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 third time working with Jess and it was every bit as magical as our past sessions.
During our first family Maui trip in 2022 we wanted to capture our time together and had such a positive experience working with Jess that we have started to make it a priority to schedule with her for every subsequent visit (it’s literally the first thing I do after we secure our flights and hotel bookings).
One thing I love about travel is that the home chores and other distractions of daily life don’t exist on vacation so you can really focus on reconnecting and relaxing with loved ones! I hope that was conveyed in our photos because we really had such a wonderful time on this visit to Maui (and with Jess)! We’ll carry the memories of this vacation with us forever.
OUR EXPERIENCE
The weather forecast had been threatening rain and the skies were dark over southeast Maui, but miraculously they didn’t make it over to our side of the island and we were still able to have a lovely session in the golden hour light!
Jess really knows how to help us feel comfortable in front of the camera and she was also helpful at entertaining Chloe (who was VERY unsure about her first experience with sand 😆). Jess has four little ones of her own so she’s got plenty of experience with kiddos and it shows.
Who is this teenager?? 😭
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 first family trip to Maui we were with my husband’s family for my father-in-law’s 70th birthday and the photos we got together are so special and cherished by everyone. Because of the size of our group (9 adults + Sophie) we booked the Extended Ohana Session. I highly recommend this for any extended family group, but especially to memorialize any special occasions!
This visit to Maui was just our little nuclear family so we booked a classic Souvenir Session with Jess.
Jess offers sessions on a select few days of the week and depending on the day her availability is either in the early morning for sunrise or in the evening at sunset — they’re both such dreamy times of day in Hawai’i so you can’t go wrong. We’ve had sessions during both times of day and I think mornings are better with littles, but Jess only had evening availability on the day that worked best for both of our schedules so we just went with it!
*Top Tip: We always try to book with Jess toward the beginning of our trip for a few reasons: (1) we’re a little fresher and extra excited to be in paradise! (2) we haven’t gotten sunburns / weird tans yet — no matter how much sunscreen we use / reapply at a destination this close to the Equator, we always end up having a little sun damage by the time we leave. (3) IF by some chance the weather is terrible on the day you booked, there are more days of your trip that you could potentially reschedule!
If you have small kiddos, especially if they’re early risers, I highly recommend the sunrise session. Everything is a bit calmer and the morning skies are always filled with the most beautiful pastel colors. Evening sessions are also absolutely gorgeous (is there anything better than a Hawaiian sunset??) and the afternoon Maui winds gave lots of movement to our hair and dresses which was very fun!
WHAT WE WORE
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.
I had a very specific look in mind for this year’s session and when I couldn’t find what I was looking for (since I was shopping for summer clothing in December 🥴), I decided to see what I could find on Poshmark. I was so happy with the dresses that I found for Sophie and myself! I had to pivot from the original looks I had chosen, but I stayed in a similar color scheme and I’m thrilled with how they turned out.
MAMA: This beautiful Hollie dress by Tiare Hawaii was exactly what I had in mind — the colors, print, cut and everything! This won’t be my last Tiare Hawaii dress… I love it!
SOPHIE: I was so happy to have found this Mini Hadly dress by Lilly Pulitzer for Sophie — the “Wild Fuchsia” print is super fun.
CHLOE: It’s no secret that I LOVE a bubble romper on a baby so I knew that this BabyGap ruffle bubble romper from Chloe’s closet would be the perfect look.
DAD: 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!
…
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 sessions with Jess on our digital frame and I love to see them pop up in the frame’s slideshow throughout the day.
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
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