That time of year is almost here again. Where you listen to the waves crashing, feel the wind and sun on your skin, the smell of salty air, and tasting the ocean on your lips. Every summer is different here in the OBX; and each summer is full of families and new adventures. Planning your trip is just the start. What better way to remember your spectacular vacation at beaches like Nags Head, Corolla, and Kill Devil Hills than with your very own OBX family portraits. So this summer let Courtney Hathaway Photography capture the memories from your Outer Banks vacation.
Tag: ‘nags head family renunions’
Family Portraits {Outer Banks Beach Portrait Photographer}
Tuesday, April 2nd, 2013
Four Seniors {Take Two} l Outer Banks Beach Portraits l OBX Senior Photographer
Monday, September 12th, 2011If you read my last post, you know that I had four seniors in ONE session. What do you get when you put 4 seniors in one session? Controlled crazy!
Stevi l Outer Banks Senior Portrait Photographer l OBX Beach Portraits
Wednesday, July 6th, 2011This week I had a great time photographing Stevi’s senior portraits at Coquina Beach. It was overcast and windy, but she rocked it out, and had the perfect hair for the beach!! It looked awesome blowing in the wind. I also love how she brought a photo of her mom to include in the portraits – she would definitely be proud of the sweet young lady you are!
Lifestyle Photography {Part Two} l Isla Mujeres/Cancun, Mexico Photographer
Thursday, March 3rd, 2011One of the main reasons for being in Mexico is the fishing! Sailfishing that time of year is simply amazing, there is nothing like it. Let’s just say Rob thinking about fishing and boats as much as I think about photography and cameras – pretty much all the time. It’s hard to get me away from relaxing by the pool, but we had a couple of really beautiful days so I headed out on the boat for a little fish action! We spent the day fun fishing, and our crew consisted of another captain and his mate – plus our local mates.
One of the few times you’ll see Rob (on the right) down in the cockpit instead of “driving the bus” as I like to say. 
So ladies….reason #1 why you shouldn’t discount fishing….a 3:1 guy to girl ratio. Consider yourself lucky to see me more than once on the blog. We’re hooked up with a triple – meaning we’re catching three sailfish at one time.
Every angler wants to be able to hook and catch their own fish. I’m usually sitting back relaxing, but I told Tommy I wanted to learn to hook my own sailfish. I was quickly sent back to my seat when on the first try I hooked a bird….whoops! The birds dive-bomb the bait in the water, and it ate my bait. I wasn’t the only one – Kevin the other mate hooked a bird too. The birds are always okay, and I was able to grab a quick shot before we set him free.
Summer? Where are you? All this water and sunshine makes me VERY ready for summer and warm weather. Mother nature has teased us here on the OBX with a few unseasonably warm days this February. It sure is hard to go back to wind and cold after wearing shorts.
Lifestyle Photography {Part One} l Isla Mujeres/Cancun, Mexico Photographer
Wednesday, March 2nd, 2011At the end of the summer when all our vacationers have gone home, and the beach gets quiet, we get to work in the office. Since my summer is spent photographing my wonderful families for their Outer Banks Beach Portraits, and the the fall is spent fulfilling print and holiday card orders, the winter is the time you’ll find most of us OBXers heading out on vacation. Every winter I spend time in beautiful Isla Mujeres, Mexico. Isla is a small island just off the coast of Cancun, which requires a 20 minutes ferry ride, and once there you feel like you are in a whole different world. The majority of the island is seen by golf cart or moped, and only some locals and the taxi cab drivers have cars. Isla Mujeres is also the spot for world class Sailfishing during January – March….and one of the reasons why I venture down each winter. My hunny bunny (he’ll be pleased I called him that) is a captain on a sportfishing boat and Isla is one of their winter destinations.
I absolutely love it there, it’s one of my favorite places. While there, Rob has an extra mate (who helps them take care of the boat), Miguel. Miguel is like family and has been fishing with Rob and his mate Tommy for years. He lives most of the year in Cozumel, and travels to Isla to fish with Rob when the boat is in town. While I was in town we decided to make the trip back home to Cozumel with Miguel to spend time with his family and see the sights. It was an amazing trip, and I can’t wait to go back and spend more than a day. I’ll be honest – when I heard there was a bus involved I wasn’t too excited but our “bus” was like a luxury cruiser and much nicer than any charter bus I’ve been on in the US. Two ferry rides, a cab ride, and a bus ride later we were in Cozumel where Miguel’s whole family came to pick us up. I keep telling myself this is going to be the year I learn Spanish – I need to make it happen. It was a long day with Miguel’s family that didn’t speak English, and us who didn’t speak Spanish.
Rob, Miguel, & Tommy – waiting for our final ferry ride from Playa Del Carmen to Cozumel.
I could have just eaten this kid up! Miguel’s nephew, like most 3 year olds, was WIDE OPEN!
This one gets my vote for Tommy’s holiday card this year.
One thing I love the most about being in Mexico is just how important family is to them. They have such a strong sense of family, and for most, they all live together. Miguel’s family reminds me a southern family – they’ll feed you and make sure you have something to drink even if you aren’t hungry or thirsty…hehe. His mother, daughter, wife, and nephew joined us for a tour of Cozumel and a stop for lunch.
And here is the proof that I was actually there. It’s not often you see me on the blog because a) I’m always taking the photos, and b) Rob *hates* having his photo taken. Lucky for me I didn’t give him a choice, and handed the camera over to Tommy….he now thinks he’s the next Ansel Adams….HA!
OBX Snow Day Portraits : take two l Outer Banks Portrait Photographer
Friday, February 25th, 2011So after doing my session with Mallory, I did a quick and fun session with my super adorable little sister and one of her friends. I love our sessions – it’s great “girl time” and she fills me in all the important things going on in her life. Let’s just say after an afternoon with her I know everything that’s going on in the 6th grade….it’s a blessing and curse. 
We stayed at the Island Farm, and moved around a bit for some different looks. They even both wore their cute rubber boots. If you know me, you know that I’m a sucker for rubber boots…..LOVE LOVE LOVE my rubber boots. Seriously, I wear them even when it’s not raining…and I’m a dork and wear my jeans tucked IN them. I’m pretty sure the kids still think I’m cool, because the girls showed up with their pants tucked into their boots too. We finished up our session with lunch at Poor Richards, a local favorite for sandwiches, where I was got to hear all the code names for the cute boys in class.
OBX Snow Day Portraits l Outer Banks Photographer
Friday, February 25th, 2011Who says we don’t get snow at the beach? Well, if you’d asked me a couple of years ago if we got snow at the beach I’d say “heck no”. The reality is we might see a some flurries every few years but never anything substantial. This year has been crazy in the weather department here at the beach. Throughout the off-season and winter, clients will send me emails just to say hello – and inevitably they ask how the weather is. This year it seemed like my answer was always, “it’s snowing….again”. Yes my friends, we had around 4 or 5 (I’ve really lost count at this point) snowfalls this winter. It all started with a light dusting in early December. What? December? We had several more after that. For all of them I stayed inside, nice and warm snuggled up with my doggie. We finally had what I think will be our last snowfall this winter a couple of weeks ago. As soon as it finished snowing I decided to jump at the chance to do an impromptu snow session.
Insert Mallory and her sweet dog Molly. I’ve known Mallory since preschool – that’s one of the perks of living in a small town. Now we’re all grown up, and Mallory is engaged. What’s a post about old friends without a trip down memory lane? Wanna good laugh? Here’s a VERY old dance photo, I’m going to guess we were around 3 or 4? You can see me (looking thrilled) on the far left kneeling in the front – Mallory is on the far right kneeling in the front. I’m pretty sure I had the same haircut as my mom! Really…Mallory only has herself to blame for this seeing as how she put the incriminating photo on Facebook to begin with! 
So now on to the good stuff….
Gowie Family l Nags Head Family Beach Portraits
Monday, February 7th, 2011This family was just flat out a blast to photograph! Sometimes you just work with people who keep you laughing, and they were awesome. As soon as Beth and I chatted on the phone to book her session I knew they were going to be a fun family – and they totally delivered. Not only were the kids adorable, but Beth is so nice and funny. Full of personality!! She kept me laughing long after our session, until we finally finished her holiday card design!
We met up in South Nags Head for their session on a beautiful day. We started out in one of my usual spots, but quickly moved into the shade of the dunes to help with kids with squinting. From one fair kid to another – I know exactly how they felt!! The kids did great!
If you’ve ever had siblings, you can relate to this…
Griffin Family l Outer Banks Beach Portraits
Saturday, January 15th, 2011Bennett & Ailyn are awesome, and they’re great friends. Ailyn is so funny – makes me laugh, and she’s such a great mom. Bennett…well, I don’t think I’ve met a more devoted father. They live in Charleston, but we had the pleasure of Bennett staying with us whenever he comes into town for work. Their kids are too adorable, so when Ailyn and the kids came up to visit we had to make sure to get their family portraits in. We all had an early dinner together, and then headed down to Coquina Beach in South Nags Head for their family portraits.
Little Bennett’s at the in-between age, where he’s not sitting so it makes family portraits a little challenging. Don’t worry, this time next year he’ll be all over the place. Omi, that girl is a riot. Ailyn talks to the kids in Spanish, Bennett in English. It’s hilarious listening to Omi talk because her sentences are a mixture of both – it is the cutest thing.
Because the beach isn’t exactly the best place to lay a baby down for pictures, we made sure to get some inside the next day. Can we say adorable?? Little Bennett has the cutest smile ever!
Hatteras Island Portraits l Outer Banks/Hatteras Island Beach Portraits
Saturday, January 15th, 2011Amanda is a super sweet senior I photographed while she vacationed with her family on Hatteras Island. I LOVE shooting down south – the beaches are hands down the prettiest around. They’re beautiful, lots of dunes, and typically free of people. Amanda was so sweet, and did anything I asked her. She also had her boyfriend there, and we were able to grab a few shots of him, and them together.
A lot of seniors choose to have their senior portraits taken while vacationing here on the Outer Banks – I think it’s a fabulous idea!!! If you’re the unlucky (I kid, I kid) person who doesn’t live at the beach, what can be better than coming home from vacation and having senior photos that will look different than all of your classmates. Not only can you chat it up about your beach vacation, but you will have truly unique photos to remember your senior year by.
I mean, really, could I ask for a more beautiful senior?
I’ve got to give kudos to Amanda because this last shot, while it looks clam, actually took quite a bit of planning. Getting a reflection while sitting in the water? A lot harder than it looks. To have a great reflection you need the water to have *just* washed out I think she probably got tired of hearing me say, “Okay…now lift up. Go back down.” Thanks for being a trooper!
