Service area · Surfside Beach, Texas
Surfside Beach Family Photos and Maternity Sessions
Surfside Beach sits on the southwest tip of Follet’s Island, with the Gulf on one side and the Freeport Harbor entrance on the other. Its motto is “Island Life, Texas Style” (Wikipedia). I’m Jen Duke, and I photograph family, newborn, Fresh 48 and maternity sessions for Surfside parents who want the little years saved before they’re gone, with mom in the photos too.
Newborn sessions happen in my natural-light home studio in Richwood, by appointment. Family sessions can be at your home or at an outdoor location, and Fresh 48 can be at the hospital or at home. Every session comes with a digital gallery you can download, share and print from.
15+ years behind the camera · Natural-light home studio in Richwood, by appointment · Digital gallery with downloads and print ordering
Local to Surfside Beach
Living on Follet's Island and planning photos
Surfside Beach had 640 residents at the 2020 census, up from 482 in 2010, and its kids go to Brazosport ISD schools in Freeport (Wikipedia). Here’s what island life means for family photos.
The Cradle of Texas Liberty
The Treaty of Velasco was signed at Fort Velasco, near today’s City Hall, which is why Surfside calls itself the Cradle of Texas Liberty (Wikipedia). Your family’s history is worth keeping too. Print a few photos each year instead of leaving them all on your phone.
Know the beach rules first
Driving or parking on the beach takes a valid beach permit, pets must be leashed, and the dunes are protected (Village of Surfside Beach). If you head out for your own sunset photos, park legally, keep the dog on a leash in the frame, and shoot from the flat sand, not the dunes.
Where Oyster Creek meets the island
Oyster Creek winds 52 miles from Fort Bend County and now drains into the Intracoastal Waterway just north of Surfside Beach (Wikipedia). On a windy day, try your own photos on the waterway side of town, with everyone’s back to the wind.
Sessions
Every stage covered, from first kicks to first steps
Maternity
Outdoor bump photos at a location within 15 miles of the Richwood studio. Book them alone or pair them with newborn photos. See maternity sessions
Fresh 48
Photos from your baby’s first two days, taken at the hospital or at home. See Fresh 48 sessions
Newborn
Posed newborn portraits with a soft, natural look, in my Richwood studio. Ask in your second trimester. See newborn sessions
Family
At your home or an outdoor location. Tell me what you have in mind. See family sessions
Before you book
Beach-day phone photo tips that actually work
- Go in the last hour before sunset. At midday the sun is straight overhead and everyone squints.
- Gulf wind is part of island life. Turn everyone to face into it so hair blows back off their faces.
- Stay off the protected dunes. Shoot from the wet, flat sand and use the water as your background instead.
- Keep your phone in a zip bag between shots and wipe the lens before each photo. Salt spray makes everything look hazy.
- Back home, set your newborn by a window without direct sun. Soft side light does most of the work.
Where I work
Where your Surfside Beach session can happen
My studio is in my home in Richwood and works by appointment. Every newborn session happens there. For Fresh 48 and family photos, tell me where you are in Surfside Beach and what you have in mind, and I’ll let you know what works.
Visiting family can take the Bluewater Highway about 13 miles northeast to San Luis Pass and the bridge to Galveston Island (Wikipedia).
Nearby towns: Freeport, Quintana, Oyster Creek. See every town I serve.
Studio: 239 Stuart St, Richwood, TX 77531 (by appointment)
Phone: 409-392-6844
Questions
Surfside Beach photo questions, answered
What do sessions cost?
Pricing comes by inquiry. Send me the session you want and your due date or family size, and I’ll reply with the details.
Can we have family photos on the beach in Surfside?
Family sessions can be at your home or an outdoor location. If you’d like the beach, put that in your inquiry and I’ll let you know what works. Newborn sessions are always in my Richwood studio.
Where do the other sessions take place?
Newborn sessions happen in my Richwood home studio. Fresh 48 is at the hospital or at home, and maternity is outdoors within 15 miles of the studio.
What do I need to drive onto the beach for my own photos?
The village asks for a valid beach permit to drive or park on the beach, street-legal vehicles only. Leash your pets and stay off the dunes. Check the village’s beach rules page before you go, since rules can change.
When should I reach out about newborn photos?
In your second trimester. Newborn spots are limited and usually fill months ahead.
What if my kids won't sit still?
That’s normal. I have 15+ years of experience and keep things fun and relaxed. One past client called me “very patient” and said I “did not rush the session at all.”
Ready to capture these days before they're gone?
Tell me your family size or due date and the session you want. I’ll get back to you with dates and pricing.