This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Banana Boat® . The opinions and text are all mine.

As moms, we’re always looking for great places to take pictures of our kids. My favorite place to get pictures is at the beach. On our annual beach trips, my goal is to always get at least 2 or 3 excellent shots of the kids enjoying the sand or water plus a bunch other pictures to round out our photo album.

After 8 years of beach excursions with my children, I’ve collected quite a few lovely photos. I thought it would be nice to compile them into an inspirational post so other moms can get ideas for their own photo collections. Following are some of my best tips for creating the setting for great pictures and a good time for all.

The Key to Getting Good Beach Pictures – Simplifying Everything Else

When we go to the beach, we keep our gear simple. I don’t bother with too many items because I want the focus to be on playing in the water and enjoying ourselves on the beach. When we enjoy ourselves, I am able to get great pictures. If I take too many items with me to the water, then I spend too much time and energy worrying about setup, etc and forget to take great pics!

My simple must-haves are:

• A large fluffy beach towel
• Spray and lotion sunscreen such as Banana Boat® (lotion for our faces and spray for our bodies)
• Water
• My camera (my DSLR or phone) in a carrying case or backpack

The kids carry any beach toys they want, and my husband totes a beach chair or two for us all to take turns using.

Enjoying Ourselves & Avoiding Sunburns

We typically go out on the beach in the morning and early evening, avoiding the midday summer sun to minimize our chance of sunburns. The bonus is that mid morning sun is just about perfect for taking good pictures, and some of my favorite shots are closer to sundown when the sun is on the horizon.

Luckily for me (and all sun protection-loving moms!), Walmart is Summer Central. Banana Boat® protects our skin and makes our beach trips enjoyable. In order to prepare for our beach trip, I typically purchase several kinds of Banana Boat® sunscreen. I like to keep one set on the porch that we also take to the beach, then another set as backup for the times when a spray can inevitably walks off with a kid or gets misplaced in our beach house.

As a busy mom of three, I’m always looking for simple solutions to make my life easier. As I’m preparing for our beach trips, I know I can quickly grab Banana Boat® sunscreen in the SPF and delivery format (cream, spray, etc) I need and can trust that it will protect us when we are in the sun. My absolute fave is the spray lotion sunscreen for kids. It’s so easy to use and reapplying it after being in the sun for a while only takes a few seconds.

We always get the kid-friendly lotion as well because I like using it on their faces.

Sunscreen Tips & Tricks

One thing I realized last year was I don’t apply sunscreen regularly enough in the proper amounts. Did you know that proper sun protection requires 1 oz of sunscreen applied every 2 hours? That’s way more than I had been using, but now that I know, we stay on top of our sunscreen applications. I have really noticed a difference in my skin and my children’s skin on our trips. Whereas before we’d all get burned at some point during our beach trips, now we no longer have that issue. Keeping us protected from the sun’s rays requires a bit of planning (to buy enough sunscreen) and constant attention (keeping 3 kids lathered up every other hour is no small feat!), but totally worth it.

As a mom, I’m concerned about my children’s long term well being, including skin damage and skin cancer risks. I recently learned that sunscreen should be applied 30 minutes before going outside and immediately after swimming. I could stand to be a bit better at these two rules. I’m guilty of putting sunscreen on our kids just before they run out the door and also not reapplying after swimming. This year I am changing this!

With the few changes I’ve made over the past two years with proper application amounts and paying attention to frequency, I finally feel like I have my family’s sun protection routine under control!

21 Beach Pic Ideas for Your Photo Albums

Without further ado, here are some pictures I love taking of my kids and include in our annual beach picture photo books. I hope you’re able to find some inspiration in these pictures!

the action shot

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HOW TO GET THIS PICTURE: Sit still as your child runs by and take as many pics as you can as they approach. The sun may blind you to where you can't see the screen, but you will likely get a couple great shots this way.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Banana Boat®. The opinions and text are all mine.

Comments submitted may be displayed on other websites owned by the sponsoring brand.