Our Session: Ocean City Beach, NJ.
If you’re asked if you’d be down to go to the beach to capture a senior portrait session, always answer YES! My husband Jason and I met up with Elizabeth and her family at the Ocean City beach one weekday afternoon for golden hour. The occasion for our fun sesh was that she graduated high school! She picked the absolute PERFECT dress, a nice pastel pink that complimented the light ocean colors. Elizabeth shared that she got it on the boardwalk not too far away! I’m so excited to share some of my favorite images from our Ocean City beach senior session! Seriously, all of the photographs came out so beautiful. Each of them could easily stand alone as their own photograph, printed several feel long and hung up to display for guests that visit. That or album covers! Maybe to upbeat acoustic music! Before I share some pics, more about my new friend!
Elizabeth and her family head over to Ocean City every year for vacation. They rent a beach house and stay there together for a week. Such a cute little family tradition! She loves doing all sorts of amazing and fun activities with the fam. She enjoys going to the beach every day with her aunts and cousins. In the evening, she is happy to venture the boardwalk with her aunts, uncles, cousins, dad, and bro. When I asked Elizabeth what she likes about the ocean, she shared that she loves how powerful but also freeing it is. She enjoys feeling and hearing the magnitude of the waves; it makes her so happy!
The past year or so has been so challenging to society. Every citizen trying to adjust to a new normal. My high school experience has come and gone, but Elizabeth was right in the middle of it. She shared, “Covid heavily affected my high school experience. In fall of 2020, I was preparing to go back to my private school to start my senior year. However, because of Covid, my school did not have enough money to stay open. I found this out a week before going back. I didn't want to start over at a new school, so I decided to go to a virtual school. It worked out well and I finished in early June. I was sad to miss out on times with my friends and playing sports. However, because I had more free time, I got to babysit a lot and work at my church. I also had time to work on recovering from my eating disorder.” Since planning our session together, Elizabeth and I have gotten to know each other better over social media, mainly Instagram. It’s crazy that people can have similar experiences in their lives even if they are decades apart. From our belief in God and Jesus, our venture for body positivity, struggles with anxiety, and a love for Taylor Swift, I’m happy that we both connect on an upward battle that so many people experience through their lifetime.
For her future, Elizabeth is excited to go to college next year at Eastern University! She plans to become a special education pre-school teacher. How sweet?!!?!!? She also shared that she hopes to fully recover from her eating disorder. She wants to continue volunteering at church and build as beautiful a life as she can. Ooof, if those aren’t #goals, then I don’t know what are!!! 🥰
I asked her what her expectations of the photoshoot were versus the experience that she had, and Elizabeth responded with, “Going into the photoshoot, I had a clear picture of what I wanted. I wanted amazing beach pictures that helped me feel confident in myself. I wanted the photos to bring out the joy in my life and in myself. My experience outdid my expectations completely! I am SO HAPPY with the pictures! I also love Jessah and her husband. They were so encouraging and so fun to be with!!” AAAHHHH so sweet like what?! 🥰 And when I asked her if there was anything from the senior session, her vacation, or this time in her life that she wanted to highlight, she shared, "I don't think so, just that I would recommend Jessah to anyone and hope we get the opportunity to work together again!" Like how do I get blessed with such amazing people in my life?!?!!!??! 😭😭😭
Elizabeth: I'm so glad that our paths crossed and we got to know each other! I'm super proud of you for being so in tune with yourself and realizing things in your life you want to improve upon. Some people live their entire lives thinking they're golden and don't need to change a thing. High school can be a super hard time, I know it was for me. Having a family that loves you unconditionally is so epic and beautiful! #blessed !!!
