On our recent trip to Maui we were fortunate enough to book a photography session with Jess Fernandez, also known professionally as @mauifamilyphoto. 😉 This was our second time working with Jess and we had another amazing session together!
During our last Maui trip (in 2022) we wanted to capture our time together as a family and had such a positive experience working with Jess that we made it a priority to schedule with her again during our recent visit (it was literally the first thing I did after we secured our flights and hotel bookings).
ABOUT THE SHOOT
Jess offers sessions on a select few days a week and the appointments begin either in the early morning for sunrise or in the evening at sunset (both such dreamy times of day in Hawai’i!). We chose a sunset session last time because it worked better for our group’s schedule, but it was pretty windy so we selected the calmer sunrise session this time and it was perfect.
Can we take a moment for the gorgeous colors in the sky and the ocean?! It took my breath away every morning during our trip.
If you have small kiddos, especially if they’re early risers, I highly recommend the sunrise session. The evening session was also absolutely beautiful (is there anything better than a Maui sunset???) and the wind gave lots of movement to our hair and dresses which was very fun!
OUR EXPERIENCE
The photoshoot location that Jess suggested for us was gorgeous (and the colors in the sky were so incredible that morning!). She really knows how to help us feel comfortable in front of the camera and she was also helpful at entertaining Sophie (who was a little overwhelmed by the waves crashing on the beach when we first arrived at the shoot location). Jess has four little ones of her own so she’s got plenty of experience with kiddos and it shows. 😉 I’ve also become casual Instagram friends with her as we’ve been in touch since our last Maui visit so our session felt very familiar and friendly.
I also love that Jess spots details that others might miss (sandy baby toes, the way your toddler is twirling your hair or the way your spouse is gazing at you), and I really appreciated that the whole session felt very effortless and fun.
In my experience, my favorite photographers to work with are the ones that take a lot of candid snaps, but also provide a little bit of guidance re: positioning (pose, angle, arm placement, etc.) and help make physical adjustments like smoothing crazy hairs or folding in wayward clothing tags that might be sticking out! Jess did this flawlessly. She perfectly balanced the natural and the “lightly styled” in order to capture so many sweet moments and I absolutely adore how all of the images turned out… I truly had such a difficult time choosing which photos to use in this post because I adore our whole gallery!
BOOKING PACKAGES
On our last trip we were with my husband’s family for his father’s 70th birthday — the whole group got photos together which are so special and cherished by everyone. Because of the size of our group (9 adults + Sophie) we booked the Extended Ohana Session.
This visit to Maui was a sort of “babymoon” / last hurrah for us as a family of three so because it was just our little nuclear family we booked a classic Ohana Session with Jess. It felt extra special to capture this little window of time that we could spend together, just the three of us.
I love that about travel — the home chores and other distractions of daily life don’t exist on vacation so you can really focus on reconnecting and relaxing! I hope that was conveyed in our photos because we really had such a wonderful time on this visit to Maui (and with Jess)! I hope Sophie remembers parts of this trip, although I know memories can be pretty spotty for little ones at this age. I’m certain that I’ll carry the memories of this vacation with me forever.
WHAT TO WEAR
I believe that Jess has started to curate a Client Closet that you can borrow from (a few less items to pack for the family!), but she’d also be more than happy to provide some helpful suggestions on how to coordinate the outfits of your group and what will translate best in front of the lens if you’d prefer to bring your own clothes. If you have any questions, Jess is super helpful so feel free to ask her anything!
*Please note that because you will be outdoors for your session (read: not in a studio), you’re guaranteed to get sandy and there’s also a high likelihood of getting wet, but it’s all part of the vibe, you know? Plus, it makes for a fun story to tell with the photos so don’t stress over it! All of that to say, make sure everyone is wearing clothes that you don’t mind getting salt water-y and sandy.
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I couldn’t resist wearing the Siesta dress from Marea… it was so comfortable and the bow sash was helpful for accentuating my growing bump, even if the rest of the dress wasn’t form-fitting.
I couldn’t resist this adorable blue dress from BabyGAP. The cornflower blue color with thin white pinstriping and the added eyelet detail seemed similar-but-different enough from my dress for Sophie to wear for our photoshoot.
When it comes to family photos in warm climates I usually just request that my husband wear a polo shirt and shorts in a coordinating color scheme, since those items are essentially all he packs for our tropical trips anyway. 😉 I think he nailed it!
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ON DISPLAY
I think the most challenging part of the whole experience is going to be narrowing down the selection of photos that will get professionally printed and framed around our house (I love this magnetic framing option)! I also highly recommend getting your beloved images printed in a photo book!
(Option 1 // Option 2 // Option 3)
I won’t be able to resist adding the rest to our digital frame so that all of our favorite images are always in rotation for display! I already have photos from our previous photo session with Jess on our digital frame and I love to see them pop up.
I can’t recommend booking a session with Jess enough. Your trip to Maui will come to an end, but the captured memories will last a lifetime.
Sending hugs —
xx, Natalie