Ocean City, NJ Beach Photography
When the weather starts to get colder, there’s nothing better than looking back to warmer days on the beach and looking forward to seeing the sun again. In this September Ocean City beach session, a beautiful family enjoyed those last, lingering moments of warmth before the chilly days started taking over.
I worked with this family years ago when the little girl was a toddler. It’s always so fun to see the changes in families as I work with them over their years of living together and loving each other – changes in personality and interests, deepening of relationship and bonding between them. Mom had been wanting an updated family photo session on the beach in Ocean City for a while, and we caught the perfect day to get it done this past year.
Ocean City, NJ September Beach Portraits
September is a great month for Ocean City beach photography because the seasonal crowds start heading back home as kids start school and there is more space in scenic areas that are usually too busy. As an added bonus, the water was still warm, so we could have gone swimming after the photoshoot!
This little girl is brimming with personality, so getting her to show confidence and spunk in the beach portraits was easy. When working with younger kids, I really focus on helping them feel comfortable in the space and getting to know them as we walk around. Ocean City beach, with all of its rocks to climb on and amusement park attractions to try, can be great to keep kids engaged and excited about the photoshoot.
The Beach Portrait Backdrop
We explored Gillian’s Wonderland Amusement Park, wandered along the boardwalk on the beach, all with the infamous pink music pier in the backdrop. The blue sky and rocks along the beach provided the perfect backdrop for fun and laughter – look at that Ferris wheel! At every single stop, I got to capture the family love so evident in this family.
And can we just talk about the adorable outfit coordination? I absolutely love the dark navy shirts and white pants standing out so sharply against the beach background – it makes the family stand out, plus they look so great in matching outfits.
With a smaller group like this, we have more time and space to get the intimate moments that can be more difficult with larger families. Mom and Dad both have such beautiful, loving relationships with their daughter, and the one on one photos really reflect that. It makes me remember being a kid and how special it felt to get undivided attention from one of my parents when they just enjoy spending time with you!
Since each family is so unique, breaking off into pairs can illuminate those bonds and bring out different sides of the family members that disappear in a standard “line up and say cheese” method. No forced smiles here – these are all-natural and organic!
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Heather Thomas is an award-winning family and newborn photographer serving Philadelphia and Ocean City, NJ. She holds a Master Photographer Certification from NAPCP in newborn, children and family photography. Known for her organic and simple style, Heather’s work has been featured in magazines and online publications around the country.
