A Hampton Beach Engagement Session with McKenna & Shamus

Some sessions just have a certain energy from the moment you arrive, and McKenna & Shamus's Hampton Beach engagement session was one of them.

‍I pulled up to their summer rental right on the beach (shoutout to the best parking I have ever had for a session, truly a milestone moment) and walked straight into the best kind of organized chaos. Their extended family was wrapping up a full beach day; kids running around, a picnic dinner happening on the sand, everyone sun-soaked and happy. McKenna and Shamus were getting ready in the middle of all of it, and it just felt like such a perfect slice of summer.

We kicked off the session the right way with a champagne pop. McKenna and Shamus had a blast with it, spraying it everywhere, and it set the tone for the whole evening.

From there we meandered down the beach, pausing at different spots along the way. McKenna came in with a clear vision: lots of romance, lots of movement. It was a little outside of my usual image-making process having been ‘classically’ trained to have every image sharp but I loved every second of it. There is something really satisfying about flexing your creative muscles and trying something new, and these two made it easy.

One detail that made this session extra special: McKenna and Shamus mentioned that this was likely the first time they had done something just the two of them since having their two young kids. The kids were in great hands with aunts and cousins back at the house, but you could feel how much this time together meant to them. A little surreal, a little exciting, and a whole lot of love.

After exploring the jetty for a bit, we looped back to grab some photos with the kids. We had a lot of fun spinning them around in circles in the air and made sure to capture a big family shot, complete with more champagne spray courtesy of McKenna.

The finale was my favorite part: the two of them splashing around in the waves as the sun went down. Those are the shots I will be thinking about for a long time.

McKenna & Shamus, thank you for sharing your family vacation with me and for trusting me with this one. It was such a joy.

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Julia Webb is a New England wedding, engagement, and portrait photographer. Specializing in fun, relaxed sessions for first-timers and seasoned pros alike. Contact Julia to book your session.