The Bolender Family - Trying to Race The Rain in Corolla

The weather was playing a game with us all afternoon.

Dark clouds hovered over Corolla as the Bolender family gathered at the Currituck Lighthouse Beach Access for their 4:30 family portrait session. Every few minutes it looked like the rain might begin, then the clouds would hold off just a little longer. We decided to trust the forecast... or maybe just test our luck.

It turned out to be the right decision.

With twenty-two family members spread across multiple generations, we had plenty to accomplish. We started with the full family portrait before working through each individual family, grandparents with the grandchildren, cousins, siblings, and plenty of individual portraits. Everyone stayed organized, relaxed, and ready for their turn, which kept the session moving at a comfortable pace despite the size of the group.

The overcast sky turned out to be one of the evening's biggest advantages. Without harsh sunlight, everyone enjoyed soft, even light that produced beautiful skin tones and let the dunes and sea oats around the Currituck Lighthouse Beach Access become part of the scenery instead of competing with it.

One of my favorite moments came while photographing the grandparents surrounded by all of their grandchildren. It's a portrait that means something today, but I know it will become even more meaningful as the years pass. Those are the images that often become family treasures, hanging on walls long after the vacation itself has become a memory.

As we finished the final portraits along the shoreline, I looked back toward the parking lot and knew our window was closing. We packed up, everyone started the walk back to their vehicles... and then the sky finally won. Within minutes we were all completely soaked.

Honestly, I couldn't have asked for better timing.

The Bolender family walked away with every portrait they had hoped for, and the rain simply became one more story from an unforgettable week on the Outer Banks.