Family portraits in Nocatee and St. Johns County — local photographers who know the community.
St. Johns County Locals
We're Rob and Jill — a husband-and-wife family photography team, and we live about 15 minutes south of Nocatee in St. Augustine. We're not Jacksonville photographers making a long drive down here. Nocatee and St. Johns County are our backyard. We know the parks, the light at different times of year, and the school sports schedules that make fall booking tricky. Rob sees light and composition. Jill reads the room and knows when your toddler needs a two-minute chase break.
Our style is timeless and relaxed — natural light, genuine connections, guided poses mixed with spontaneous ones. Kids can run, teenagers can roll their eyes, grandparents can sit when they need to. After 2,500+ sessions together, we've figured out how to make people forget we're even there — which is exactly when the best family photos happen.
Most photographers who show up in Nocatee search results are based in Jacksonville or St. Augustine and treat this area as a destination booking. We're your neighbors.
Where We Shoot
Green parks, community spaces, and quick-drive beach access
One thing Nocatee doesn't have is a built-in beach — but it has quick access to Ponte Vedra Beach (about 10-15 minutes) and a handful of green community spaces that make for genuinely good portraits. Here's what we recommend:
Our most-recommended location for Nocatee families. Mature trees, open lawns, and a comfortable community feel. Works especially well for families with younger kids who do better with room to run. Beautiful light in the hour before sunset — the tree canopy creates natural diffusion that flatters everyone.
The Town Center plaza has a clean, modern community backdrop — fountains, landscaping, and architectural elements that photograph well. A good option for families who want something different from a park or beach setting, or who want to incorporate the Nocatee community feel into their portraits.
About 10-15 minutes from Nocatee, Ponte Vedra Beach offers wide Atlantic oceanfront — dunes, open horizon, and golden hour light that's hard to beat for family portraits. Worth the short drive if your family wants a beach session. Mickler's Landing is our most-recommended access point in this corridor.
Nocatee's residential communities have well-maintained common areas and some neighborhoods have beautiful natural backdrops. If you have a great yard, a neighborhood park, or community pond nearby, we're happy to come to you. Home sessions work especially well for milestone moments and extended family gatherings.
Not sure which location is right? Tell us your kids' ages, whether you want green space or beach, and what your schedule looks like — we'll make a recommendation that works.
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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 green grass or sand. 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 Florida's greens and look beautiful at golden hour in a park setting.
Dusty rose, sage green, light blue, and muted lavender. Coordinating pastels look clean in outdoor community settings and work for both park and beach sessions. Keep patterns minimal.
Skip neon, busy patterns, and large logos — they pull attention from faces. Avoid everyone wearing the exact same thing — coordinated always looks better than matching. At the beach, don't go all-blue.
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.
Davis Park and Nocatee Town Center work well for families who want a local, community-grounded feel. We bring the same natural-light, candid-first approach we use everywhere — but tailored to the green spaces and architecture of St. Johns County.
Nocatee is a community where extended family gathers — grandparents visiting, milestone celebrations, getting everyone in one frame including the person who usually holds the camera. We've organized groups of 30+ and know how to get the full group, then break into smaller combos.
Nocatee's Crosswater Hall is a gorgeous venue we've photographed at multiple times. If you have a wedding or event coming up in the community, we know the property well. See our Crosswater Hall guide
The Process
From inquiry to gallery in four simple steps
Tell us what you're looking for — Davis Park, beach, your neighborhood, whatever feels right. We'll check availability and talk through the best options for your family.
Once you book, we'll send you an outfit guide and a 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
Other nearby sessions and venues in St. Johns County:
St. Augustine Family Photographer · Crosswater Hall Weddings · Palencia Club Weddings
FAQ
Common questions about family sessions in Nocatee and St. Johns County
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.
Davis Park is our most-requested Nocatee location — mature trees, green space, and room for kids to move around. The Nocatee Town Center plaza works well for families who want a community backdrop. For a beach session, Ponte Vedra Beach is about 10 minutes away. We'll recommend the right spot based on your family's ages and what you're envisioning.
Yes — Rob and Jill are based in St. Augustine, about 15 minutes south of Nocatee. We're not Jacksonville photographers making a long drive. This area is our backyard, and we're here often. No travel fees, no "I think I know where that is" — we know exactly where Davis Park and Crosswater Hall are.
For peak season (March-May and October-November), we recommend booking 3-4 weeks ahead. Mini shoots and holiday dates fill quickly — join our email list for early access. For off-peak times we can often accommodate shorter notice.
October through May is the sweet spot in St. Johns County — warm but not humid, beautiful afternoon light, and comfortable for everyone including little kids. Summer sessions work well in the morning before the heat builds. Golden hour in the fall here is particularly warm and flattering.
“Rob and Jill did my daughter's dance photos, and they did an amazing job! They were incredibly patient and had wonderful personalities that made working with young children so easy. It's not always easy to photograph kids, but they made the experience fun and stress-free. Photographers who connect so well with children are truly a pleasure to work with. Thank you, Rob & Jill! ❤️”
“We cannot recommend Jill & Rob highly enough! From our very first interaction, they were professional, warm, and genuinely invested in making our wedding experience as special and stress-free as possible. On our wedding day, they went above and beyond to ensure everything ran smoothly and that every important moment was captured beautifully. Their calm presence, kindness, and attention to detail made such a difference, and it truly felt like they cared about our day as much as we did. The photos exceeded every expectation we had, capturing not only the big moments but also the emotion and joy of the day. We loved working with them so much that we later hired them again for family photos, and that experience was just as wonderful. Jill & Rob are incredibly talented, accommodating, and simply wonderful people to work with. If you're looking for photographers who will make you feel comfortable, cared for, and confident that your memories are in the best hands, look no further. We are so grateful to have found them and will treasure their photos for years to come.”
“Rob and Jill photographed our wedding this past April and we absolutely could not have chosen a better team! I am NOT a picture person but they both made us feel comfortable in front of the camera and everything felt natural. They made sure we got all of the pictures we wanted with family and more! The best part was how well they worked with our four year old. They naturally incorporated him into so many moments I know for sure they made him feel just as special as we did that day! Rob and Jill are the best combination of professional and fun and I can't wait to take some anniversary photos with them in the future! :) They truly deserve 10 stars!”
“I had the absolute pleasure of working with Rob Futrell Photography for both our Murder Mystery Night and Cinco de Mayo celebration during our EME event in St. Augustine, and I truly cannot say enough great things about him. Rob was professional, creative, easygoing, and such a joy to work with from start to finish. Honestly, he didn’t feel like an outside vendor, he felt like an extension of our team. He blended seamlessly into the events while still capturing every important moment beautifully. From the dramatic and playful energy of our Murder in Margaritaland evening to the colorful, festive vibes of Cinco de Mayo, Rob perfectly captured the personality and emotion of each event. The candid moments, connections between guests, and overall atmosphere came through so naturally in his photography. We are beyond excited to share these photos with our guests and clients. They truly tell the story of the experience. I would 10/10 recommend Rob Futrell Photography for any event and absolutely look forward to working with him again in the future!”
“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.”
Tell us your ideal date, how many people, and what you're picturing. We're 15 minutes away and know exactly where to take you.
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