A Retro Florida Poolside Family Photo Session

Family photos do not always need a beach, a park or a traditional holiday setting. Sometimes the best location is one that already feels connected to the way your family lives.

For this backyard poolside family photo session, we leaned fully into a retro Florida mood. Tropical prints, bright citrus, vintage inspired pool floats and a playful red, pink and green color palette transformed the family’s backyard into a setting that felt fun, personal and completely different from a typical family session.

Although we photographed this session during the holiday season are in Ponte Vedra, Florida, the goal was not to create traditional Christmas portraits. We wanted the photographs to feel like Florida: warm, colorful, relaxed and a little nostalgic.

A Florida Take on Holiday Family Photos

Holiday photos in Florida do not have to include sweaters, pine trees or pretend snow. Our warm weather and tropical surroundings give us the freedom to do something much more personal.

The red and green tones in the family’s clothing gave this session a subtle holiday feeling, while the palm prints, hibiscus flowers, oranges and poolside setting kept everything rooted in Florida. Wrapped gifts and a few festive details added to the story without making the photographs feel like a themed studio set.

The result was a gallery that could be used for holiday cards but still felt true to the family and the place they call home.

Why a Pool Can Be a Great Location for Family Photos

A pool offers a completely different energy from a beach or park. Children already associate the space with fun, which makes it easier for them to move, play and interact naturally. Instead of asking everyone to stand in one place for the entire session, we can build the photographs around what the family might genuinely enjoy doing together.

For this session, we began with portraits around the poolside seating area. This gave us a mix of full family photographs, sibling images and individual portraits before anyone got wet. We then moved toward the pool and brought in the oversized floats, allowing the second half of the session to become more playful.

That progression gave the final gallery both polished family portraits and the energetic photographs that made this session feel so memorable.

Creating a Retro Florida Look

The retro feeling came from combining several small details rather than relying on one elaborate prop.

The family’s tropical clothing established the color palette immediately. Reds, greens, pinks and crisp white worked beautifully against the blue water and surrounding palms. Vintage inspired striped floats and beach balls brought softness and shape to the pool, while oranges, patterned wrapping paper and decorative pillows added layers of color around the seating area.

Even the smallest choices helped tell the story. Bare feet, tropical flowers tucked behind the girls’ ears, colorful drinks and relaxed poolside poses made the session feel more like a Florida vacation from another era than a formal family portrait.

When planning a creative family session, wardrobe and setting should feel connected. The clothing does not need to match perfectly, but the colors, patterns and overall mood should make sense together.

Keeping a Styled Session Focused on the Family

This session included plenty of visual details, but the family remained the focus. The décor gave the children things to interact with and helped establish the mood, while the most meaningful photographs still came from the relationships between them.

There were sisters piled together on a chaise, parents laughing with their children and quiet moments between a mother and each of her kids. Once everyone moved into the pool, the session became even more playful. The floats encouraged movement and gave the children permission to be silly, which brought out genuine expressions and plenty of personality.

A styled session works best when the details support the family rather than overwhelm them. The goal is not to create a perfect set. It is to make a space where everyone can relax into the experience and where the photographs still feel like them.

Who Is a Poolside Family Session Best For?

A poolside family session can be a wonderful choice for:

• Families who want something different from beach photographs

• Children who love the water and are comfortable swimming

• Families with a pool or access to a visually appealing pool area

• Summer birthdays or vacation portraits

• Colorful holiday cards with a Florida feeling

• Families who enjoy playful, personality filled photographs

This type of session requires more planning than meeting at a public location. We need to consider the light, the pool surroundings, safety, clothing and how the space will appear in photographs. Not every backyard pool will be the right fit, but when the location, styling and family come together, the result can feel incredibly personal.

Don’t want to use holiday decor? No problem. You can view a simple Summer backyard session here

Family Photos That Feel Like Florida

One of the best parts of living in Northeast Florida is that family photographs do not have to follow the same formula. We can use the beach, moss covered oak trees, historic St. Augustine streets or even your own backyard to create a session that reflects your family.

This retro pool session was colorful, nostalgic and full of movement. It felt festive without being traditional and styled without losing the natural connection between the family members. Most importantly, it gave them photographs that could not have belonged to anyone else.

If you have an idea for a family photo session that feels a little unexpected, I would love to help you bring it together. I photograph families throughout Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra, Nocatee and St. Augustine, and I can help with the location, wardrobe and details that will make the session feel cohesive.

Ready to plan family photos that feel like you? View family session details or contact me to begin planning.