Sarasota family photo locations
Four beaches, and what each one is good for
I photograph on the same stretch of coast all year, and the beaches are not interchangeable. One is easy with a toddler and a grandmother. One is best at sunrise. One is quiet if you are already staying on it. One looks like somewhere rather than like any warm beach. Here is how I choose between them.
Visiting from out of state? See how vacation photo sessions work.
Not sure which beach? Read my guide to the best beaches for family photos, with a comparison table for toddlers, grandparents and large groups.
Siesta Key
White sand, small accesses away from the crowd, and the only beach where my mini sessions run
The beach I suggest first for most families, and the only one where the fifteen and thirty-minute mini sessions run. I meet you at one of the small accesses, not the main lot: a three-minute walk, soft sand and a beach that empties fast after sunset. Evening light, easy with a toddler and a grandmother on the same evening.
Lido Key
Sunrise light at South Lido, and open sand and green shade in one session
Where I go in the morning. South Lido at sunrise is the best light I know on this coast and almost nobody is there. One session holds two different pictures: open sand and sky on the public beach, palms and deep green shade at the park end. Good for ten to fourteen people who want more than one backdrop.
Longboat Key
The quiet island, driftwood at the north end, and resort beaches you can walk down to
The quiet island. If you are staying here, you walk down from your rental and I meet you on the sand in front of it, so there is no drive and no parking to think about. Driftwood at the north end, almost nobody behind you, evening light on the gulf side. Adds a $50 travel fee.
Anna Maria Island
Pine shade, pastel cottages, and Bean Point where two waters meet. The island shows up in the pictures
An island that shows up in the pictures: pastel cottages, pine shade right behind the sand, and Bean Point where two waters meet. There is room for a large group, and a current there strong enough that nobody swims, so nobody stands in your photos. A drive north over the bridge, so this one adds a travel fee.
Which one fits you
- Siesta Key: the one to pick for most families, and the only beach where the fifteen and thirty-minute mini sessions run. Easy with a toddler and a grandmother on the same evening.
- Lido Key: the one to pick for sunrise, or for a group of ten to fourteen who want two different backdrops in one session.
- Longboat Key: the one to pick if you are already staying on it: no drive, and the quietest of the four. Adds a $50 travel fee.
- Anna Maria Island: the one to pick for a large group, or for a strong current that keeps swimmers out of your photos. Adds a travel fee.
- Coquina Beach: the easiest island beach for a big family staying in Bradenton, with parking and restrooms right there. Adds the island travel fee.
- Venice and Caspersen Beach: for families staying in Venice, and for a look nothing on Siesta has. Adds a $50 travel fee.
- The St. Regis Longboat Key: for families staying at the resort. I meet you there and we walk down to the water.
All four beaches work for a full hour session; mini sessions are
Siesta Key only. All of them side by side, with prices, are on the Sarasota photographer page. Want somewhere else entirely (a park, a pier, the pool at your rental)?
Ask about another location