A Downtown West Palm Beach Family Session: Photographing Personality, Connection & the Moments In Between
There are some family photography sessions where everything is planned down to the smallest detail.
And then there are the sessions where we simply start walking.
This downtown West Palm Beach family photography session was a little bit of both.
The family—two wives and their daughter—met me in downtown West Palm Beach for an afternoon of family portraits, along with a few individual portraits of their daughter. We walked, talked, laughed, experimented with different backdrops, and let the personality of the family guide the session.
That last part is important to me.
Because while the finished photographs may look effortless, there is actually a lot of thought happening behind the camera.
The First Family to Ever Find Me Through My Website
There is a little piece of this family's story that makes this session especially memorable to me.
They were the very first inquiry I ever received through my website after I launched it.
At the time, I didn't have years of website analytics, hundreds of blog posts, or some elaborate marketing strategy proving that people would find me online. I had simply built my website, started putting my work out there, and waited to see what happened.
And then came this inquiry.
One thing she told me was that she noticed my social media and felt comfortable with the way I presented LGBTQ+ families and couples.
That actually means more to me than a big declaration ever could.
I don't make a point of shouting from the rooftops that I'm an LGBTQ+-friendly photographer. I don't photograph two women or two men and suddenly change my language or treat the session like it needs its own special category.
I just photograph people.
If two people love each other, I photograph that.
If a family laughs together, I photograph that.
If someone is shy, quirky, silly, serious, wildly energetic, or somewhere in between, I want to know that person.
And apparently, that came through in the work they were seeing.
Why Downtown West Palm Beach Worked So Well
We photographed this session around downtown West Palm Beach, in the area locals have known as CityPlace and which has also gone by Rosemary Square and The Square.
The specific area gave us an incredible amount of variety without requiring us to spend the entire session getting in and out of a car.
We moved through areas around Clematis Street and the surrounding downtown spaces, including the area near Centennial Square, Elizabetta's Ristorante, the sculptures, fountains, and waterfront.
That variety is one of the reasons I love photographing families in an urban environment.
You can get:
- Tall buildings and city architecture
- Fountains and open plazas
- Sculptures and colorful public art
- Green spaces
- Murals
- Staircases and architectural details
- Waterfront views
- Docks with boats and Palm Beach scenery
- Parking garages and rooftop perspectives
- Quiet little corners tucked between busier areas
And because everything is relatively close together, a single family session can feel like several different locations.
The Light Changes More Than You Might Expect
There is another reason I pay close attention to the timing of downtown sessions: the buildings change the light.
Golden hour can be beautiful, but the tall buildings can block direct sunlight earlier than you might expect. That means the area can start transitioning toward that beautiful blue-hour feeling while another location nearby is still catching warm light.
It's one of those things that doesn't necessarily matter to a client—but it matters a lot to the photographer planning the session.
This is part of what I mean when I say that a session can feel casual while still being carefully planned.
I'm watching the light.
I'm watching where we're going next.
I'm thinking about what backgrounds we've already used.
I'm thinking about what kind of image we haven't made yet.
And I'm paying attention to the people I'm photographing.
The Quiet Teenager Who Turned Into a Rock Star
Their daughter was quieter and more reserved than her moms.
Before the session, her mom had told me a little about her personality. She liked Nirvana and older rock music, and I had a general idea that she might not be the type of teenager who immediately wants to stand in front of a camera and perform.
That's okay.
I don't think every person needs to walk into a photography session already knowing how to pose.
That's my job.
We did some of the classic family portraits—standing together, smiling, connecting, the photographs that grandparents will love.
But I also wanted to give her something that felt more like her.
So, near Elizabetta's, I had her do my version of an emo-rock-star moment: hands up around her face, eyes closed, head shaking, full dramatic rock-star energy.
Then I photographed it with motion blur.
And then I showed her the photograph.
That was the moment I really started seeing her open up.
She smiled more.
She started having fun.
And I could tell that she was beginning to understand that getting her picture taken didn't necessarily mean standing still and smiling on command.
It could actually be fun.
Sometimes the Best Pose Starts With Knowing the Person
This is one of the biggest things I've learned about photographing people.
A pose doesn't have to come from a posing guide.
Sometimes it comes from listening.
If I know you're a dancer, I'm going to think differently about how I photograph you.
If you're obsessed with cars, I may look for an environment that fits that interest.
If you're a quiet teenager who loves Nirvana, maybe we're going to channel a little bit of teenage rock-star angst.
I'm not trying to turn someone into a model.
I'm trying to give them something they can recognize as themselves.
And sometimes, seeing that first photograph is what gives someone the confidence to relax for the rest of the session.
Photographing the Moms: Connection Doesn't Need to Be Performed
The two moms were wonderful together.
They laughed. They talked. They teased each other.
And they looked at each other with that very particular kind of affection that is difficult to manufacture.
They were clearly good friends as well as wives.
There was some nervousness about public displays of affection, which is completely understandable. Having a camera pointed at you can make almost anyone suddenly become very aware of what their hands are doing.
You don't have to be naturally comfortable with PDA to get beautiful photographs with your partner.
You don't even have to be “photogenic.”
You just need to be willing to spend a little time together and let me guide you.
The connection is already there.
My job is to notice it.
One of my favorite examples from this session was actually much less serious.
I have a silly family pose I call the “JCPenney totem pole.”
Basically, everyone stacks their heads one above another.
It's ridiculous.
Which is exactly why it works.
They laughed, everyone loosened up, and suddenly we weren't worrying quite so much about whether we were “doing it right.”
Those little moments matter.
You Don't Have to Know How to Pose
This is something I tell my clients all the time:
You do not have to know what to do in front of my camera.
That's why you're hiring a professional photographer.
I'll give you direction.
I'll suggest poses.
I'll move you around.
I'll ask you to interact with each other.
And sometimes I'll ask you to do something completely ridiculous.
But I also want you to communicate with me.
If I suggest a pose and you don't like it, tell me.
You don't need to politely do something you're uncomfortable with and then spend the rest of the session wishing you had said something.
Tell me, “No, thank you. I don't want to do that.”
Great.
Now I know.
I'll come up with something else.
I genuinely never run out of ideas. I may need a second to think about the next one, but there is always another way to photograph you.
That's why I ask clients to complete my questionnaires and have a phone conversation with me before their session.
I'm not trying to make the process complicated.
I'm trying to learn enough about you that I can walk into the session with ideas already forming.
A Note for LGBTQ+ Families Looking for a Photographer
If you're an LGBTQ+ family and you're nervous about choosing a photographer, I understand why that matters.
You should be able to look at a photographer's work and feel like your family belongs there.
You shouldn't have to wonder whether you'll be treated differently.
You shouldn't have to explain why your family looks the way it does.
And you definitely shouldn't have to spend your entire photography session wondering whether your photographer is judging you.
For me, the answer is simple.
Come as yourselves.
Tell me what makes you comfortable.
Tell me what doesn't.
Tell me about your kids.
Tell me what makes you laugh.
Tell me if you hate PDA.
Tell me if your teenager would rather listen to Nirvana than smile politely at a camera.
That's the information I actually want.
Because that's what helps me photograph you.
What I Hope They Remember
Years from now, I hope this family remembers more than the photographs.
I hope they remember walking around downtown together.
I hope they remember laughing.
I hope they remember their daughter gradually coming out of her shell.
I hope they remember the ridiculous JCPenney totem pole.
I hope they remember the rock-star photograph.
And, honestly, I hope they remember putting their phones away for a couple of hours.
Because you can't really scroll through your phone while someone is photographing you.
Wink.
In a world where so much of our family time gets interrupted by notifications, emails, and screens, there is something pretty wonderful about simply spending an afternoon together.
The photographs become the tangible reminder of that time.
The Casual Session That Wasn't Accidental
One of the biggest misconceptions about my photography is that because the sessions feel relaxed, they must be completely spontaneous.
They're not.
I put a lot of energy into them.
I think about the people coming in front of my camera.
I read the questionnaires.
I listen during our conversations.
I think about personalities, interests, comfort levels, locations, light, and timing.
I think about how one image will look different from the next.
I think about where we're going and what we're going to do when we get there.
And then, when the session actually begins, I try not to make any of that visible.
I want you to feel like we're just walking around, hanging out, and taking some pictures.
That's the goal.
The planning happens behind the scenes so the experience can feel easy in front of the camera.
And for this family, I think that combination worked.
We walked through downtown West Palm Beach.
We photographed their family.
We made some beautiful portraits of their daughter.
We laughed.
We experimented.
And somewhere along the way, a quiet teenager who wasn't entirely sure about having her picture taken became a rock star in front of my camera.
That's the kind of session I love.
Not because it was an “LGBTQ+ session.”
Because it was their session.
And I got the privilege of photographing who they are together.
Planning a Family Photography Session in Downtown West Palm Beach?
Downtown West Palm Beach offers an incredible mix of city architecture, waterfront scenery, public art, green spaces, murals, and unexpected little corners—all within a relatively walkable area.
If you're considering a family photography session in West Palm Beach, I can help you plan a session around your family's personalities, comfort level, and the kind of photographs you actually want to have hanging on your walls.
And if you're looking for an LGBTQ+ friendly family photographer in South Florida, I hope my work gives you the same feeling this family had when they first found me:
You're welcome here. Just come as yourselves.
