Koolina Photographer | A Blissful Hawaiian Babymoon

Koolina Photographer Hearts Paradise Cove

Being a Koolina photographer is tricky because much of the area is highly manicured and quite crowded. Arrive in the afternoon and you’ll be met with a long line of cars snaking out of the few public parking lots. Usually, one stoic parent sits behind the wheel passing time on their phone while the rest of the family happily splashes in the sunshine. That can make a person cranky.

Personally, I seek out Paradise Cove Beach for a more natural, rugged feel. It’s a little hidden gem with beach access tucked within the monstrous parking lot for the Paradise Cove Luau. The small cove is frequented by sea turtles. That alone makes it worth a visit, but for the curious explorers in the group, there are tide pools to explore along with a small reef for easy snorkeling. Perhaps, the lagoon’s best feature is the shallow, protected swimming area. On calm days it’s more like a bathtub than ocean which makes it a great place to introduce babies and toddlers to the sea.

A Babymoon in Hawaii

Bridget knew she had a long string of sleepless nights ahead of her once the baby was born. Only made more challenging with a toddler to care for. None of this sleep when the baby sleeps nonsense. So they planned one last hurrah as a family of three. A babymoon to Hawaii.

They wanted to take the opportunity for family photos, but she was very clear that she was not comfortable with the traditional, hand-on-belly style of maternity portraits. In fact, she didn’t want to focus on her bump at all. Just the connection and love in their little ohana.

It was Connor’s first time in the ocean so Paradise Cove was an ideal choice. That’s what we thought anyway. Connor didn’t agree. According to him, sand was the biggest problem. The stuff was everywhere and he wanted nothing to do with it. Sand on my toes? Clean them immediately! Rocks were okay, but playing in the water was questionable since it contained sand. Happily, this led to lots of quality family hugs.

Half way through the session Connor spotted the outrigger canoes lined up on the luau property. He begged and pleaded and begged some more. “Please, can I touch the boat?” When a person finally appeared behind the roped off boats, his little face lit up. He rushed over to ask if he could touch a boat. They looked him right in that sweet little face and said, “No”.

After that we tried to distract him with extra fun. He would start to laugh and than catch himself as he spotted the boat out of the corner of his eye. His face would fall and in a pleading voice, he would ask for the boat.

In the end, we had to take him away from the scene of the heartbreak, but there were plans for boats and more adventure.and i’m sure their arms were sore from holding him all morning.

Are you Planning a Babymoon to Hawaii?

It’s the last chance for photos of your family before the big change! Make the most of your babymoon with a fun maternity session. I’ll plan a fun morning for you so you can make memories. Find out more about fun family photography sessions here.