Rides + Waves: An Afternoon in the Life in OCNJ

Nothing beats a summer afternoon at the boardwalk, followed by a cool down in the ocean. It was a day smack dab in the middle of a heat wave, but with a cool breeze + ice cream, it was the perfect summer day. We started out at Gillian’s Wonderland Pier for a few rides before heading for pizza at Manco + Manco. Then, ice cream at Kohr Brothers (the best soft serve ever) followed by a late afternoon swim. For a two hour session, that’s a perfect amount of ground to cover.

When talking about documentary sessions, a lot of times I get the question, “but what do you want me to do?” That’s the beauty of hiring a documentary family photographer, because my response is always, “just be yourself and have fun with your family.” That’s it. Be yourself. Live your life. Enjoy your family. Laugh when a kid does something inappropriate. Roll your eyes when your baby arches her back and rips her bow off her head and throws her pizza to the seagulls, because that is real life. And nothing is more beautiful than real life.

Questions about documentary family photography? Email hello@laurengayeski.com. Want to see more of my work? Follow me on Instagram.