Styling your Perfect Shoot | Client Tips

Susan came across photos from Pacific Dream Photography through a friends blog, who had visited the Andaz and had an Beach Photography Session a year ago.

Like her friend, she is also a blogger and mentioned she planned her honeymoon trip to Andaz at Wailea in Maui specifically to have an couples photo session with us. Whether you are celebrating your honeymoon or engagement, pictures in Hawaii make the ultimate keepsake.

Wearing a gorgeous white dress and with her husband styled to match, they restaged their proposal on the beach, Tiffany's ring box and all.

Upon meeting, Susan showed us examples of photos from the shoot we did a year ago on her phone to give us an idea of the style she was interested in. She mentioned she wanted a lot of action shots and specifically photos she could use for her blog.

Coming prepared to the shoot and planning is always a great idea to getting exactly what you are wanting. We normally shoot a few hundred photos during the 45 minute session and will show anywhere between 100 to 200 edited imaged in our Viewing Sessions.

Susan's shoot was stunning and you can see that her planning the details, from outfits to hair and make-up as well as showing us locations from a shoot she loved, all translated into magical images that they will treasure for a lifetime. For more tips on creating the perfect shoot, check out this blog.

From the entire team here at PDP, Congratulations! and Thank You for choosing us to be a part of your Happily Ever After.

Written By Sarah S. (Pacific Dream Photography at the Andaz Wailea)

6 Tips for Great Family Photos | Photographer Tips

The Hawaiian Island of Kauai is one of the top destinations in the world. From its vibrant underwater world, to tropical landscapes, the islands of Hawaii are simply captivating. With so many family friendly activities Kauai is a dream vacation for families. What better way to treasure your Hawaiian vacation than with timeless family photos? Photos are a way to help keep your family memories alive. Here at Pacific Dream Photography, we have lots of tricks up our sleeve. After all, nothing beats reminiscing about some of the best memories as the years go by. Here are 6 tips for taking great family portraits.

Bend It The number one obstacle we face while photographing families or people in general is stiffness. As soon as the camera comes out, so does the stiffness. It is our job as a photographer to make sure our subjects are as relaxed as possible. This creates natural photos. Ask your subject to shift their weight on to one foot, away from the camera. This creates a natural look, as well as a flattening angle. Ask you’re subject to place one hand in their pocket. This creates a relaxed look.  The best way to show someone how to pose, is to face your subject and do the pose yourself.

Let the Kids Be Themselves It is very common for parents to tell their kids to put on a big smile and be on their best behavior. While this can be a good, our goal to capture natural photos. The best way to capture natural photos is to let the kids enjoy themselves and have fun. When kids are having a good time, their personality comes out. That’s what we like to see. Let the kids be kids, and be ready to capture the moments.  

Lighting Matters Lighting can make or break any family photo. At Pacific Dream Photography, we book our sessions at sunrise or sunset photo sessions to ensure the best lighting. It is important to make sure that there isn’t too little or too much light on your subject’s faces.  You may have the perfect family or an incredible backdrop, but without the right lighting, you can still be left with a dull photo. The right quality of light will bring your photo to life. 

Wardrobe It is important to inform your family on what to wear. The right clothing can change the whole look of a session.  By choosing simple, classic clothing, your images will give a timeless feel. After all, your family will look at these photos for years to come. Inform your family on coordinating colors, but not matching completely. Clothing that fit into the right color scheme are much more exciting than white shirts and blue jeans.  Tell your subjects to limit patterns and logos, as this may aid in distraction. 

Get Close Even though they are a happy family, they probably aren’t getting close enough. Closing gaps between heads and shoulders completes the overall composition of the photo. Laugh, joke, and have fun with this. Get the siblings together. Better yet, tell the family to give each other a big group hug.  

Have Fun Keep the energy up! Create some fun shots near the end. Families love to laugh and have a great time. Tell your family to jump in the air, make funny faces, or squish together. Ask the siblings to get on each other’s backs and race down the beach. This creates candid photos and lightens up the overall mood of the shoot.

As Hawaii photographers, it is our job to create timeless family photos. Use these tips at your next photo session and your clients will be in for a treat! For even more tips, check out our older blog post on posing here.

Michael W. (Pacific Dream Photography at the Grand Hyatt Kauai)

Honeymooning in Maui || Couples photography

The romantic and serene ambiance of the Andaz at Wailea Resort is simply the perfect location for couples celebrating their honeymoon in Maui.

Nathalie and Jon came to us all the way from Australia to enjoy this special time together just days after their wedding in Sydney. Being used to posing for photographers by this point (after enduring both engagement and wedding photography) the couple was able to relax on the beach and surrounding property during their Experience Photography Session.

Both agreed that the islands breathtaking natural beauty along with the modern elegance of the resort were excellent choices and exceeded their expectations. With the many dramatic backdrops, it is clear why the Andaz Wailea is a top sought out location for Maui couples photography. You can see more examples of beautiful portraits taken at the Andaz here.

We look forward to seeing them return to Maui's beautiful beaches for future anniversaries and to capture more special memories of their love.

Written By Sarah S. (Pacific Dream Photography at the Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort)