Documentary Family Photographer based in Ocean City, NJ

July 23, 2021

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.

Gillian's Wonderland Pier Ocean City New Jersey

Amusement rides in Ocean City New Jersey Family Photographer

Gillian's Wonderland Pier family documentary session

Wonderland Pier train ride Ocean City New Jersey

Boardwalk rides and ice cream in Ocean City New Jersey

Ocean City boardwalk rides with family photographer

motherhood moment at Wonderland Pier in OCNJ

Manco and Manco pizza Ocean City New Jersey

Manco and Manco pizza on the boardwalk in OCNJ

Kohr Bros ice cream on the boardwalk in Ocean City New Jersey

boardwalk rides ice cream ocean city New Jersey

Getting ready for the beach in Ocean City New Jersey

Heritage surf shop boogie boards in Ocean City New Jersey

going to the beach in ocean city New Jersey

baby running in the sand in ocean city New Jersey

July 19, 2021

Indian Run: In the Studio with Musician + Producer Shane Becker

If this pandemic has been good for one thing, it has forced people to be home and explore alternative ways to complete work projects, keep making art, and generating a living. For musicians, especially, the world of performing came to a grinding halt with little opportunity to collaborate with other artists due to travel restrictions. But it’s also led to creative solutions that have allowed musicians to collaborate in ways that they may not have otherwise. I was surprised (though I shouldn’t have been) to hear that Shane Becker of Indian Run music has been busy behind the scenes not only producing his own music but helping other artists in the production end, and is as busy as ever in his home studio.

Although I love and appreciate good music, I know nothing about all of the cables, synthesizers, microphones, and instruments that Shane has carefully organized in his at home studio, but I do know that I find it incredibly tempting not to touch all the buttons. All of the colors and elements and design make them so visually interesting for me, so when he invited me over to help with some images, I told Shane ahead of time to grab his notes + notebooks, and objects that were of personal importance in his music production. I had an idea in my head of how we could make a really bold, graphic type image that would showcase the story behind Shane’s music production and the elements that drive his creativity. We played around with different combinations of objects + instruments and as we moved things around, Shane was actually playing songs that he either had been working on or was just creating on the fly. These are the stories behind the images that make them work + give them soul, and in a way, you can feel the energy of his music in the images. My original vision was the first set of images above, but when I looked back at my contact sheet, I re-worked some of the types to bring in all images of Shane’s hands busy at work, creating art that has so much of his signature on it. Sometimes, when I say to someone, “so I have this idea . . . “, I cringe on the inside because only I can see how amazing this could be! but it’s not always easy to get the idea out of my head and onto a print. In this case, I’m grateful for the trust of a friend, because it turned out exactly how I envisioned it.

Musician journal with film and synthesizer

music studio cables organized home interior design musician producer

music studio producer with golden doodle

at home recording studio interior design

hands on music typology environmental portrait

June 30, 2021

No Bad Waves: A Day in the (surf + skate) Life

I started following Mother Gypsea on Instagram about a year ago after seeing a mutual friend of ours share a post of hers and her #nobadwaves platform of community and positivity in our town of Ocean City, where she shares her laid back beach life with her four (amazing!) kids. Later, I learned that her real name is Sue McElwee after her Christmas tree beach display and large scale seashell creations went viral toward the end of last year. 2020 was brutal for so many people, and Sue’s creative project brought so much hope and happiness to this community. People came from far and wide during the pandemic winter to experience this little piece of magic at the beach for themselves. Sue and her kids collected shells from several local beach towns and left markers and shells for people to write their names, messages, and dreams, and North Street Beach became a frequent stop for us on our winter walks. Sometimes, it’s the simple ideas in life that make such a big impact, especially when done with love.

North Street Beach Ocean City Peace Sign — January 24, 2021 // Sawyer’s birthday

So although I had been following her and admiring her creativity and her mega-talented kids (surfing + skating), and messaging through Instagram, I hadn’t met her in person until just last week. When we were texting, she said “we usually head out the door by 5:30.” In THE MORNING. You know kids have a passion when they are willing to work hard and get up early to chase it. I remember years ago watching this commercial about moms and their Olympian kids, all the early mornings, the sacrifices, and the encouragement to get up every single time they fell down. Last year, Sue and her husband made their move to Ocean City permanent so their four kids can have the opportunity to surf (and skate) all year round. At 11 and 13, her older boys are incredibly talented at both sports and I had a blast getting to see them in the water. Even at the early hour and the unseasonably cold temperatures on this June morning. But the light was beautiful and the waves were good, so even though the boys were bundled on the sand, they had no hesitation to get into the water and do what they love. And not only are they talented, they are humble, kind, and easy to talk to. After their morning surf, it was donuts, back home, get the other kids and ride to the skate park with a beach afternoon to cap off our time together. I loved getting to know Sue and her family, and every time I photograph a family, I look for the little nuances that make up individual personalities and the relationships they have among one another. Nothing on earth is more beautiful than real life, and I’m honored to have photographed this family and share their story (and made some new friends in the process).

To keep up on all things Ocean City, surfing, skating, and community, go give her a follow!

Dawn patrol in ocean city New Jersey surfing

documentary family photography motherhood

climbing on the lifeguard stand ocean city beach

June 25, 2021

Celebrating Summer 2021 in Ocean City, NJ

Ocean City Boardwalk summer photography session

Summer 2021 is officially in full swing in Ocean City, NJ, with a kind of energy that feels like a celebration of sorts, catching up on all the things we missed during the pandemic. I have a “summer bucket list” in my notes, of all the things we’d like to check off before labor day . . . most of my personal favorites from the list include food indulgences, but we all have our priorities, right?

One thing we always look forward to is the boardwalk, and I have such great family memories of taking our kids for rides, pizza, and ice cream over the years. Documentary family sessions are a great way to preserve those memories, and so I am introducing one hour Boardwalk sessions for summer 2021. It’s a perfect way to document your summer vacation in Ocean City! For pricing and availability, email hello@laurengayeski.com.

Kids climbing on the lifeguard stand in Ocean City New Jersey

Mother and daughter on the beach in front of Gillian's Wonderland Pier

Beach family photography in Ocean City NJ

Holding hands on the boardwalk in Ocean City NJ

Kohr bros ice cream cone on the boardwalk in ocean city nj

Ice cream cones on the boardwalk in Ocean City

Shriver's candy store on the boardwalk in Ocean City

Candy store on the boardwalk in Ocean City NJ family photo session

Family photography session boardwalk ocean city nj

Family walking on the boardwalk in ocean city NJ

Ocean city boardwalk family photography session

Ocean City NJ photography session family vacation

February 8, 2021

Getting in the Frame: Why it’s important to invest in documentary family photography

Photo by Jess Haverkamp of My Family in Photos

As the resident photographer at home, on vacations, and in larger family gatherings, I noticed there was something (or rather, someone) missing in my photos: ME. When I look at my collection of personal images, I see my own voice and perspective, and I photograph my children in a way that communicates to the viewer how I see them. But that voice doesn’t ever include my face. This isn’t something that bothers me, per se, but what happens when I hand over those neatly organized prints to my children, and there are no images of me being their mother? That is the thought that bothers me.

Because I was there, too.

I find this is a common concern among mothers. We busy ourselves with marking special events like birthday parties, making childhood magical with crafts and games and books and dress up, answering a million “why” questions, teaching and shaping our children to be kind and strong, and collapse with exhaustion at the end of the day. It’s no wonder that we find excuses not to get in the frame. And then there is the issue of how we see ourselves. As a woman who is 100% appalled by the sudden surprise of the front facing camera unexpectedly opening on my iPhone, I will be the first to admit that it’s hard to witness the effects of time, gravity, pregnancy, parenting, and sun damage as they make their marks on my body. I don’t have to like it, but all of it is part of who I am. I may see those things in a photograph of myself at a quick glance, but I also see my joy, my gestures, the way my sons look at me, and deep expression of love in my eyes when I look at them. Collectively, those things say more about me than my wrinkles or stretch marks. And that’s truly the beauty of documentary family photography. Real life is beautiful and I want to hold onto the images that help me remember the places I’ve been, the people I’ve loved, and the life we have built together.

Photographs are an investment, one that I have made as a priority over the years. Because as much as I learn and grow as a photographer, hiring a documentary family photographer is the only way that I can have images of my real life with me actually in them. I want to share some images from those sessions, one just a regular day in our life and two being vacation sessions.

Day in the Life: January 27, 2017

By Allie Wilson Photography

Vacation Photo Session Berlin, Germany: August 11, 2018

Photos by Jess Haverkamp of My Family in Photos

Vacation Photo Session Disney’s Animal Kingdom: February 29, 2020

Photos by Holly Hicks Photography

I believe in the value of documentary family photography, evidenced not only by my own work but my personal investment in images created by other documentary family photographers. To me, these images are worth every penny and more.

Let’s put it this way: if there is a hurricane barreling down the coast where I live and I have to choose what to bring and what to leave behind, my boxes of (organized!) photos and albums are coming with me first. They are my earthly treasures, ones I hope last long enough to be held by my children’s children’s children and beyond. As pandemic restrictions ease up, I am so looking forward to photographing families and their real lives, creating for them what these photographers created for me . . . because when I look at the images, I remember what it felt like to be there.

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