Alex booked a 30 minute mini session at South Beach in Newport, OR because she knew her one and a half and three year old had a limited time window before things went sideways. Smart mom. We pushed the session back that morning a little bit, hoping the marine layer would lift and it did, mostly. Still breezy, still a little chilly, still very much the Oregon Coast doing what it does in August.

And then the meltdowns came. Not one kid. Both of them. Taking turns. Like a relay race of feelings.

Alex and Cameron kept smiling through it, bless them, but I could feel Alex quietly hoping that something, anything, was going to turn out okay. I was not worried for a single second. This is kind of my favorite situation to shoot actually.

Here’s the thing about toddlers at a beach session – they are not going to perform for a camera and honestly that is the best news I can give you. Because while everyone is focused on getting a smile out of a melting down two year old, I am watching everything else. The way dad scoops them up. The look mom gives him over the top of a crying little head. The half second of genuine giggles when we started running and playing and fully gave up on any kind of posed moment. That in between stuff is where all the best images live and it is exactly what I am always looking for.

Alex’s reaction when she saw the gallery was everything. Shocked, thrilled, a little emotional. You would never look at these photos and know we were battling coastal wind and back to back toddler meltdowns the entire time. You would just see her family, really and truly themselves, on the Oregon Coast on a summer morning.

A Note for Every Parent Who is Nervous About This

I have been there. I am a mom. I know what it feels like to be that person smiling on the outside while internally doing the math on whether this was a terrible idea. It was not a terrible idea. It is never a terrible idea. Kids have meltdowns. Toddlers are unpredictable. The Oregon Coast is windy and sometimes uncooperative. None of that stops us from walking away with images that will matter to you for the rest of your life. It just means I have to be a little quicker and a little sneakier and a little more patient than the average session. That is genuinely one of my favorite challenges.

If you are looking for a Newport OR family photographer who is not going to panic when your three year old loses it in the first five minutes, hi. That is very much me.

Ready to Book Your Oregon Coast Family Session?

I’m Jackie, I call the Oregon Coast home and I photograph families all along this stretch of coastline from Cannon Beach down through Newport and beyond. Meltdowns welcome.