Fog rolling in at China Beach, Golden Gate Bridge barely visible behind it. This family showed up bundled and ready—the kind of day where the weather doesn’t matter because everyone’s committed to the adventure.

Family of four smiling at the camera on a beach with the Golden Gate Bridge visible in the misty background

Woman holds toddler while watching child wade in shallow water beneath coastal cliffs and an orange house

A father in glasses crouches to hold his toddler's hand on the wet sand, both moving toward the shoreline with rocky cliffs behind them

A solitary child wades into the cool Pacific waters while burnt-orange beach houses perch on the hillside above the sandy shore

An adult and child walk across wet sand toward dramatic coastal cliffs under overcast skies, leaving footprints in their wake

Two young children sit together on sandy ground, the older child in a mustard sweater gently holding the younger one's hand with genuine smiles

Older sister embraces younger toddler from behind against weathered stone, both gazing downward with gentle, contemplative expressions

There’s something about overcast Marin that works. The light stays soft all afternoon. Cass watched the kids wade into the Pacific, the older one in a mustard sweater leading the way. Parents crouching down in the wet sand, holding small hands. An older sister’s arm around her younger brother, both of them looking down at something only they could see.

A young child in a mustard sweater and blue jeans smiles broadly while running across wet sand at the beach, rocky cliffs looming behind

A father and young child run together across wet sand at the beach, their figures casting shadows in the golden afternoon light

Two children laugh and run toward the camera past a weathered concrete wall tagged with turquoise graffiti

A smiling mother holds two young children on a sandy beach with eroded cliff faces rising behind them

A father holds his young child aloft against weathered rock formations, both gazing upward with wonder and joy

Woman in tan sweater holds smiling toddler in blue hat against dramatic weathered cliff face at beach

By golden hour the fog lifted just enough. The whole family together against the weathered cliff face, everyone gazing upward. Easy smiles. The kind you get when you’re actually having fun instead of posing for it.

Woman holds smiling toddler wrapped in a tan blanket against weathered gray rock formations, both content in soft natural light

A family of four stands together against weathered rock formations, with parents holding their two young children while gazing upward with genuine smiles

A smiling woman holds her toddler wrapped in a cozy knit blanket while standing on the beach at golden hour, with the Golden Gate Bridge visible in the misty distance

A woman holds her child from behind on the beach at golden hour, both gazing toward the misty horizon and distant shoreline

Two parents hold their young children on a rocky beach at sunset, all wearing coordinated brown tones while smiling at the camera

Family of four poses on China Beach with the Golden Gate Bridge glowing in warm sunset light behind them

A family of four stands together on a beach with layered cliff formations behind them, all smiling warmly in coordinated earth-toned clothing

Family Session at China Beach in San Francisco — Marin County · October 1, 2020