What to know about wind, hair and beach photo sessions on Florida’s Space Coast
Let’s talk about something that comes up ALL the time with beach sessions.
The wind.
Because if you’ve booked a beach photo session in Florida and you’ve started checking the weather every five minutes, there’s a pretty good chance you’ve thought:
What if it’s windy? What is my hair going to look like?
First — there is almost always some kind of breeze at the beach. Even when it feels completely calm at your house, things can look very different once you get closer to the ocean. But that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In fact, some of my favorite beach photographs happen because of the wind.
A dress moving. Hair blowing. A veil catching the breeze. Someone laughing because their hair just went completely sideways.
Those little moments create movement, and movement is one of the things I love most in photographs. I don’t want your session to feel stiff or overly posed. I want it to feel like you.
And sometimes a little wind actually helps with that.
There is a difference between breezy and TOO windy
I’m also not going to tell you that every windy day is a great beach day.
It isn’t.
There comes a point when the wind stops creating pretty movement and starts creating sand in your eyes, hair across everyone’s face and kids who are officially DONE. When that happens, I’d much rather talk about moving the session than force it. My goal isn’t just to get you photographed because we picked a certain date. My goal is for you to have a great experience and photographs you love.
That means I’m obsessively paying attention to the weather before your session — and not just whether or not it is going to rain.
The direction of the wind actually matters
This is something most people don’t realize. Not all windy beach days are the same.
A west wind here can actually be amazing because it blows offshore. The ocean gets flatter and calmer, and sometimes those end up being some of the most beautiful evenings. A strong north wind can be a completely different story.
So if you text me on the day of your session and say:
“It looks really windy!”
I’m probably going to be looking at more than just the wind speed. I’ve photographed on these beaches for years, and I’ve learned that what the weather app says doesn’t always tell the whole story. Sometimes I just need to see the beach.
And yes — I have absolutely driven down there, taken a picture of myself with my hair blowing sideways and sent it to a client. 😂
Honestly, it’s much more helpful than sending you a screenshot of a weather app.
I’m also thinking about the ocean
This is especially important for family sessions. If the ocean is rough and we have little kids with us, we aren’t going to be standing at the edge of a big shorebreak just because we want a photograph. Safety comes first. Luckily, the beach gives us lots of options.
We can photograph higher up on the sand, near the dunes and sea oats, and still get beautiful images.
And when the water is calm? That’s when we can kick off our shoes, let the kids splash, walk through the water and get some of those fun, messy, real photographs that families usually end up loving the most.
Okay…but what about my hair?
I know. This is usually the REAL question. Some people could not care less if their hair is blowing around. Others have spent time getting their hair done, have pictured exactly how they want it to look, and really don’t want it covering their entire face in every photograph.
Both are completely understandable. If you’re worried about your hair, tell me.
Really.
That is useful information for me to know. I can position you differently depending on the direction of the wind. I can turn you so it’s blowing behind you instead of straight into your face. I can watch for those moments when everything settles.
And yes, sometimes I’m going to tell you: “Close your eyes…okay…open!”
It works. 😂
If you know wind is going to make you anxious, a half-up hairstyle can also be a great option. You still get softness and movement without spending the entire session pushing your hair away from your face.
Bringing a brush and a hair tie isn’t a bad idea either.
But here’s the biggest thing I want you to know:
Hair moving does not automatically mean your hair looks bad.
It often feels much messier in the moment than it looks in a photograph.
Sometimes one little strand blowing across your face is exactly what makes an image feel natural instead of perfectly posed.
Beautiful light vs. perfectly behaved hair
This comes up sometimes with couples too.
There might be one part of the beach that is more protected from the wind.
And then there might be another spot where the light is absolutely gorgeous.
If I have to choose?
I’m probably going to get you into that beautiful light.
Because light is what creates the feeling in a photograph.
That doesn’t mean I’m going to completely ignore your hair or make you miserable. We may photograph in both places. We may move around. We may turn you in a different direction.
That’s part of my job.
You don’t have to stand there figuring out where the wind is coming from or whether you’re facing the right direction.
I’ve got you.
You don’t need perfect weather for beautiful photographs
I think this is the biggest takeaway. You don’t need a perfectly still evening with zero clouds, zero wind and a completely flat ocean to have a beautiful beach session. Honestly, some of the most interesting evenings aren’t “perfect” at all. There might be clouds. There might be wind. Your kids might end up wet. Your hair might move. And sometimes those are exactly the sessions that feel the most like you.
My job is to watch the weather, watch the light, pay attention to the beach and make adjustments as we go. Your job is much easier. Show up. Love on your people. Laugh when the wind does something ridiculous. And let me take care of the rest.
If you’re planning a family, engagement, anniversary or couples session in Melbourne Beach, Melbourne or anywhere along Florida’s Space Coast, and you have questions about what your beach session will actually be like, reach out.
I’m always happy to talk you through it.
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