Aulani | Ko Olina Family Photos – Big trees, big smiles and small crabs

I love photo shoots on the east side of Oahu but every now and then I will venture across to the west shores to enjoy the gorgeous water and amazing sunsets. The beaches are less crowded on weekdays but then you have to battle pau hana traffic to get there, so itʻs a toss-up. Iʻll still take less crowds, so I just have my playlist ready and settle in for a longer car ride.

Iʻve known Shannon and Kaala for years. I asked Kaala to dance hula at my wedding (she was amazing!). And my husband was the emcee at their wedding. So, itʻs been extra special to photograph their family.Iʻm so touched to be the one that gets to photograph their sweet family and capture their littles from year to year.

The girls were climbing trees and exploring tide pools. Shannon was sharing dad jokes and Kaala was shaking her head=). And I was just trying to keep up and clicking away.

Families, no matter what I wear to your photo shoot, know that I am ALWAYS ready to jump in the water during your photo shoot. I will just jump in fully clothed, I dress for shoots with that in mind. I come to photo shoots stocked with an extra set of clothes and a towel and keep my fingers crossed. Letting the littles play in the ocean is a great reward after a photo shoot, and it gives me a chance to get a few more fun photos.

The girls splashed and laughed until the sun set and then dad brought out head lamps so they could hunt for small little crabs scurrying out of their little sand homes.

This just felt like what childhood in Hawai`i is all about.