The U Family | Large Family Avalon, NJ Beach Photos

A week down the Jersey shore is the best when you are a kid. Do you know what can make it better? Having your cousins with you! Cousins kinda rock, and if you are lucky enough to have one that is around your age, it is even better. I had the pleasure of capturing two sisters and their families who were down the shore. Their little boys were about close in age and the best of pals. They enjoyed their week of beach filled days, sandy ocean breezes, and ice cream treats at the Avalon Freeze.

It is such a fun time but they were not interested in ANY type of picture that their parents wanted! They made me work for it for sure. But they were giggling all the time they were running around the beach, waves, and lifeguard boats. But to be honest, I loved it. I tell my clients all the time not to stress about that perfect picture. Is life perfect? Just capture the moments now, you will treasure them. As kids get older, they get easier to capture but the silliness is gone. That grin when they laugh will be gone. Treasure the ordinary moments of them.

I think I captured the essence of each of their personalities of the kiddies from this family session. That is my goal in my photography, to capture the connection or essence of a person or a bond.

Jackie and Mark | Blue Heron Pines Wedding

Jackie and Mark | Blue Heron Pines Wedding Photos

Who says you need a year planning a wedding? Yes, planning a wedding can get hectic, but it doesn’t have to! That was this adorable couple’s motto! Jackie and Mark were the essence of warm and loving. As well as the DEFINITION of relaxed! Being from a large family, Jackie wanted their family to enjoy themselves and certainly not feel the pressure of trying to get everything perfect. The bridesmaids picked their favorite black dress from THEIR own closets, grooms rented some tuxes, and the couple embraced the fun side of their wedding by choosing to enjoy every second, and not worry about trying to make a list of everything that was supposed to happen. The day was classical elegant, yet relaxed.

Their day was filled with such joy and light, mostly since it was radiating off of them. Jackie was the most stunning bride, hands down. Her relaxed attitude added to the lightness that seemed to bounce off of her and embrace everyone at the wedding. Mark, a handsome groom to match his flawless wife, was as chill of a groom as they come. He hung with his groomsmen after pictures but before the ceremony, just laughing, and casually having a few chilled beverages.

They broke with tradition, as is the new trend, and did family pictures before the ceremony. The spring day was warm, and was filled with sun as Jackie walked down the aisle to be the new Mrs. Glassford. The ceremony was a combination of heartfelt and fun. The fun was only beginning for the night and for their lifetime.

The J Family | Ocean City NJ Family Beach Photos

Ocean City NJ family beach photos featuring the J Family are a favorite part of my job. We have the best beaches in New Jersey. Everyone loves the natural setting that the beach allows for photos. Ocean City‘s north end is one of my favorite photo session spots. The dunes have gorgeous dune grass with fencing, the pathways are scenic for group shots, and the lighting of the setting sun provides gorgeous highlights on faces and hair. And the ocean waves provide the backdrop and entertainment for the kids. It’s just hard trying to keep them from going in before the session is over.

This family did not disappoint in bringing the smiles and the silliness. We flexed and finessed our way into grins and smiles. Besides being a beautiful family, they came dressed to impress. I love when families coordinate outfits without looking too uniform. Every little girl loves a dress, and boys in a polo–you can never go wrong!

I love to let mom and dad get silly too! Plus sneaky tickles are a sure fire way to get a smile. Lollipops work too, but almost everytime, kid who smile really good get ice cream after all the smiles. They earn it for sure. So do I!

If you are going to be down at the beach this summer, contact me to capture your family. Summer is almost here, and my dates are limited.

Ocean City NJ family beach photos
beach portraits at the jersey shore
fun beach ideas for family photos

Maggie’s First Communion | South Jersey Family Photographer

As a family photographer in South Jersey, I get asked to capture lots of a family’s special moments. Nothing is as special as being asked to capture a wonderful milestone like a communion. Communion pictures are such a fun opportunity for boys and girls to dress up and model in the fancy clothes for a fun and relaxing time. Often, the day of the ceremony, the church is crowded, with everyone trying to get their own pictures at the alter with the guest of honor. The time is limited to right after the ceremony which usually needs to be done quickly so they can prepare for a new service. Doing a communion session privately alleviates all these pressures. I always encourage my clients to do it ahead of time. For one, it serves as a dress rehearsal for the big day! Miss Maggie did a dry run of her darling outfit, veil, and hair. My models (ok, definitely the girls) love to dress up in the fancy dress or suit. It gives them a sense of comfort to be in that space and be familiar with the church, seating, etc.

As with any rehearsal, you find out, what works and what does not! For this session, Miss Maggie was getting her communion in a few days at Our Lady of Angels in Cape May Court House. The gardens were perfect for some posing outside. She looked darling in here dress, with veil. But what she was really into was her white gloves! She loved putting them on, and you can tell by her smile, she was having a blast!

Congrats Maggie! Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your special day and I hope you loved everything about your day! You looked gorgeous!

The Lee Family | Family Beach Photography in Avalon NJ

A session of family beach photography in Avalon NJ with the Lee Family of Laurence Harbor, NJ. Avalon is a premier vacation spot for many Main Line families, and has so many photography favorites of mine. It is on my top 5 favorite locations to shoot my beach portraits! The landscape is diverse in beach dunes, long paths, beautiful ocean shores, plus many paths have lots of vegetation and shade! There are a family of skunks that like to come and say hello on a certain street, but we tend to stay clear of their home so they are cool with me! Avalon has a famous tagline, Cooler by a Mile, but this phrase is more factual than just a slogan. Avalon beaches do reach out by about a mile so they are truthful with their claim. The town gets the ocean breeze close to a mile before any other barrier island so it’s cooler by a mile to say the least! The Lee family have two adventurous boys that led me on an exploration of some ocean habitats. We looked for lots of fossils and shells and enjoyed a bird nests along our path. I enjoyed their energy and hoped I captured the closeness these two boys have.