Every four years, Karen’s extended family heads to Mission Beach for a long-running tradition that began in 1986. I photographed Karen and Tom and their three oldest children Kaitlyn, Brandon, and Blake, in 2021, and just a few weeks later they found out their bonus baby, Grayson, was on the way! Karen took the opportunity to get everybody in the shot this year and reserved early! We met up at Crystal Pier, one of my favorite spots for beach photos.
Just days before the shoot, Karen’s cousin Elizabeth, who currently lives in Nigeria but was in town for the reunion, decided to join us with her mom Joann and sons Sam and Ben. She managed to coordinate matching outfits on short notice, and I went back and forth between the families to make sure we got all the poses we needed.
As the sun dropped, the beach took on its usual energy. Brandon and Blake broke into an impromptu water fight, and Grayson explored a giant hole someone had dug in the sand—a lucky find that also made for some of the session’s best photos.
Karen and Elizabeth, who grew up together in Phoenix, Arizona, filled the rest of their families’ week with fun beach days and trips to Belmont Park. The Kioski extended family spent plenty of time together and enjoyed the traditional Kioski Olympics, which I would love to photograph someday! Sounds like a blast.
Looking forward to 2029’s session already!
















































