PHOTOGRAPHY / SOUTH WALES

In the Last of the Summer

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

Welcome

Thank you so much for booking In the Last of the Summer, at Jackson's Bay.

These sessions are exactly what they sound like. Twenty minutes at the beach with the people you love, while I photograph what actually happens. No posing, no shot list, and nobody stands in a line saying cheese.

September is my favourite time to be down there. The crowds have gone back to school, the light drops low and warm through the afternoon, the sea is as warm as it ever gets, and the whole place feels a bit like it belongs to you again.

This is a great session to capture the fun of summer before it ends and this guides shares how to prepare for it.

With love, Joanna x

Where to find me

We'll meet on the beach itself at Jackson's Bay.

A word on parking, because it's not the best: it's street parking. Please come earlier than you think you need to. I would recommend giving yourself a good twenty minutes to find a space and walk down.

What actually happens

Your session is twenty minutes. That sounds short, but I promise you that it's enough time.

The first few minutes are usually a bit awkward. That's completely normal and I plan for it. Somebody's self-conscious, one of the children has strong opinions about what they want to do, where they want to go, and everyone's wondering where to put their hands. Fine. That bit isn't the photographs.

Then people forget I'm there, and that's when it starts.

I'll give you something to do rather than something to hold. Usually that involves the sea, because the sea does most of my job for me. Then I get out of the way.

Let the children run. Let them go in the water, they will anyway. Let them get sandy and wet and a bit overexcited. A photograph of your daughter shrieking as a wave catches her is worth ten of her stood still in a nice dress being told to smile.

What to wear

Whatever you'd actually wear to the beach. Long flowy dresses always look lovely.

Soft, simple colours photograph beautifully against sand and sea. Avoid big brand logos if you can, and avoid anything with a slogan across the chest, because it pulls the eye straight to it.

Bare feet or wellies both work. Bare feet look lovely, but it might a little cold in the sea in September.

And please remember that comfortable beats coordinated every single time.

What to bring

Towels. More than one. Trust me.

A change of clothes for the children. Not for the photographs, for the car afterwards.

A bag you don't mind getting sandy.

Dogs are very welcome. If they're part of the family, bring them. Some of my favourite frames have a dog in them somewhere, usually mid-chaos.

That really is it.

If the weather turns

Grey skies are absolutely fine. Cloud is fine. A bit of drizzle is fine, and sometimes it's better. Soft light, moody sea, and nobody squinting.

High winds and proper rain are a different matter, and if that's what's coming, I'll move us. I watch the forecast for the location in the week beforehand and I'll tell you in good time.

I promise that you won't be stood on a beach in September wondering whether I'm going to turn up.

Afterwards

Your five fully edited images land in a private online gallery within two to four weeks. They're yours to download, keep, print and send to your family and friends.

If you fall in love with more, you can buy more. And if you buy a few and later decide you want the lot, you only pay the difference. You're never penalised for changing your mind.

Any questions at all between now and the 9th, just reply to this. There's no such thing as a daft one 🤍

See you on the beach.

Joanna x