Anna Maria Island, the south end · Manatee County
Coquina Beach and Bradenton Beach Family Photographer
Coquina Beach, at the south end of Anna Maria Island in Bradenton Beach, is the easiest beach on the island for a big family: big county parking lots right along the beach, restrooms and showers in the park, and the sun setting straight into the Gulf. I photograph families here, from small ones to groups of twenty, and you can see your price and book a morning or an evening online without writing to anyone.
By Yuriy. Coquina is my favorite beach on Anna Maria Island, and most of my island sessions happen here. Park facts checked against Manatee County and the City of Bradenton Beach, September 2026.
Family hour
$350
Up to five people. Friday to Sunday evening is $450.
Island travel fee
$70
Added at booking as the Anna Maria Island travel fee; it covers Coquina, Cortez and Bradenton Beach.
Group size online
Up to 20
Add everyone on the calculator; bigger than that, text me.
Gallery
2-5 days
70 hand-edited photos for an hour, more for a bigger family.
Know before you go: Coquina Beach with the whole family
Local photographers often call Coquina the island beach for large families. The reasons are practical, so here they are, row by row, including the parts that are less convenient.
In short
Big county lots along the beach, free as of fall 2026, restrooms and showers in the park, no dogs, and beach works on parts of the beach this fall and winter, so I check the sand before your date.
| Topic | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Where we meet | At the water, not at the car. After you book I send the exact spot with a pin and the part of the lot to park in. Because of the beach works below, the pin I send takes the current closures into account. |
| Parking | The county lots run along the beach, with more than 800 spaces in all. It is free as of fall 2026, but Manatee County has been discussing paid parking on the island, so check the signs. In the rainy season, the county notes that flooding in the beach lots is common after a storm. |
| Restrooms | In the park: restrooms, outdoor showers and changing cabanas, plus a concession stand, a playground and picnic tables. |
| Walk from the car | The lots run along the beach and a paved trail runs through the park, so how far you walk depends on where you park. I tell you where to park so the walk to our spot is as short as it can be. |
| Sand | Once you leave the trail it is beach sand to the water. Barefoot is easiest for the photos; flip-flops for the walk in. |
| Shade | Pavilions and picnic areas in the park. The county took out 96 of the Australian pines along the trail in 2023 and the storms since took more, so do not count on pine shade at the water. Three pavilions can be reserved through the county for a picnic before or after. |
|---|---|
| Lifeguards and traffic | Lifeguards are on duty from 9 am to 5 pm most of the year and to 7 pm in summer. In season, Gulf Drive backs up at busy times, especially toward Longboat Key, so give yourselves a few extra minutes to arrive and to leave. |
| Dogs | Not allowed at Coquina. The county rules out pets, alcohol, glass and drones in the park. If the dog is part of the family, see family photos with dogs. |
| Sea turtles | Nesting season runs from May 1 to October 31: no lights on the beach after sunset, and marked nests are left alone. An evening session ends by ten minutes after sunset anyway. |
| Beach works | As of late September 2026, the county is rebuilding the sand at Coquina after storm damage, and local papers report a larger island project, Cortez and Coquina included, from November into spring 2027. In late September the south end by Longboat Pass, where the crews keep their equipment, was fenced off, and other sections close for a few days at a time as the crews move. I check the beach before your date. |
| For a group of 10+ | Everyone parks in the county lots by the beach, so nobody hunts for spaces on side streets. If the family is spread across rentals, the free island trolley runs every 20 minutes and ends at Coquina. Ask everyone to be at the water five to ten minutes early. |
| With a stroller or a grandparent | The paved trail takes a stroller; the sand does not, so carry the little one the last stretch. The park lends three beach wheelchairs and a walker for free at the concession stand, first come first served, so ask early in the day. Tell me after you book and I pick the spot with the shortest walk. |
Park facilities, rules, lifeguard hours, turtle season and beach wheelchairs: Manatee County, Coquina Beach. Free parking and trolley times: City of Bradenton Beach parking page. Lot size: Your Observer, April 2026. Beach works: Anna Maria Island Sun and The Islander, September 2026. Checked September 30, 2026; rules and parking can change.
Very good communication beforehand we knew exactly where to go. He was so sweet and made sure our large family got all the shots we wanted!
Where I photograph at the south end of the island
I use two or three places on Coquina itself. I do not publish the exact stretch: once a spot is on a map, it stops being quiet. You get it, with the pin, after you book.
Staying in Bradenton?
If your rental is in mainland Bradenton, FL, Palmetto or Lakewood Ranch, Coquina is where I send you for the Gulf: over the Cortez Bridge and a short way south. The session is on the island beach, so the island travel fee applies, the same as for a family staying on the island.
01 · On the sand
Weathered wood and old posts
Old weathered wood on parts of the sand, with the open Gulf behind. It gives a big family something to stand on and a line to stand along, and small children something to climb. That was late summer 2026; the sand work this winter may cover some of it, so I check before your date.
Best for: the whole-family photo, a line of ten or more people, and small children who need somewhere to sit.
02 · Coquina, behind the sand
Palms and sea grape
Along parts of the beach the sand runs into sea grape, sea oats and cabbage palms. It is the second look I use in the same session: green behind the family instead of blue, without moving the cars.
Best for: portraits of each household, grandparents on their own, and a group photo that does not look like every other beach photo.
03 · Just north
Cortez Beach
The same shoreline a little north of Coquina, still in Bradenton Beach, with its own county parking. It has its own old groins, rows of posts in the water where surfers catch waves on windy days. It is part of the renourishment work planned from November. Most of my sessions at this end of the island are on Coquina itself.
04 · Across Gulf Drive
Leffis Key Preserve
The mangrove boardwalks and the small hill across the road from Coquina are a well-known backdrop. The preserve has been closed since the 2024 storms; as of fall 2026 it is still closed, its reopening waiting on federal review, so I do not plan sessions there.
Coquina or the north end of the island?
For a family of ten with grandparents, I usually suggest Coquina: big county lots along the beach, restrooms, everyone in one place. For a family already staying up north, the Anna Maria Island page covers the rest of the island.
Yuriy was a great communicator before the photo shoot and had an ideal location picked out for some pictures. He had a lot of beautiful ideas and did great editing on the photos. We are so happy with them and 100% recommend Yuriy!
Light and time of day at Coquina
Coquina faces west, so the sun goes down over open water, the way it does all along this coast. Sunset here is within a minute or two of Siesta Key, so my guide to the best time for family photos works for Coquina too: sunset for every month, morning against evening, and what the season changes.
Evening sessions end by ten minutes after sunset, when the sky often has its strongest color. Your calendar shows the start times that work on your date, worked out from that day's sunset.
Summer and winter
From June to September the afternoon storms are the thing to plan around. Most pass before sunset, some do not, and after a heavy one parts of the lot can stand in water. A morning is the safer summer choice: the sun rises behind you over the bay side of the island, the light is soft and even, and the beach is close to empty. Across the year, sunset moves from about 5:36 pm in early December to about 8:29 pm at the end of June, so in December and early January the evening is done before dinner.
In winter the evening sessions start in the middle of the afternoon and the air is cooler once the sun is low, so bring a layer for the little ones.
If rain genuinely takes your evening, I move the session to another morning or evening and you keep your deposit.
Large family photos at Coquina: how the session runs
Everyone meets at the water five to ten minutes before the start. The first photograph is all of you together, while the light is soft and nobody has wandered off to the playground. Then each household on its own, the grandparents with all the grandchildren, the siblings, the cousins, and anyone who asks for a photo with just one person.
The smallest children go first, before they get tired, and a grandparent who cannot stand for long can sit down between photos. With twelve or fourteen people I keep the whole thing moving, so nobody stands waiting in the sun.
One family of eight, one August morning
One morning late in August I photographed a family of eight here: three generations, with two baby girls. We began with everyone walking together along the water. Three minutes later all eight stood in a line on the weathered wood on the sand, the photo at the top of this page, and a minute after that the grandparents held both granddaughters, the photo in this section. The last photos were of the whole family under the palms behind the sand, so one session gave them both looks of this beach, and the whole family was done within the hour, before the heat.
An hour or ninety minutes
However big the group, you choose the length. Up to 20 of you book online, and the large families calculator shows your price for the head count before you pay; the island travel fee is added when you book.
Price, travel fee and booking
A family hour is $350 for up to five people: mornings any day and Monday to Thursday evenings. Friday to Sunday evening is $450. Ninety minutes, and the price for more people, are on the Sessions page.
Coquina, Cortez Beach and Bradenton Beach are on Anna Maria Island, so the island travel fee of $70 applies: when you book, tick the Anna Maria Island travel fee.
A family of four works here as well as a family of fourteen. Short sessions are the one thing I do not run at Coquina: they run only as mini sessions on Siesta Key, in fixed time slots.
- 01
Pick the session and your people
An hour or ninety minutes; add everyone who is coming, and the price updates as you go.
- 02
Pick a date and a start time
The calendar opens four months ahead and offers only the mornings and evenings I actually shoot on that date.
- 03
Hold it with 30 percent
The rest is paid after the session. A cancellation more than 7 days before is refunded in full. I send the meeting point with a pin and parking notes.
After the session
Dinner on Bridge Street
Historic Bridge Street, the old main street of Bradenton Beach a few minutes north of Coquina, is the easy place for dinner after the session, even for a family still in their photo clothes.
The ferry, for the trip there
Since September 2026 the Gulf Islands Ferry from Bradenton runs on past the Bridge Street pier to a stop across the road from Coquina, according to the Anna Maria Island Sun. It runs Wednesday to Sunday until about 8:30 pm, weather permitting. In summer the last boat leaves before a sunset session ends, so there it works as a fun afternoon before the photos, not as the way home.
A picnic for a reunion
Three pavilions in the park can be reserved through Manatee County, the largest seating 96. With a reunion of twenty, lunch under a pavilion and photos at the water that evening keeps everyone in one place.
Yuriy was very professional and fun! Photos turned out great. He really captured the essence of our family. We were extremely happy with Yuriy and would highly recommend him!
Coquina Beach family photos: FAQ
How much are family photos at Coquina Beach?
A family hour is $350 for up to five people, $450 on a Friday to Sunday evening, plus the $70 island travel fee. Price and booking has the rest, and big groups see their price on the calculator.
Is there a travel fee for Bradenton Beach and Coquina?
Yes, the same island fee as the rest of Anna Maria Island, since Coquina, Cortez Beach and Bradenton Beach are on the island. Price and booking shows how it is added.
Is parking free at Coquina Beach?
As of fall 2026, yes: the county lots along the beach have more than 800 spaces. The county has been discussing paid parking on the island, so check the signs, and after a summer storm parts of the lot can flood.
Are there restrooms at Coquina Beach?
Yes. The park has restrooms, outdoor showers, changing cabanas and a concession stand, which is a big part of why it suits a family with small children or grandparents.
We are staying in Bradenton, not on the island. Can we still do this?
Yes. For families staying in mainland Bradenton, Palmetto or Lakewood Ranch, Coquina is the Gulf beach I suggest: over the Cortez Bridge and a short way south. The session is on the island beach, so the island travel fee applies; Price and booking shows how it is added.
Should we choose Coquina or Bean Point?
For a big group or grandparents, Coquina, for the lots and restrooms; the Anna Maria Island page covers the north end.
Can we bring our dog to Coquina Beach?
No. Manatee County does not allow pets at Coquina. Dogs are welcome on a family session of an hour or longer on a beach that allows them; family photos with dogs has the details.
What if it rains on our evening?
I watch the actual sky, not the icon on your phone, and many summer storms pass before sunset. If the evening is genuinely gone, I move the session to another morning or evening and you keep your deposit.
What should we wear for beach photos at Coquina?
Two or three soft colors that sit well together, everyone in their own clothes, and bare feet on the sand. With a big group, agreeing on the colors matters more than matching outfits. What to wear for beach family photos has real examples.
Do you do mini sessions at Coquina?
No. Mini sessions run only on Siesta Key, in fixed slots. At Coquina I photograph full sessions of an hour or ninety minutes.
Your session at Coquina
Pick your dates, add everyone who is coming, and the calendar shows the mornings and evenings that work. You see the full price, travel fee included, before you pay the deposit, and if you would rather ask first, you will be talking to me, the person who shows up with the camera.
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