Beach Day Lifestyle Session with Rya Duncklee Studios

Professional photos represent a big investment, so it’s important to me to work with a photographer who gets me and my family. I want a keepsake that’s better than my iPhone-quality pics and that really captures my children’s personalities. That’s exactly what I got from Rya Duncklee.

After our first email correspondence and then a phone conversation, I knew that I would love Rya when I met her in person; she took the time to get to know me and to discuss my expectations. When she sent me an example of the approach she wanted to take with the kids, I immediately loved the idea of a lifestyle session, which would capture precious everyday moments, rather than featuring the kids dressed up and posed perfectly for pictures. She also sent me a fascinating “getting to know you questionnaire,” which asked seemingly unusual questions but actually helped Rya learn about each child and understand who we are as a family.

After we had talked and Rya had reviewed my questionnaire, she sent me a mood board that showed her vision for the shoot. No other photography session I have ever experienced has included such a feature, and I loved seeing how she envisioned our upcoming session. The mood board beautifully reflected the thought, the care, and the passion she pours into the time she spends with her clients.

Before our session, I told Rya that the beach near my parents’ house is a special place for both the kids and me. We enjoy playing in the tide pools and searching for sharks’ teeth; the time we spend there gives Britton a chance to nap on me in the carrier while Kingsley and I take long walks, enjoying our beautiful Northeast Florida coast. Not surprisingly, we decided that the beach would be the perfect place for Rya to photograph the kids while they enjoyed doing one of the things they love most.

Early on the morning of our shoot, Rya spent time getting to know the kids while they had a little breakfast at my parents’ house. Since she already knew a lot about Kingsley and Britton from the questionnaire, that it made it easier for them to get used to her being around us, taking pictures. After we headed out to our shoot at our favorite spot on the beach, the kids just played as they normally would have on any other day, and they both had fun with the props Rya had brought. Although I anticipated some captivating candid shots, I was genuinely amazed by the proofs she sent me, and the video she had put together brought me to tears.

That video proved to be the perfect keepsake for capturing my children’s personalities. As excited as I was about the pictures, the video took our session to another level. I love having both stills and a video of Kingsley and Britton, playing and being themselves–and it’s an easy way to share the session with friends and family.

Do you ever have professional pictures done and then never do anything with them? Until I met Rya, I, too, had been guilty of doing exactly that! For your next family photo shoot, consider hiring Rya Duncklee Studios, which offers an end-to-end design service for clients, complete with a custom frame line and complimentary installation services. Rya specializes in hybrid baby and children’s photography, with services that include both photography and videography. As I discovered firsthand, her videography

 is a such a dynamic component of her work that you’ll never even be tempted to let it–or her enchanting photographs–sit, figuratively gathering dust, in your computer.

You can find Rya featured in our JMB Guide to Photographers and you can connect with her on Facebook and Instagram!

Thank you Rya Duncklee Studios for sponsoring this post and taking the beautiful photos of my children. All opinions are still my own. 

Want to leave a review for Rya Duncklee Studios? Click on the link to our Family Directory below!

Megan Kilis
Born in Jacksonville and raised in New Orleans and Houston, Megan attended college in Knoxville, then worked in Nashville. From her nomadic lifestyle grew a love for the beach, as well as a fondness for Cajun food and jazz, Texas BBQ, Tennessee football, and everything Music City. She is a work-from-home mompreneur with a passion for business, fashion, fitness, community, and all things mom. Having fallen in love with her parents’ hot plumber Mike in 2007, she married him two years later in her parents’ backyard. After their spunky curly-haired charmer Kingsley was born in February 2010, Megan decided not to return to her job. While spending time as a stay-at-home mom, however, she realized that Jacksonville was lacking some important resources for moms–so in August 2012, she asked her friend Vicky to join her in starting Jacksonville Moms Blog, now Jacksonville Mom. Megan loves learning more about her city; connecting with other moms, as well as connecting moms with one another; and discovering new local businesses. As the blog has grown, so has her family: in May 2014, she and Mike welcomed a spirited baby boy named Britton. When she’s not working on Jacksonville Mom, you can find Megan sweating it out with other moms, shooting skeet with Mike, or running around on the beach with her energetic duo!

4 COMMENTS

  1. Oh Megan! The pictures and video are amazing. It even made me tear up. What a special keepsake to have. I will definitely have to look in to doing this!

  2. We had a fantastic experience with Rya Duncklee Studios! We first met Rya as she was our assigned photographer for a magazine shoot about our family. She is sweet and so friendly – she made my whole family feel very comfortable and relaxed during the shoot. We live on the marsh and she when she needed a special angle, she just jumped right into the marsh water with no complaints! She is a truly fantastic photographer and is so easy to work with on many levels! She was also incredibly fast and professional. I was fully impressed with the shoot and with the quality of her photos! I will always use Rya for our family shoots.

  3. I have to agree, Rya is a very special talented photographer! She captures the love, laughter, spirit and soul of children and families! She’s wonderful! Her images are an artwork that has literally brought tears to my eyes. She’s one in a million!!!
    Love Love Love Rya?

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