Jake’s Alys Beach Senior + Family Session

I was so excited when Jake and his family chose Alys Beach for his senior portrait session. As an Alys Beach photographer, I love being able to combine the iconic white architecture and manicured grounds of Alys Beach with the soft, glowing light of the gulf shoreline for a session that showcases both a senior’s personality and beautiful family portraits all in one evening.

Three Outfit Looks: Casual, Iconic White, and Coral Sunset

Jake brought three perfect outfit looks for his session. He started in a soft gray polo with light wash jeans and tan boots — relaxed and easy for portraits along the Alys Beach garden paths and sidewalks. He changed into a crisp white linen shirt with khaki shorts to coordinate with his older brother for the family portraits in front of the iconic white architecture. And he closed the session in a coral linen button-up with rolled sleeves and khaki shorts as we walked down to the gulf shoreline for sunset.

Solo Senior Portraits Around Alys Beach

We started with Jake on his own, exploring the manicured streets and gardens that make Alys Beach such a stunning senior portrait location. He smiled on a manicured garden path, leaned casually against a hedge, sat on a low garden wall, and posed under the boardwalk — every backdrop just a few steps from the last but each one entirely different. The crisp white architecture played beautifully against his coral linen and gave us frame after frame of timeless senior portraits.

Family Portraits at Alys Beach

For family portraits, Jake’s parents and older brother joined us at the iconic white walls of Alys Beach. Mom wore a sleeveless floral maxi, Dad wore a white linen shirt, and Jake and his brother coordinated in white linen shirts with khaki shorts. We captured a classic full family pose, a tender black-and-white of mom embracing her senior, dad standing proudly beside his graduate, and a sweet group hug wrapping up that part of the session. Some of my very favorites of the night were of Jake and his older brother together — shoulder to shoulder on the lawn, grinning side by side, and one beautiful moody black-and-white of Jake gazing up at the sky.

Brothers at the Gulf at Sunset

From there we drove down to the gulf shoreline as the sky began to glow in pinks and lavenders. Jake’s brother joined him in a white linen shirt for a few brotherly frames at the water — the two of them walking the shoreline, strolling near the waterline backlit by the sunset sky, laughing during a candid moment, grinning shoulder to shoulder, and one of my absolute favorites: Jake giving his older brother a piggyback across the sand.

Sunset Solo Portraits on the Beach

We finished the evening with Jake on his own at the gulf — standing tall on the soft sand, seated near the dunes, grinning by the surf, and posed solo in golden light as the sky lit up behind him. The coral linen, the emerald gulf, and that pastel pink and lavender Alys Beach sunset sky made for the perfect closing portraits of his senior session.

Why Alys Beach Is a Dream Senior Session Location

Alys Beach offers a dream-like setting for a senior session, combining its captivating white architecture, coastal charm, and versatile locations. From the picturesque streets lined with palm trees to the tranquil courtyards filled with lush greenery, each street provides a unique ambiance — classic, urban, and natural backdrops all within a short walk of each other. The session becomes a true celebration of the graduating senior’s personality, passions, and accomplishments, providing a collection of timeless images that will forever remind them of their final year of high school.

Important Disclaimer About Photographing in Alys Beach

You MUST be staying on property in order to get a permit to shoot on property at Alys Beach. If you’re planning a senior, family, or engagement session at Alys Beach, please be sure your accommodations are within the Alys Beach community and reach out to me well in advance so we can coordinate the proper photography permit.

Serving Seniors Across Alys Beach and 30A

I’m honored to photograph seniors all along 30A and the Emerald Coast — Alys Beach, Rosemary Beach, Watersound, Seacrest, Inlet Beach, Seaside, Watercolor, Grayton Beach, Santa Rosa Beach, and Destin. Whether your family is local or visiting on a beach trip, an Alys Beach senior session is the most beautiful way to celebrate this milestone year.

Ready to Book Your Own Alys Beach Senior Session?

If Jake’s session inspired you and you’re dreaming of senior portraits at Alys Beach for your own graduating senior, I’d love to chat. Reach out here to check availability and start planning your senior session along 30A.

xoxo,
A.E.