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Big waves, wet sand and a kiss on the forehead
A Family Photoshoot at Guincho Beach, as the Light Turned Golden
Family Session·Guincho, Portugal
Family Session
A summer session at Guincho, just outside Cascais, with a mom, a dad and their little daughter dressed in white: play on the sand first, then the big Atlantic waves as the light turned golden.
Guincho, Portugal·Family Session
One summer day at Guincho Beach, I photographed a mom, a dad and their little daughter, all three dressed in white.
Guincho is ten minutes from my home in Cascais. It's a wide Atlantic beach with the Sintra hills rising behind it, and it has so many different corners to explore that it's a lovely place for a family. We started on the sand, where the family had a lot of fun playing together. They were so natural in front of the camera, and all that white against the pale sand kept the pictures calm and simple.
Then we walked down to the water's edge. The Atlantic waves were big, the breeze off the sea was fresh, and it made for some of the most fun photos of the day: Dad lifting their daughter up into the air while the wet sand held their reflections. By then the light was turning golden, soft on their white clothes and on the hills behind them.
At the water's edge, July 2021
In front of the dark rocks they stood close together, the three of them in white against the black stone. In the quietest frame of the session, Mom is kissing her daughter's forehead.
I had such a great time with this family at Guincho, and I hope they keep these photos for years, long after their little girl has grown up. The full gallery, just as the family received it, is online here.
Guincho, beyond the coastal scrub
For a session like this one, come in the last hour before sunset, or early in the morning in midsummer, when the light is soft, the air is cooler and children are happier. Dress in light colors that move, and bring a sweater and a few hair ties, because Guincho is windy on most days. I keep the rest, from the best months to a plan for windy evenings, for a separate guide.
If you're bringing your family to Portugal, write to me and tell me about them. I'd love to meet you on this beach.
Behind the lens
Yana Yart
Yana Yart is a wedding and elopement photographer based in Cascais, Portugal, since 2020, who also photographs families on this coast. She has over 15 years behind the camera, has lived and worked in 55 countries and studied architecture for five years.
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