The Brandt Family | Hilton Head Island Family Session

I had the privilege of doing this family session for the Brandts while they were out at Hilton Head Island enjoying a family vacation around the holidays. The Brandt “children” are actually full grown adults who travelled from long distances to be part of the family vacation, which in and of itself is pretty special. It certainly is no easy feat to coordinate that many work schedules, pet sitters, and flights, but they made it work! Even Grandma Brandt was part of the festivities!

If you’ve read any of my prior blogs or Instagram posts, then you know that Hilton Head Island is very near and dear to my heart. It is easily one of my favorite places to be, even under circumstances that aren’t ideal. This trip, I was out there visiting my grandfather for the last time after he suffered a series of small strokes in the prior weeks. This trip for me was a bit somber, so it was welcoming break to go enjoy myself at the beach photographing the Brandt family.

As it turns out, I’ve known the Brandt family for a very long time. In fact, I actually can’t remember a time when I DIDN’T know them. They have always been an amazingly supportive family, both uplifting to each other and also to others around them. The Brandt “children” have encouraged each other to achieve some pretty impressive goals: media covering the Olympics in Beijing, obtaining higher education in the San Francisco area, training for 50k running events, and planting roots in ski hot spots, just to name a few. I’m still in awe at some of the amazing feats this family has accomplished and has encouraged in others as well. In fact, thanks to this family, I signed up and successfully ran my first full marathon last year! It was an incredible feeling to have them cheering wildly for me as I crossed the finish line in literal tears. I am forever grateful, and I’m thankful for the opportunity to provide some lasting memories for them through photography.

The family session photoshoot was very last minute, but the Brandts pulled it off perfectly. I was so impressed how coordinated everyone looked in navy and shades of black, especially considering everyone was outfitted from whatever they happened to have in their suitcases. It just goes to show you that great minds really do think alike!

The weather wasn’t typical for Hilton Head Island; it was a bit chilly and overcast that week, but that certainly didn’t stop us. The boardwalk out to the beach and the ocean were the perfect backdrops for this family session. It also happened to be right outside of the condo they were renting for the week. I couldn’t have chosen a better spot myself!

As mentioned previously, Grandma Brandt was also spending the vacation with them. In light of the events with my grandfather, I was very happy that I could capture this moment of their family with Grandma Brandt. Year by year, coordinating full family events gets harder and harder, so preserving this memory in a photo was of utmost importance.

The Brandts, as always, were welcoming and cheerful. It was really easy getting them to interact positively with each other and create genuine smiles. They looked like complete naturals! I am so happy with how their photos turned out, and I hope they enjoy them for years to come! Thank you Brandts!