Golden hour beach portraits and family sessions in Ponte Vedra Beach.
St. Augustine Locals, First Coast-Wide
We're Rob and Jill — a husband-and-wife family photography team based in St. Augustine, about 45 minutes south of Ponte Vedra Beach. We've been photographing weddings and family sessions throughout the First Coast since 2014, including at the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club and along the Ponte Vedra beach corridor. 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.
Where We Shoot
Oceanfront dunes, coastal preserves, and resort grounds
Ponte Vedra Beach has one of the most consistent stretches of Atlantic coastline on the First Coast — wide beaches, rolling dunes, and a residential feel that keeps it uncrowded compared to busier tourist areas. Here are our recommended session spots:
The main beach corridor along A1A is the most straightforward option — easy beach access, consistent dune backdrops, and plenty of space to spread out. Golden hour here turns the sand a deep amber. Good for families with young children who need room to roam.
A public beach access point with a parking lot off A1A. Known locally for its wide, relatively uncrowded beach and natural dune system. A solid default for family beach sessions in the area — no resort access needed, just show up.
The Guana Reserve spans a massive stretch of coastal habitat between Ponte Vedra and St. Augustine — ocean beach on one side, a tidal river and marsh on the other. The mix of environments creates genuinely different portrait opportunities in one location. Permits may apply; we advise on this at booking.
The Ponte Vedra Inn & Club and surrounding resort communities have manicured grounds and private beach access. If you're a guest and want to shoot on property, it's worth asking at the front desk — some properties allow resort guest photo sessions.
Not sure which location fits your family? Tell us your kids' ages, whether you want beach or something greener, and we'll match you to the right spot.
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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 Atlantic 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, nature preserve, resort grounds. We'll check availability and talk through the best options for your family and your timeline.
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 family-stage sessions we offer throughout the First Coast:
FAQ
Common questions about family sessions in Ponte Vedra Beach
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 on Ponte Vedra's east-facing beaches. Soft sun, warm tones, and no squinting. We'll recommend exact timing based on the season; sunset varies by almost 3 hours between December and June.
The Guana Tolomato Matanzas NERR (National Estuarine Research Reserve) allows recreational use but commercial photography sessions may require a permit depending on the specific access point. We handle the process and will advise you when you book.
For peak season (March-May and October-November), we recommend booking 3-4 weeks ahead. Mini shoots and holiday dates fill quickly. For off-peak times we can often accommodate shorter notice — reach out and ask.
Absolutely. Many Ponte Vedra Beach communities have private beach access or beautiful natural backdrops. If you're staying at the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club or a private rental, we're happy to come to you and make it work with your 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 ideal date, how many people, and what you're picturing — we'll take care of the rest.
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