Senior portraits on Pensacola Beach

I admit that I'm not a huge fan of beach shoots. That's a little strange given that Pensacola Beach (and our stretch of the Gulf Coast) is the best you can find in this part of the country. White sand. Blue water. It's easily accessible.

But it's also unpredictable. Some days are still, with no wind and flat seas. Other days are as blustery as can be, which becomes particularly tricky for those with longer hair. Sunrise and sunset are the choice times to shoot, of course, but that means you're always racing against the light. Good luck explaining that to teenagers who wonder what the hell they're doing out of bed before 6 a.m.

And I loathe the cliche of the overexposed family on the sand.

But I was pleasantly surprised at this shoot. It's imperfect. It's messy. It was a little windy, even before sunrise, and the sun kept ducking in and out of the clouds. There wasn't a ton of consistency. But that means we sort of ended up with three or four shoots in one.

And the early morning means you not only have the beach to yourself, but the road, too. Looking west toward Fort Pickens allowed for some nearly infinite beach views. (Close enough, anyway.)

Swing back around to the east and you get to work with the sun not just in the clouds, but also peeking around the condos.

And I do love shooting through the sea oats on our dunes — another one of those hallmarks that you just don't get a lot of other places. (Though I do enjoy the thicker vegetation that you find in South Florida.)

OK, so maybe the beach isn't that bad after all. So long as it's more than just white-and-khaki and sand lightened to within an inch of its life.