An Under The Sea Family Maternity Photoshoot In Curaçao

The underwater photoshoot I’m going to tell you about today was an absolute dream come true! This shoot took me 90 miles off the coast of Venezuela, where there lies a hidden gem: the beautiful island of Curaçao! With its crystal clear waters and sun-kissed shores, this Dutch Caribbean island was the perfect backdrop for this amazing photo session with Melissa, Stef, and their two boys.

This family photoshoot was filled with waves of joy and love — and baby bumps! We decided on Casa Abao Beach as our destination for this family’s underwater adventure. With its beautiful white-sand beach, rocky cliffs, and calm waves — I knew this location had everything we were looking for. But, it wasn’t until I saw the water that I was completely sold on this spot for our underwater photoshoot. We couldn’t believe our eyes with how intense the turquoise water was — and you won’t either! 

A Memorable Beach Family Photoshoot 

I had a chance meeting with this fun and adventurous family at a workshop hosted by Sophia Costa (@thesophiaco). This family of four was originally from the Netherlands and was approaching the end of their five-month extended family vacation in Curaçao. They loved the island and were so sad to leave. They wanted to have a family photo session to remember their time there but they wanted to make it a little different. This family wanted to capture some memories of their trip under the sea — and I was so happy to make this a reality for them! 

Melissa and her family showed up at this underwater photoshoot fully prepared! Prior to our Curaçao underwater photoshoot, this family was given some tips on what to wear for their photos. I suggested neutral bathing suits because those always make for the best images. Melissa chose white bathing suits for her and the boys. These were a great choice because it allowed their tan skin to pop in their underwater photos.

When we arrived at Casa Abao Beach, we were met with water that was so ridiculously blue and clear. I’ve never seen anything like it before in my life! The clarity of the water was incredible, and the weather conditions were flawless — both important factors for a good underwater photoshoot! The pristine water was great for a day at the beach to play around in the water — which is exactly what we did for this family photoshoot!

Testing the Waters For Our Underwater Photoshoot

We spent a good portion of this underwater photo session in the shallow area along the beach to get fun shots with the kids. The boys were so adorable, and they were thrilled to be in the ocean and swimming in the waves. Their excitement and joy made for some great photos! 

Both boys were very confident swimmers in the ocean, which I was so thankful for. Melissa and Stef had the boys take swimming lessons in preparation for this vacation before they left the Netherlands. This really helped their underwater session go off as seamlessly as possible!

If there’s one piece of advice I could give to parents who want to do an underwater family photoshoot, it’s to consider getting swimming lessons for your kids (and maybe even yourself). Being a strong, confident swimmer is so important for a successful underwater photoshoot since the ocean is powerful enough to carry you out to sea if you’re not careful.

Fun in the Sun For This Underwater Family Photoshoot

The kids loved splashing around, swimming, and playing around in the water with their parents. Stef was an awesome dad and played along with the boys — tossing them up for good laughs and letting them ride on his shoulders! One of the main advantages of an underwater photoshoot is that it allows for authentic, candid, and fun shots. But this family’s playful dynamic made it even easier for me to photograph so many beautiful, genuine portraits for this family photoshoot! 

Another one of my favorite parts about this Curaçao underwater photoshoot is that we were documenting Melissa’s pregnancy, too! So, we turned this family photo session into an underwater family maternity photoshoot. This made these portraits extra special and even more memorable! Given their unique circumstances, this photoshoot was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for this family!

A Maternity Photoshoot Under the Sea

During the second portion of this session, we really focused on Melissa’s maternity. Melissa was a dream client. She prepared herself for our Curaçao underwater photoshoot by studying the underwater posing guide, so she was ready to go for our session. She knew that staying closer to the beach was always an option, but to get those deep, expansive ocean shots we had to go further out into the sea to where it was 8-10 feet deep. 

Melissa was such a rock star. Not only was she a confident swimmer, but she was also able to tread water for up to 45 minutes. This is not the easiest task, but she got through it — and I was able to photograph so many beautiful underwater maternity photos of her with her baby bump #3!  Some of the poses Melissa was asked to do were challenging, too. The upside-down, belly-up underwater photo pose, for example, isn’t for the faint of heart. But Melissa nailed it! 

She came to the photoshoot strong and prepared! Coming prepared — both mentally and physically — is key when it comes to a challenging underwater photoshoot like this one.

Melissa was so much fun, and I loved how much she glowed during our underwater maternity photoshoot! She looked absolutely radiant! You can really tell how much she enjoyed her time out in the ocean while posing for her underwater maternity photos just by looking at these images. 

I also loved that Stef jumped into the water to join her for an adventure couples session! I was able to get some amazing shots of the couple holding hands and swimming in the deep ocean together. The two of them did amazing when it came to posing for these maternity photos. These made for some of my favorite photos of the day!

This underwater family maternity photoshoot is one that I’ll never forget! I loved having the opportunity to capture these special moments with this Curaçao underwater photoshoot so much! It was such an amazing time on this beautiful island creating epic portraits that this family will have to remember their time in Curaçao forever!

Underwater photography is a great option for everyone because I tailor my sessions to you! Whether you’re looking to celebrate a milestone birthday, engagement, honeymoon, solo trip, family vacation, or pregnancy, there are so many great times to plan an underwater photoshoot.

If you’re ready to book your underwater photo session or want to learn more about what to expect when booking a session, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me! I’d love to be your underwater photographer! Now that I’m living in the Sunshine State, I can do underwater photoshoots in Florida or the Bahamas, but I’m willing to travel the world to explore the sea with you and help bring your visions to life!