Ocean City NJ Family Beach Session | Where should I have my family beach session? | Ocean City, NJ

Ocean City NJ Family Beach Session. Ocean City has been voted the #1 Family beach resort for many years. The resort town of Ocean City, NJ, is an island on the coast of south NJ.  The island is about 15 miles south of Atlantic City and 65 miles south of Philadelphia, PA.  The resort town is flooded every summer season with families from all over the east coast.  Families love the quaint, small resort town that offers beautiful beaches, a bustling boardwalk, great restaurants, and a dry town. Yep, no alcohol is sold on the island!

Ocean City NJ Family Beach Sessions

Every business has a busy season, and mine is from May to September!  My photography business, Memories by Maria Photography, is booked from Memorial Day to the last warm days in September with family beach sessions.  I love photographing families at the shore.  The beach is my happy place, and I enjoy capturing families enjoying themselves at their happy place.

What is the best spot on the island for photos?

The question I get asked the most is:  “Where is the best spot on the island for photos?”  I usually will say…”I have a couple!” This is a true statement. Ha-ha.  The island changes every season, so my favorite spot may change every year. There are 8 miles of beach in Ocean City, which gives you many options to do your photography session. In this blog, the beaches are grouped into four areas, the north end, the boardwalk beaches, the middle, and the south end.  I will give you the highlights of using this part of the beach for each area.

The North End

The North End of the island is referred to as, The Gardens.  These beaches are usually less busy during the height of the season.  The north end offers a “glowy” sunset as the sun sets to the left of the beaches in this location. There are pretty beach paths and sea grass-covered dunes.  Sailboats are usually stored near the Waverly Rd/Seaview Rd Beaches, which are fun to include in the background of your photos.

There is a rock jetty in the area, but sometimes it can be partially covered with sand.  The only downfall about these beaches is parking to get to them.  This area is residential with street parking. Sometimes it takes a while to find a parking spot.

The Boardwalk Beaches

The Boardwalk is 2.5 miles long. It starts at St. James Place and ends at 23rd Street. The middle part of the boardwalk (6th -14th street) is where the shops, amusement rides, and food shops are located.  The fishing pier is at the 14th street beach entrance.  These are the busiest beaches on the island, especially during the busy weeks of the summer season.

Boardwalk and fishing pier

The beaches in this area are fun to use with the backdrop of the boardwalk and rides in the background.  This stretch of the shore has several rock jetties with lifeguard stands and lifeboats scattered throughout. I recommend these beaches for the morning or later in the evening.

A famous photo spot is near the fishing pier. During the busy months, you can see many photographers and their clients using this spot.   I recommend this beach for clients asking for sunrise sessions.  The fishing pier offers a bit of shade when the sun becomes too bright.  The biggest downfall with these beaches is that they can be very crowded!

The Middle Beaches

The middle of the island includes what the locals call the gold coast.  This part of the island starts around 23rd street and goes to 50th street.  The boardwalk stops at 23rd street.    Beautiful homes fill this part of the island. With so many summer rentals in this area, the beaches are always busy with families enjoying the ocean.

Beautiful beach paths

I love the beach paths and the higher dunes that this part of the island has.  There are some lifeguard stands and boats along the shore during the summer season. Most of the clients who use this part of the beach stay nearby and claim a beach as “their” beach.  I do many sessions along this stretch all season long.  Parking again can be a problem in this area.  There is only street parking, so most families walk to the beach for their session.

The South End

The South End is one of my favorite areas on the island!  This part of the island suffers the most from beach erosion. The beach can look different season to season and even session to session.  One storm can change this part of the island for the rest of the season.

I love that it is usually a quiet beach. Although some days I think the secret may be out as it can get crowded.  The sunsets are pretty at this end of the island because no buildings obstruct the setting sun.  During the busy summer season, there is a lifeguard stand and boat. The rock jetty comes and goes with the sand.  The beach at 58th street is one of my favorites for photos. There is parking at this end of the island, so parking is easy, especially after 6 pm.

I will meet you and your family at any part of the island for your session.  Some clients have their favorite spots or want to walk to the beach. If you are unsure of a location, I hope one of the areas I described has caught your eye.  If not, and you still have no preference, I will suggest a favorite location that I have been using, and that location may change from time to time over the season.  All in all, any of the beaches in Ocean City are beautiful!  Ocean City is one of my favorite areas along the Jersey Shore.

I look forward to seeing you at the shore!!