Imagine slipping into a shimmering tail, feeling the salt air on your skin, and turning into something straight out of a storybook for an afternoon. That is what a mermaid photoshoot feels like. It is not a regular portrait session. It is play, fantasy, and art all rolled into one, and St. Augustine happens to be one of the most beautiful places in Florida to do it.
This guide walks you through everything you need to know before booking a mermaid session in St. Augustine. Who it is for, what happens on the day, what to wear, where the best beaches are, how to prepare, and what the final photos actually look like. By the end you will know whether this experience is right for you, and how to plan it properly.
What a Mermaid Photoshoot Actually Is
A mermaid photoshoot is a themed portrait session where you wear a fabric or silicone tail, often paired with a shell top, a crown, pearls, or other ocean-inspired styling. The photographer captures you as if you have just come out of the sea, or are resting on the rocks, or lying in shallow water where the waves wash around you.
There are two common styles. The first is above-water, shot on the beach, on rocks, or in tide pools. The tail is fitted over a bathing suit, and you pose either sitting, lying, or reclining. The second is underwater, usually done in springs or pools, where you swim in the tail and the camera captures the movement below the surface.
Above-water sessions are far more common and far more accessible. They are what most St. Augustine mermaid sessions look like. You do not need to know how to swim. You do not need to hold your breath. You just need to be willing to get a little sandy and have fun with it.
Who Books a Mermaid Photoshoot
This is a wider group than most people expect. Yes, little girls love it, and mother-daughter sessions are some of the most popular bookings. But adult women book these sessions all the time. Birthday milestones, bachelorette parties, self-gift sessions, even maternity versions where the tail is designed to sit below the belly.
Some common reasons people book a mermaid session:
- A birthday gift for a daughter who is obsessed with the ocean
- A mother-daughter bonding experience where both wear matching tails
- A bachelorette shoot for a bride who loves the beach
- A maternity session with a fantasy twist
- A self-gift for a woman who wants to feel magical and beautiful
- A family session with kids in tails and parents in beach-themed clothing
There is no age limit and no body type requirement. Tails are sized to fit everyone from toddlers to adults, and good photographers know how to pose every shape beautifully.
Why St. Augustine Is the Right Setting
Florida has no shortage of beaches, but St. Augustine has something most coastal towns do not. You get long sandy stretches, tide pools, coquina rock formations, dunes, and historic backdrops all within a short drive of each other. The light here is soft in the mornings and golden in the evenings. The water colors shift from deep green to pale blue depending on the day.
The beaches that tend to work best for mermaid sessions:
- Vilano Beach for wide open sand and fewer crowds
- Crescent Beach for calm water and great sunrise light
- St. Augustine Beach for accessible parking and classic ocean backdrops
- Anastasia State Park for untouched dunes and natural beauty
- Washington Oaks Gardens for the famous coquina rock formations that look like something out of a fantasy film
Each one has a different feel. A good photographer will help you pick the right location based on the mood you want. Rocky and dramatic, soft and dreamy, or bright and playful.
For more on choosing the right setting, the location choice guide breaks down how a backdrop shapes the mood of your final images.
What to Expect on the Day
A mermaid session usually runs between one and two hours. Most of that time is spent shooting, with a little buffer for outfit adjustments, hair tweaks, and location changes.
Here is what a typical session looks like from start to finish.
Arrival and setup. You meet your photographer at the chosen beach. If you are bringing your own tail, you slip it on over your swimsuit. If the tail is provided, the photographer helps you get into it. This part takes a few minutes because tails are snug and you need to sit or lie down to put them on.
Warm-up shots. The first few photos are usually sitting poses on the sand while you get comfortable. This is when you settle in, relax your face, and stop thinking about the camera.
Water shots. Once you are warmed up, the photographer will likely move you closer to the waterline. You may lie in the shallow water where the tide washes over the tail. This is where the most dramatic images usually come from.
Rock or dune shots. Depending on the beach, you might move to rocks or tall grass for a different look. These shots often feel more cinematic because the texture of the surroundings adds interest.
Wrap up. The session ends when the light changes or you have covered all the looks you wanted. You get out of the tail, rinse off the sand, and the photographer packs up.
You will get sandy. You will probably get wet. That is the point.
What to Bring and What to Wear
Most mermaid photographers provide the tail, but not always the top. Confirm this before the session. If you are sourcing your own tail, fabric tails are easier for above-water sessions than silicone tails, which are heavier and harder to move in.
What to wear under the tail
- Bikini bottoms, always. The tail is worn over them.
- A swim top or bralette that matches the mood. Shell tops, lace bralettes, or simple bandeaus all work.
- For kids, a regular swimsuit works under the tail.
What to bring with you
- A beach towel to sit on during breaks
- A warm cover-up for after the session, especially in winter or early morning
- A change of dry clothes
- Baby powder, which helps remove sand from skin quickly
- A brush for hair between shots
- Water and a snack if the session is long
What to skip
- Heavy jewelry that might fall off in the water
- Waterproof mascara that is actually not waterproof
- Temporary tattoos, which take extra editing time to remove
- Strong perfume or sunscreen applied right before the session, which can cause skin to reflect oddly in photos
For more on wardrobe in Florida weather, the wardrobe guide for Florida photoshoots covers fabric choices, colors that flatter, and what holds up in humid conditions.
Hair and Makeup for a Mermaid Session
Keep hair loose. Wet, windblown, natural. Mermaid hair is not supposed to be styled stiff. If you are doing a full look, consider soft beachy waves. Leave-in conditioner or a texture spray before the session helps hair look healthy even after it gets damp.
For makeup, go slightly more dramatic than your everyday. Defined brows, a little more eye product, and a lip color that shows up in photos. Shimmer on the cheekbones, collarbones, and shoulders adds a subtle mermaid glow in the light. Avoid heavy foundation that can look caked in beach light.
If you are booking a mother-daughter session, keep your daughter’s look light. A little shimmer, maybe a soft lip balm. Kids look best when they still look like themselves.
Best Time of Day to Book
Morning and late afternoon are the two good windows. Midday is too harsh. The sun is directly overhead, which creates unflattering shadows and makes it hard to keep your eyes open without squinting.
Sunrise sessions give you soft pink and gold light, cool sand, and almost no crowds. The water is usually calmer. The trade-off is waking up early and dealing with cooler temperatures depending on the season.
Sunset sessions give you warm golden light, dramatic sky colors if clouds cooperate, and the classic magic-hour glow. The beach is busier, so your photographer will work around other people in the frame.
Florida light changes noticeably between seasons. The seasonal Florida light guide explains how winter and summer light differ, and the best time of day guide covers timing in more detail.
Preparing Kids for a Mermaid Session
If you are booking the session for a child, a little preparation goes a long way. Show them photos of mermaid shoots a few days before. Let them help pick the tail color. Talk about the beach, the sand, and the ocean in fun terms.
On the day itself, feed them before you leave. A hungry child on a beach is a difficult child to photograph. Bring snacks for breaks. Keep the session short, around 45 minutes to an hour, because attention spans run out fast.
Some practical tips for parents:
- Let them wear their swimsuit under regular clothes so they do not have to change on the beach
- Bring their favorite small comfort item for between shots
- Do not promise rewards if they behave, because that creates pressure and stress
- Let the photographer lead. Kids respond better to a new adult than to parents giving direction during a shoot
The guide on preparing kids for a photoshoot has more detail on keeping sessions smooth with younger children.
Mother-Daughter Mermaid Sessions
These are special, and they photograph beautifully. Matching tails, coordinated tops, and the kind of bond that comes through in every frame. If you are doing one, a few things to keep in mind.
Coordinate, do not match exactly. Two tails in different shades of the same color family look better than two identical tails. Blue and teal, pink and coral, purple and lavender.
Let your daughter lead the playful shots. Your job is to react to her, laugh with her, pull her close. The best images from these sessions are the unscripted moments when you are simply enjoying each other.
Bring a reward for after, not before. Ice cream after the session gives her something to look forward to without turning the shoot into a negotiation.
Maternity Mermaid Sessions
This is a newer style that has picked up fast. Pregnant women in tails that sit just below the belly, sometimes paired with a flowing fabric drape instead of a top, sometimes with a shell bra and a belly chain.
Best timing is between 28 and 34 weeks. Early enough that you still have the energy to lie on the beach and get back up, late enough that the belly is clearly visible.
These sessions work especially well at sunset when the warm light wraps around the body and highlights the belly shape. Many maternity mermaid photos become the most cherished images from the entire pregnancy because they feel artistic and otherworldly rather than standard.
For full maternity session timing, the best week of pregnancy for maternity photos guide covers this in detail, and the maternity storytelling guide talks about turning a pregnancy into a full visual story.
What the Final Photos Look Like
Mermaid session images are usually edited more heavily than standard portraits. Skin tones are warmed or cooled to match the water, the color of the tail may be boosted, stray seaweed or debris is removed, and sometimes subtle fantasy elements are added, like a soft glow or misty highlights.
You will typically receive between 10 and 30 retouched images depending on the package. Delivery usually takes two to four weeks.
The final photos work beautifully as:
- Large canvas prints for a bedroom or hallway
- Framed wall art in a child’s room
- Social media announcements for birthdays or milestone moments
- Keepsake albums that become heirloom pieces
- Holiday gift prints for grandparents
A mermaid photo aged up in a frame looks dramatically different from a phone snapshot. The emotional value of professional portraits compared to phone photos explains why printed work tends to become family treasures.
Cost and What to Expect
Mermaid sessions are priced higher than standard beach portraits because of the styling, props, tail rental, longer session time, and more detailed editing. In Florida, you can expect a full mermaid experience to run between 300 and 800 dollars depending on what is included.
When comparing photographers, ask:
- Is the tail included or do I bring my own
- How many edited images do I receive
- Do you provide styling or props
- Is hair and makeup included or add-on
- How long does editing take
- What is the rescheduling policy for weather
For full pricing breakdowns on portrait and themed sessions, the pricing page has the current structure laid out.
Booking the Session
Mermaid sessions book up fastest in spring and early fall when Florida weather is at its best. Summer is possible but hot, and winter sessions work beautifully for those who do not mind cooler water.
If this is your first themed or creative session, the first photo session guide walks through what to expect from your very first photoshoot experience. And if you want help planning out the whole day from outfit to location to timing, the dream photo session planning guide covers the full process.
When you are ready to book, reach out through the contact page with some details about who the session is for, the mood you want, and any dates you have in mind.
Final Thoughts
A mermaid photoshoot is one of those rare experiences that feels equal parts playful and meaningful. You walk onto the beach as yourself and walk off feeling like you have stepped into a different world for a few hours. The photos become something you actually hang on a wall instead of letting them disappear into a phone gallery.
Whether you are booking for your daughter, your mother, yourself, or the version of you that still believes in a little magic, this session delivers something most photo experiences do not. A story, a feeling, and art you get to keep.