Family photography locations in Myrtle Beach
Myrtle Beach family photo locations with real entry fees, parking and access, from Huntington Beach State Park to Litchfield, DeBordieu and Garden City.
Choosing between Myrtle Beach family photo locations, from Pawleys Island to Garden City, takes more than picking a pretty beach. The right location, the right hour, and a few pieces of insider knowledge are what separate a good gallery from a forgettable one. This guide covers exactly what you need: real entry fees, parking, access rules, and the specific spots that consistently deliver.
I’ve personally photographed 500+ family sessions across this coastline. I know which gates charge admission, which lots fill up by 5pm, which beaches don’t allow commercial photography at all, and which hour of light actually works. Here’s everything, straight and specific.
Jump to a location
- Litchfield Beach
- Huntington Beach State Park
- DeBordieu Colony
- Garden City & Murrells Inlet
- Myrtle Beach State Park
- Golden Mile
- North Myrtle Beach & Cherry Grove
- Surfside Beach
- Pawleys Island
- Your Vacation Rental
- Large Families
The Myrtle Beach Advantage: Why This Coastline Is Perfect for Family Portraits
One important rule first: the City of Myrtle Beach does not permit commercial photography on the public beach within city limits. That’s why I don’t book sessions on the main strip. Every location in this guide is chosen partly because it’s legally clear for professional sessions, not just because it looks good.
Once you move outside the city limits, this coastline has real technical advantages. The sand here is light and reflective, so it bounces natural fill light up onto faces without any extra equipment. Sixty miles of coastline means dunes, piers, maritime forest, and marsh are all within a short drive, so no two locations ever look the same. And because the beaches are wide, large families and reunion groups have actual room to spread out instead of getting crammed into one frame.
Timing Your Session: What Actually Matters
Golden hour, the 45 to 60 minutes before sunset, is non-negotiable for me. I schedule one family per time slot, not three sessions crammed into the same evening. That’s the only way to guarantee your family gets the best light and my full attention instead of a rushed 20 minutes.
Summer: Sunset lands around 8:15 to 8:30pm. Good for late-schedule families, harder on toddlers who are already tired by then.
Spring and fall: Sunset around 6:30 to 7:30pm, cooler temperatures, and the most consistent light quality of the year. This is why it’s peak booking season.
Winter: Sunset as early as 5:15pm, which actually works well for families with early bedtimes, and the beaches are close to empty.
The Best Myrtle Beach Family Photo Locations, With Real Details
Litchfield Beach Family Photos: Quiet, Uncrowded, No Entry Fee
Access: Public beach access, free parking at the public lots, though spaces are limited and go fast on summer evenings. No admission fee, no gate.
Litchfield stays quiet because it’s residential, not commercial, so there’s no boardwalk pulling crowds toward the water. The dune line here is some of the least disturbed on the Grand Strand, which means clean backgrounds without other photo shoots or beach umbrellas in frame. Best for smaller families who want a natural, unstaged feel and don’t want to pay a park entry fee.
See real sessions here: a large family session at Litchfield Beach, Litchfield Beach family portraits and the Pawleys Island family photographer page.
Huntington Beach State Park Family Photos: Beach, Oaks and Atalaya
Access: $8 per adult, $4 per child ages 6 to 15, free for children under 6. Large parking lots, rarely full even in peak season. Your admission includes entry to Atalaya Castle, the historic Moorish-style ruin that sits right on the property, but note that the castle closes earlier than the park gates, so confirm hours before you plan a session around it.
Huntington gives you three completely different backdrops in one booking: the castle ruins, the maritime forest trail, and open beach with rolling dunes. This is the location I recommend most for extended families and reunion groups who want visual variety without driving between multiple spots. Bring bug spray in summer, the marsh areas nearby draw mosquitoes at dusk. See the full Huntington Beach State Park family photography page for more galleries from this location.
See real sessions here: a sunset family session at Huntington Beach State Park and the Braxton family under the oaks. Current admission rates are on the SC State Parks Huntington Beach page.
DeBordieu Colony Family Photos: A Private Beach Near Georgetown
Access: Private, gated community near Georgetown, about 45 minutes south of central Myrtle Beach. Sessions here require coordination in advance since the beach isn’t publicly accessible, I handle that arrangement as part of booking. Travel time is built into scheduling.
Because the beach is private, it’s never crowded, which means clean, uninterrupted backgrounds every time. The sand is meticulously maintained and the dunes are wide and untouched. This is where I bring families who want a clean, polished look, especially larger reunion groups who don’t want strangers wandering into their gallery.
Best for: extended families of 20 or more, formal styling, and sunset sessions where you want the whole beach to yourselves.
See more: the DeBordieu family photographer page, with real sessions inside the colony.
Garden City & Murrells Inlet Family Photos: Free Access, Small-Town Feel
Access: Free public beach access at Garden City, several lots near the pier that fill by early evening in summer, so I recommend arriving 20 to 30 minutes before your session time. Murrells Inlet sessions center around the waterfront and Marsh Walk, no entry fee.
Both spots have kept their old-school coastal character, weathered pier structures, colorful beach homes, and a slower pace than the main strip. That relaxed energy tends to show up in the photos, kids are more themselves here than at a busier location. Best for families who want candid, lifestyle-style images over formal posing.
See more: the Garden City family photographer and Murrells Inlet family photographer pages, plus real sessions at Inlet Point and on Garden City Beach.
Myrtle Beach State Park Family Photos: Pier, Forest and Open Beach
Access: Per-person admission at the park gate, with parking close to the beach and the fishing pier. Current rates are on the SC State Parks Myrtle Beach page.
The state park is the closest place to central Myrtle Beach where family sessions on the sand are allowed, so it is the first choice for families staying in the city. In one hour we can use the open beach, the dunes, the area around the pier and the live oaks of the maritime forest, and the short walk from parking to the sand is easy with little ones.
See real sessions here: the Forte family at the state park, the Maher family by the dunes, fall mini sessions and the Myrtle Beach State Park family photographer page.
Golden Mile Family Photos: Oceanfront Homes in Myrtle Beach
Access: The Golden Mile is inside Myrtle Beach city limits, so sessions do not take place on the public sand. Families staying in an oceanfront home here are photographed on the home’s own property, or a few minutes away at Myrtle Beach State Park.
The Golden Mile is known for its large oceanfront homes, which makes it a favorite for vacations with grandparents, kids and cousins all under one roof. We plan the session around where you are staying, so the whole family is photographed without a long drive. See the Myrtle Beach family photographer page for sessions across the city, or the Myrtle Beach State Park page for the closest beach.
North Myrtle Beach & Cherry Grove Family Photos: Wide Beaches and Sea Oats
Access: Public beach accesses along Ocean Boulevard with street and lot parking that fills quickly on summer evenings, so plan to arrive a little early. No entry fee.
North Myrtle Beach is outside Myrtle Beach city limits, so sessions can happen right on the sand near your rental. Cherry Grove, at the north end, has quieter beaches, tall sea oats and marsh views behind the dunes, while Ocean Drive and Windy Hill have wide, open sand at low tide.
See real sessions here: a Cherry Grove family session, the Dowson family with the grandparents and the North Myrtle Beach family photographer page.
Surfside Beach Family Photos: The Family Beach With a Pier
Access: Public beach accesses along Ocean Boulevard with town parking nearby. No entry fee.
Surfside calls itself The Family Beach, and it fits: a calm, low-key shoreline, soft dunes and a pier that frames sunset photos nicely. It is outside Myrtle Beach city limits, so sessions happen right on the sand, often just steps from your rental.
See more: why families choose Surfside and the Surfside Beach family photographer page.
Pawleys Island Family Photos: Quiet Beaches, Porches and Marsh Boardwalks
Access: Public beach accesses with small parking areas on the island, which fill fast in summer. No entry fee.
Pawleys keeps a slow, relaxed pace that shows in the photos. Sessions use the quiet beach, the boardwalks and gazebos over the marsh on the creek side, and the porches of the older beach houses. It is also one of the best spots on the coast for sunrise sessions.
See real sessions here: the Wilder family on the beach and the boardwalk, a family photographed every year, why sunrise works so well here and the Pawleys Island family photographer page.
Family Photos at Your Vacation Rental: No Travel, Full Flexibility
Access: No fee, no permit needed on private property. If your rental has direct beach access, a yard, or a porch, we can shoot there, just keep in mind sessions still can’t happen on the public sand within Myrtle Beach city limits, even from a rental. Surfside, Garden City, North Myrtle, and Pawleys Island rentals are all fine.
This option removes travel time entirely, which matters most for families with grandparents, infants, or anyone who doesn’t want to pack everyone into a car after a long vacation day. The tradeoff is less visual variety than a park with dunes, trails, and beach in one place, but for many families that trade is worth it.
See more: rental-friendly beaches on the North Myrtle Beach, Surfside Beach and Pawleys Island family pages, and large family sessions at the house.
What to Wear: The Short, Practical Version
Stick to soft neutrals: cream, tan, soft blue, blush, sage. These photograph well against sand and water without fighting for attention. Skip neon, all-black, busy patterns, and large logos, they either distract or absorb light strangely.
Coordinate, don’t match. Pick two or three colors and mix them across the family instead of putting everyone in identical outfits. Comfort matters more than most people think, if someone’s tugging at a dress or sweating through a shirt, it shows on camera. Bare feet photograph better than sandals, and every family who books receives a personalized wardrobe guide before their session.
Before Your Session: What to Bring, What to Expect
Bring water, wipes, and sunscreen applied at least 30 minutes ahead so it sets before we shoot. Leave phones, keys, and wallets locked in the car. If it’s a state park location, bring your admission fee in cash or card, most gates take both, and arrive 15 minutes before your session so you’re not paying and parking during your golden hour window.
Wind is normal here and usually works in your favor, windblown hair and flowy fabric read as natural rather than styled. I monitor radar leading up to every session. A 20% rain chance almost never means cancellation, and some of the best galleries happen right after a quick storm clears when the sky turns dramatic and the beach empties out.
During Your Session
We start with the classic shots, everyone facing forward, a few clean group configurations, while everyone’s fresh. Once those are done, we move into real interaction: walking, laughing, kids running ahead. Those in-between frames are usually what families end up loving most.
Sessions run 30 to 60 minutes depending on family size. Thirty works for smaller families or very young kids. Forty-five is what most families book. A full hour suits large reunion groups or anyone doing multiple outfit changes across more than one location.
After Your Session
Your fully edited gallery arrives in 2 to 3 days, often before your vacation ends. Every image is high-resolution with full printing rights included, no upsells, no add-on charges, no weeks-long wait.
Large Extended Family Groups
I regularly photograph reunions of 20 or more. Huntington Beach State Park and DeBordieu Colony are the two locations I recommend most for big groups since both have the space to organize people without feeling cramped. If a large group is on your calendar, mention it when you reach out so I can plan extra time.
Common Questions About Family Photo Sessions
What time of day is best for family beach photos?
Golden hour, the 45 to 60 minutes before sunset. Every session I book is scheduled during this window, one family at a time.
How long should a family photo session last?
30 to 60 minutes depending on family size. Most families with young kids do best at 45 minutes.
Do the state park locations charge admission?
Yes. Myrtle Beach State Park and Huntington Beach State Park both charge $8 per adult and $4 per child ages 6 to 15, free under 6. Litchfield Beach, Garden City, and Murrells Inlet have free public access with no entry fee.
Can you photograph on the main Myrtle Beach strip?
No. The City of Myrtle Beach does not allow commercial photography on the public beach within city limits. That’s why every location in this guide sits outside those boundaries.
What should we wear?
Soft neutrals coordinated across the family, not matched exactly. Every booked family receives a personalized wardrobe guide before their session.
How soon will we receive our photos?
2 to 3 days, fully edited, high-resolution, with full printing rights.
Can you photograph large extended family groups?
Yes, groups of 20 or more are welcome. Huntington Beach State Park and DeBordieu Colony work best for large reunions.
What happens if it rains?
I monitor radar closely leading up to every session. A small rain chance rarely means cancellation, and if a storm actually rolls through, we reschedule at no charge.
Ready to Book Your Myrtle Beach Family Portrait Session?
I’ve spent over 20 years learning which locations work, what they cost, and how to make the whole experience feel easy instead of stressful. Send me your dates and family size and I’ll help you pick the right spot for what you want.
Get in touch to check availability or browse the full family photography portfolio.
Planning your own session? Meet the Myrtle Beach family photographers, see our senior pictures, or send an inquiry.
