Planning family photos on a Sarasota trip
Sarasota Family Photo Guides
Most families I photograph are here on vacation, and before they book they ask me the same few things: which beach, what time of day, what if it rains. I wrote these guides so you can decide on your own, at home weeks before the trip or on your phone at the hotel. Everything in them comes from sessions I photograph on these beaches all year.
Planning your session
4 guides
Where to shoot
The Best Beaches for Family Photos in Sarasota
Siesta Key, Lido Key, Longboat Key, Anna Maria Island, Coquina and Venice, compared by where you are staying, who is coming and whether you want sunrise or sunset.
Read the beach guide
When to shoot
The Best Time for Family Photos on Siesta Key
Sunset times for every month, morning or evening with toddlers, summer storms and wind, and which evenings the mini sessions run.
Read the timing guide
What to wear
What to Wear for Beach Family Photos
Five color palettes that work on white quartz sand, fabrics for the wind, and what to tell a family of fifteen so nobody matches.
Read the outfit guide
What it costs
How Much Do Family Photos Cost in Sarasota?
Published 2026 prices from eleven local photographers, the extra fees to ask about, and where my prices sit, honestly.
Read the price guidePlaces
4 beaches
The four beaches I work on every week, each with its own page: where I meet you, parking, light and who it suits.
Want them side by side? Compare all four beaches. Staying in Bradenton or Venice? The beach guide covers Coquina, Caspersen and more.
Big families and occasions
6 pages
How each kind of session works, from a three-generation reunion to a surprise proposal.
The short answers
The six things families ask me most before they book, answered in a few lines each. The guides above have the whole story.
Which beach?
Siesta Key for most families, and it is the only beach where my mini sessions run. Staying on Longboat Key? Then we photograph on your own beach. Anna Maria Island adds a $70 travel fee, Venice and Longboat Key $50, and you see it before you pay. More in the beach guide.
What time of day?
From late October through May, the last stretch of daylight before sunset. From June to September, especially with toddlers, an early morning is often better: cooler, calmer and ahead of the afternoon storms. More in the timing guide.
How long, and how much?
A mini session on Siesta Key is $200 for 15 minutes or $270 for 30. A family hour is $350 for up to five people, or $450 on a Friday to Sunday evening; ninety minutes is also an option. The Sessions page always has the current pricing and the open dates.
What about a big group?
Up to twenty people book online like everyone else, and the Large families page shows the price for your exact head count before you pay. More than twenty, write to me.
What if it rains?
I do not move a session because of a rain icon on the forecast; a summer storm cell usually lasts about half an hour. If the evening is genuinely gone, we move the date and you do not lose your deposit. More in the rain guide.
How does booking work?
Pick a session and an open time, then pay a 30% deposit online. The rest is paid after the session, with a full refund if you cancel more than 7 days out. I send the parking pin and the exact meeting point as soon as you book, and your gallery arrives in 2 to 5 days, every frame edited by hand.
Found your beach and your evening?
Mini sessions on Siesta Key are $200 for 15 minutes and $270 for 30. A family hour is $350, or $450 on a Friday to Sunday evening. The live Sessions page always has the current pricing and the open dates, and you book and pay the deposit right there, no messages needed. If you would rather ask first, text me or write to me. You will be talking to me, the person who shows up with the camera.
4.97 from more than 90 reviews on Airbnb
The best experience! 100% recommend photos with Yuriy. They were everything we wanted when we booked! The turn around time and number of pictures we got back is incredible. This was our first trip to the Sarasota area, definitely won't be our last... and we will absolutely be booking another session with Yuriy on our next trip!