What to Wear for Maui Beach Photos

Floor-length clothing will get wet! Some of our most magical shots happen right at the water’s edge, so if you’d like to stay dry, we recommend skipping floor-length dresses or pants. If you do wear a floor-length piece but would rather keep it dry, it limits where we can take you and greatly reduces the variety of shots and angles we can capture, which can take away from the overall look of your final images.

If you do choose a floor-length piece, make sure it’s still short enough to walk and move in comfortably. Many of our signature poses involve movement, and clothing that’s too long can limit the shots and poses we’re known for.

We know sun protection is a priority, but sometimes we all get a little red before a session. Don’t worry about it! If you’re sunburned, we just recommend not wearing red for your photos.

We’ll tone down the reds in your images to bring your skin back to its natural glow.

Our cameras are highly sensitive, so they can pick up and amplify colors and undertones you might not notice in person.

Because of this, spray tans can photograph more orange or warm than expected, depending on the light, the location and how recently the tan was applied. We always edit skin tones as naturally as possible, but a spray tan makes it harder to bring skin back to a true, natural shade.

For the best results, skip the spray tan right before your session, or choose a very light, natural-looking one. Your skin will look its most radiant and true to life.

Try to avoid ruffles around the neck or shoulders. Maui is a breezy island, and ruffles can billow, flip or cling in unflattering, unpredictable ways. Smooth lines and simple necklines hold their shape in the wind, as do lightweight layers and structured fabrics. If you love ruffles, choose styles with softer, controlled volume, or secure them with a light pin so they keep a flattering silhouette.

If two or more people are wearing white, try to choose pieces made from the same fabric or with the same base color. White fabrics come in many undertones, and our cameras pick up even the tiniest hue.

If you’re wearing white, choose skin-tone or black undergarments. In the sun, at any time of day, white fabric shows the outline of white undergarments.

Maui’s trade winds blow almost every day. For sunset sessions on a gusty day, we highly recommend a pulled-back style or an up-do. We always position you to work with the wind, so it’s no big deal if you’d rather let your hair down and let it dance in the breeze.

If you have an obvious watch tan line, we recommend leaving your watch on. If you’d like photos without watches, take them off ahead of time so your skin tone has a chance to even out.

Wear comfy footwear to your session; being barefoot on the beach is very Maui! Heels or very strappy sandals can make some of our photo spots harder to reach.

We don’t recommend applying any sunscreen, tanning lotion or moisturizer right before your photoshoot. The sand will stick like no other! (Any other time, lather up!)