Whether you’re here for a week or you’ve lived here all your life, the Cornish coast deserves to be in your family album.
I’m Maryann, and for over a decade I’ve been making photographs that feel like the real thing rather than the polished version. My family beach sessions are exactly that. Time on the Cornwall coast with the people you love most, photographed in golden light, in a way that actually looks like your family.
No awkward posing. No “everybody say cheese.” Just space for your family to be themselves, with me quietly catching the moments worth keeping.
There’s no posing marathon, no awkward ‘everyone look here and smile’. We’ll go for a wander, play, explore, and I’ll photograph what actually happens. Kids are so much better when they’re doing something rather than being told to stand still. Most families tell me afterwards they forgot I was there, which is exactly how I like it.
You came here for the salt air, the long evenings, and the kind of week your kids will talk about for years. Let me give you something to take home that’s better than a fridge magnet.
Sessions can be booked at short notice during your stay, just get in touch with your dates and I’ll let you know what’s available. Your edited gallery will be ready within 3 weeks, so even if you’re home by then, you’ll have something real to show for the trip.
You already know how lucky we are to live here. You also know how fast the kids grow, how quickly a summer slips by, and how often you mean to get proper family photographs and somehow another year passes. This is your nudge. Cornish families get first refusal on golden hour weekday slots, which holidaymakers rarely book, and I’ll always try to find you a beach that means something to your family rather than just a pretty one.
45 minutes of photography, one location, off peak weekdays only. 8 image downloads, plus access to your full online gallery to pick favourites or order more. Perfect for couples, smaller families, or a quick session squeezed into a busy week.
2 hours of photography, one location, with the option to change outfits halfway through. 20 image downloads, plus access to your full online gallery to pick favourites or order more. The sweet spot. Long enough for everyone to relax into it, short enough that no one melts down.
4 hours across two locations, the full heirloom experience. 40 image downloads, plus access to your full online gallery, plus 10 fine art prints posted to you after. For the family that wants the proper keepsake, not just the digital files.
✦ A pre session chat to plan your beach, your timing, and what to wear
✦ Golden hour light (early morning or evening)
✦ Full edited online gallery within 3 weeks
✦ The option to buy additional digital images, fine art prints, framed pieces and albums directly from your gallery
A £75 deposit secures your date. The balance is due 48 hours before your session.
Cornwall is spoilt for beaches and I’ll help you pick the right one. Some favourites: Newquay, St Ives, Falmouth, Sennen, Kynance Cove, Porthminster, Constantine, Holywell. If you’re a visitor staying somewhere specific, we’ll find a beach close to you. If you’re local, we might choose the cove you’ve been going to since you were small.
I photograph families all over Cornwall, on beaches at low tide, on clifftops with the Atlantic behind you, in bluebell woods, on the Helford River, and in the lanes around the Roseland Peninsula. Popular spots include Porthcurno, Carbis Bay, Tehidy Woods, Kennall Vale, Trelissick Garden, the Helford Estuary, and the cliffs around Tintagel and Boscastle. If you have a favourite spot, let’s go there, if you’re not sure where, I know all the best light spots at every time of day and season.
Sessions run July through September. I prefer golden hour, but happy to photograph any time if that doesn’t work for you. That’s roughly two hours before sunset, or the first two hours after sunrise. The light is the whole point.
Most family sessions are one to two hours. That’s usually enough time to get a lovely variety of images without anyone getting tired or restless, especially with young children.
Cornwall weather is part of the magic. I work in all weathers and some of the most beautiful family photos I’ve ever taken have been in misty drizzle or with dramatic storm clouds behind us. We can always rearrange if it’s a genuine downpour, but light rain is usually fine, and often makes for more atmospheric images.
Wear something you feel comfortable and like yourself in, not necessarily matching, but colours that don’t clash. Layers are great for Cornwall. I’ll send you a short guide when you book with more tips.
Yes, I’m based in mid Cornwall and travel all across the county. From the Penwith peninsula to the Tamar Valley, I cover the whole of Cornwall.
I am so glad you are here! If there are any questions I can answer for you, just drop me a message, I would love to hear from you.
