasure meeting the both of you (the world could stand to have a few more Angelas--Jacks too, of course!). Thank you for choosing me to be your Maui photographer!

Aloha and safe travels back to LA!