Beach portraits and family sessions on Amelia Island — Fort Clinch to Main Beach.
St. Augustine Based, Amelia Island Ready
We're Rob and Jill — a husband-and-wife family photography team based 75 minutes south of Amelia Island in St. Augustine. We've been photographing on this island since 2014, from Main Beach to Fort Clinch to the quiet dunes along the south end. Rob sees light and composition. Jill reads the room and knows when your toddler needs a two-minute chase break. After 2,500+ sessions, we've figured out how to make people forget we're even there.
Our style is relaxed and timeless — natural light, genuine connections, guided poses mixed with candid scenes. Kids can run, teenagers can roll their eyes, grandparents can sit when they need to. Amelia Island is a beautiful backdrop. We focus on the people in front of it.
Where We Shoot
From Fort Clinch dunes to Fernandina's Victorian streets
Amelia Island gives you more variety in a small space than almost any other Florida destination. Thirteen miles of uncrowded barrier island beach, a walkable Victorian historic district, a Civil War-era state park, and resort grounds — all within a short drive of each other. Here are the locations we recommend most for family sessions:
The most accessible stretch of Amelia Island's east-facing coast. Wide beach, easy parking, and a consistent backdrop of dunes and Atlantic horizon. Great for families with young kids who need room to move. Golden hour here is especially warm in fall.
A Civil War-era fort on the island's northern tip, with dunes, maritime forest, and views of Cumberland Sound. The natural framing here is unlike anything else in the area — gnarly live oaks, soft sand paths, and historic stone walls. Park permits required; we handle the process.
Victorian storefronts, brick-paved Centre Street, and flowering trees that look great in morning light. If your family isn't a beach crowd, or you want a mix of beach and town portraits in one session, Fernandina's historic district delivers. It's also uncrowded before 10am.
The Ritz-Carlton and Omni Amelia Island Plantation both have beautifully maintained grounds with beach access. If you're a resort guest, we can shoot on property — manicured lawns, live oak canopy, and direct beach access all in one location.
Not sure which location fits your family best? Tell us your kids' ages, how long you want to be outdoors, and what you're staying — we'll make a recommendation that works for your trip.
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Style Guide
Coordinated tones, not matching outfits
The best color schemes for family photos are coordinated tones — not matching outfits. Start with one person's outfit (usually mom's dress) and build complementary pieces around it, mixing 2-3 colors with neutrals.
A classic family photo combo. White tops with jeans or khakis — timeless, clean, and pops against sand and water. Add variety with rolled sleeves, different shades of denim, or a linen texture.
Cream, beige, taupe, and light gray with warm accents like rust, burnt orange, or mustard. Earth tones balance the cool blues of the Amelia Island ocean and look beautiful at golden hour.
Dusty rose, sage green, light blue, and muted lavender. Coordinating pastels harmonize with the sky and water without competing. Keep patterns minimal — let the colors do the work.
Skip neon, busy patterns, and large logos — they pull attention from faces. Don't go all-blue (you'll blend into the ocean). And avoid everyone wearing the exact same thing — coordinated always looks better than matching.
We send a detailed wardrobe guide after booking with color palette suggestions tailored to your session location, time of year, and the colors in your home if you plan to frame the photos.
The Process
From inquiry to gallery in four simple steps
Tell us what you're looking for — beach, downtown Fernandina, Fort Clinch, resort grounds. Tell us when you're on the island and we'll check availability and talk through the best options.
Once you book, we'll send you an outfit guide and prep checklist. We'll nail down the location, the time of day, and a plan for keeping things low-stress — especially with little ones.
We handle the kids, the posing, and the light. You just show up and be yourselves. Sessions typically run about 60 minutes, and we mix candid moments with a few classic portraits.
Highlights within a few days. Your full edited gallery — with download and print rights — delivered in about two weeks.
Pricing
Clear, straightforward — no hidden fees
We also photograph elopements and weddings on Amelia Island:
Amelia Island Elopement Photographer · St. Augustine Family Photographer
FAQ
Common questions about family sessions on Amelia Island
Most shoots run 60-90 minutes, giving us plenty of time for different groupings and outfit changes if desired. Extended groups may run longer depending on size.
Kids are unpredictable—that's part of what makes them wonderful. We embrace the chaos and know how to work with wiggly toddlers and reluctant teenagers. Some of our best work comes from unscripted scenes. Relax and let them be kids.
Golden hour—the 1-2 hours before sunset—gives us the finest light. The sun is soft, the shadows are flattering, and the colors are gorgeous. Amelia's east-facing beaches can also be stunning at sunrise if your family is up for it. We'll recommend exact timing based on the season.
Fort Clinch State Park and Amelia Island State Park require special-use permits for photo sessions. We know the process and handle this for you when your session is inside park boundaries. Main Beach Park and most public stretches of shore don't require permits for family sessions.
For peak season (March-May and October-November), we recommend booking 3-4 weeks ahead. For summer vacation dates, book as soon as you know your travel window — those spots fill quickly. We can sometimes accommodate shorter notice outside peak season.
Absolutely. If you're staying at the Ritz-Carlton, Omni Amelia Island, or a vacation rental near the beach, we're happy to start at your property and walk to the shoot location together. We work around your vacation schedule.
“If I could give 100 stars I would. Our wedding was captured so perfectly by Rob and Jill. On our wedding day they were so great, very organized and accommodating but ready to go with the flow if necessary. It really makes a huge difference when you have fantastic vendors at your wedding. We felt like they were part of our family and friends!”
“Easy to work with. Made us and our wedding party very comfortable in front of the camera Jill and Rob provide the best overall experience both on wedding day and leading up to it. Jill’s communication is prompt, clear and very detailed. I never felt like a detail was missed. On wedding day we were behind schedule and Jill got us back on track, we didn’t have to cut out a single thing we planned to do. Jill and Rob work seamlessly together, speaking an unspoken language that delivers seamless photo coverage with ease and comfort. I personally am very nervous taking photos and nothing felt forced with these two. Rob has an eye for detail that is bar none. He has a passion for photography but also a passion to capture your perfect day. You feel that immediately when you meet him. They are both so kind. Our guests continue to compliment them to this day. We have only received our previews (delivered several days after the wedding) and I loved every single photo. I can’t wait to see the rest of the gallery. The Futrell team is the best! 10/10!”
“Best team around! Thank you to Rob and Jill for the amazing engagement photos, newborn family photos, and wedding photos. I could not have picked a better team to capture the unforgettable memories. They made us feel like family, o accommodated our schedules, and helped each of our special events run so smoothly. I cannot recommend them enough. I hope to work with them more in the future for all our events.”
“Thank you to Rob and Jill for the amazing engagement photos, newborn family photos, and wedding photos. I could not have picked a better team to capture the unforgettable memories. They made us feel like family and helped each of our special events run so smoothly. I cannot recommend them enough. I hope to work with them more in the future for all our events.”
“We had Rob and Jill take our family photos. AMAZING experience. Not only were they personable, they made us feel comfortable and captured some amazing moments.”
“When we decided to elope, I had no clue where to start. We reached out to Jill & Rob based on reviews for photography, but they were so much more than that! Jill was so very helpful in so much of the planning for our very intimate elopement ceremony and made everything so easy and stress free! I was not sure what pictures I really needed or wanted, so I trusted them to guide us and got some of the most beautiful pictures of us and our (grown) kids! By the end of the wedding and pictures, we felt that we had known them forever! I will be forever grateful for everything!”
“We have beautiful photos from our family session with Rob & Jill. They are very talented and just wonderful people. We had so much fun! They have done our engagement, wedding, and pregnancy photos and most recently our family of four.”
“We have been friends with Rob & Jill for quite some time, so it was an easy decision to hire them for our son’s wedding, and it was the best decision! Their ability to find beautiful spaces in the natural beauty around them is unmatched, and the way they so graceful and wonderfully captured the essence of the couple, our families, and our friends was amazing. They exhibit the utmost professionalism without losing the fun, which was one of our favorite parts about working with them. We highly recommend Rob & Jill, not only as the best choice for wedding photographers, but also as the most wonderful human beings. Hire them - you won’t regret it.”
“We have trusted Rob and Jill Futrell with some of the most meaningful moments of our lives, and they never disappoint. From engagement photos to welcoming our baby, they’ve captured each season with so much care, creativity, and attention to detail. They made us feel comfortable in front of the camera and genuinely cared about telling our story through their work. We are so thankful to have photographers who feel more like family and whose work we will treasure forever. We highly recommend the Futrells to anyone looking for timeless, heartfelt photos.”
“Rob, Jill, and their whole team were incredible. They captured our wedding at the Embassy Suites beautifully and made the entire experience feel effortless. They were kind, professional, and easy to work with from start to finish. One thing that really meant a lot to us was the live streaming they set up for the family who couldn’t attend. It let everyone feel included, and we’re grateful for the care they put into it. Our photos and videos came out amazing, and they caught moments we didn’t even realize were happening. You can tell they love what they do. If you're looking for a team that delivers great work and treats your day with real care, Rob, Jill, and their crew are the ones to trust. Highly recommend.”
“Look no further for wedding photographers. Rob and Jill were, hands down, the BEST vendors we worked with for our wedding. They were prompt, organized, accurate, kind, fun, and *incredibly* talented. From scheduling touch points and providing a detailed timeline of shots to wrangling family for photos and capturing the magic of the day, Rob and Jill made our day unforgettable. We are so thankful for them during such an emotional (and somewhat stressful) day. Rob showed such empathy when he could tell I was getting overwhelmed at moments, and Jill was considerate in helping me establish boundaries for requests from other people. I could write more, but it's clear from the raving reviews that Rob and Jill are *the* choice for any wedding/event photography.”
“The Futrell's have captured our family memories since 2020!! They just recently completed a holiday shoot for us! The entire experience from start to finish was wonderful as always. Jill and Rob always make you feel welcomed and at ease. Every shot feels timeless and I know we will cherish these for years to come. On top of the amazing quality of the photographs they are professional and always communicate back efficiently! There is no one else we will use to photograph our family memories ♥️ they are the BEST”
Tell us your travel dates, how many people, and what you're picturing — we'll take it from there.
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