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New Jersey Locations

IrishBandit

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Jan 9, 2008
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35mm
Hey I'm a young photographer from central Jersey, and i need some help. I'm finishing up my portfolio for colleges, but I think that I need a few more strong images. I would like to take a trip this weekend, but I have no idea where to go. I'm from Monmouth County, and I'm looking for somewhere within an hour.

Thanks!
 
Subject matter? In NJ you can do anything from industrial and architecture to city and seascapes. There are even rural areas in the southern tip by cumberland county. What are you interested in?
 
Look for the thread here about the Three Queens.

Over the next few days, Cunard will have three major passenger ships embarking on voyages from the NY harbor. You can try for the "big shot" that the OP of that thread is seeking - or, more realistically, visit each ship where it's docked first - and then maybe try for the "threesome" together later.

If you can't find the thread, Google "Cunard" or go to the NY Times website where Cunard today is buying the top banner ad to tout the "event".
 
I like a little of everything. Theres probably not that much as far as nature, and wooded areas go right now(but if you know of some which are still picturesque even in this snowless winter please tell), but I like shooting Abandoned buildings, and architecture. I'm also interested in shooting some lighthouses, and i'm pretty sure jersey has some nice ones. Thanks for the quick reply
 
If you have a body guard, you may want to try Paterson or Passaic (during the day). I have lived in north Jersey (Orange, Pompton Lakes, and Bergen County). You have to be lucky and recognize things while driving. Then I lived in Jackson and didn't get out much. The Pine Barrens can be nice. Asbury Park, Atlantic City and the Trenton area can be good (again if you have someone watching over you). Freehold and Lakewood can be good. Near Rutgers (New Brunswick) can be good. Newark can be fantastic... but you really need someone by your side.

Now I live in Scottsdale, AZ so I don't have to worry about these things. I do go down into the heart of Phoenix on early Sunday mornings now, before anyone's up and get several nice urban shots on the 8x10 each weekend.

Depends on what type of photos you want to get. Good luck.

Rich
 
Nothing better than the Jersey shore in winter. You don't have to travel far. Probably the hardest, but ultimately most rewarding, is finding a new way to see in your own home town.

I teach photography at the college level, and grew up in New Jersey. You have endless subject matter at you finger tips IF you know how to see.

What format are you shooting? Does your portfolio have a theme? If so, follow it. If not, perhaps you can find a few images that are the glue that hold the work together.

Anything happening at the Englishtown Raceway? How about flea markets for people watching?
 
Pinhole you seem like the guy to talk to. I live right by the shore! I'm thinking about going to some of the lighthouses, and asbury park for the decay (its not that bad rcoda...at least not in daylight ]. I shoot with a dslr, and 35mm slr equally. There's no real theme to my portfolio, I'm trying to give the schools a broad view of my skills. I wish I knew of flea markets around here...I love vinyl records, and any old photography equipment (I'm an old man in the body of a kid). Any recommendations with the portfolio? Seeing as you are a college photography teacher, I would really appreciate it if you would check my portfolio out and give me some feedback. Thanks
 
Up here in North Jersey, you've got a bunch spots along the Hudson with excellent views of the river and Manhattan (Hoboken, North Bergen, Edgewater) plus if you go a bit further north along the Palisades Interstate, there a bunch of scenic overlooks of the Hudson and Westchester. Of course, by train or ferry from Monmouth County, you could get into the City in under an hour.

If your looking for woods and scenic views, Harriman State Park is just over the border in NY up here, probably within your 1 hour circle.
 
Try Camden; beautiful waterfalls, luscious forests.. Jersey's best kept secret.
 
I failed to realize in your first post that you need "Joisey specific" shots.

Nearly 30 years ago, I had the opportunity at this time of the year to do some shooting over in Hoboken.

I'm not sure the venues of these shots even exist anymore. And goodness knows, we don't get snow and cold weather like we once did. But I think you can still find some great shooting at the urban railyards and piers, if you look for them.
 
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are you near morristown ?
between rockaway and morristown
there is what used to be stickley's workshop
it is a decaying olde falling apart barn
that you can't miss ... 15 years ago there was a business nextdoor ...
and i think he sold ..... antique furniture

if you like industrial archaelolgy, near the rockaway motor lodge there are some
sites that i remember from when i was living there ...

good luck!

john
 
For landscapes there are lots of cornfields around me. They've all been cut to the stubbs but the fields are almost all edged with big trees. Could be fun.
I'm located in Princeton.
 
Apart from specific sites, think about the kind of light you enjoy. In interesting light nearly anything can become a good subject....long shadows, softly defined edges in late afternoon or early morning, or hard edges in mid-day. Weather is similar....morning mist, fog, rain on pavement, ice patterns even when it's melting. Or try making a "Kennagraph" with a looooong exposure at the shore.

There's really no necessity to travel very far at all. Merely documenting what's there only demonstrates that you found a subject that interests you, but won't show your jury much about your 'vision' or imagination.
 
For your location the most interesting material would be Asbury Park. There are some long abandoned hotels there that look like they should be in a Cambodian jungle. Shoot in the early morning. All the junkies are on a nod til the afternoon.
 
Go south to Cape May, ride the ferry across to Cape Henlopen. Lotta great stuff on the point.
 
joefreeman said:
Try Camden; beautiful waterfalls, luscious forests.. Jersey's best kept secret.
Click to expand...
Joe, teasing people isn't nice. I live in Cherry Hill. Ain't no high places in Camden or waterfalls. Lotsa urban decay, yes. Anything rural, no. Where do you live?

For those of you who don't know the state, Cherry Hill is a suburb of Camden. Philadelphia is Camden's best-known suburb.
 
Christopher Walrath said:
Go south to Cape May, ride the ferry across to Cape Henlopen. Lotta great stuff on the point.
Click to expand...
Christopher, the OP lives in Monmouth County, doesn't want to travel more than an hour. With normal traffic not even our governor and his state cop chauffeur, taking advantage of the special state police only speed limit (93 mph), can make it to Cape May in an hour.
 

Having formerly lived in NJ most of my life, for those of you unacquainted with Camden... read this...

http://www.camconnect.org/resources/documents/most_dangerous.pdf

And teasing isn't the word... he might be an accessory! ;^)
 
Reading over the Camden statistics, it makes it pretty clear that Camden's demographics are the perfect explanation for the crime rate - it has the lowest education rate and the highest unemployment rate for youth under 25. Those are the basic problems that need to be fixed - get the kids in school, off the street, and a productive job when they graduate. What a shame.


Back on topic, to the original poster, I'd find a single theme to your portfolio, and concentrate on that theme. Twenty images that show your ability to think about a topic, analyze it, and say something about it in a coherent manner will be far more impressive to a college admissions panel than 20 disconnected slides of otherwise well-made photographs. I've been dealing with this same issue, on a different level, with applying to graduate schools for an MFA in photography program. Fun stuff, but really challenging. I haven't had to think or focus this hard on something in over fifteen years.
 
As a recent NJ transplant living in CA, I can tell you that the Garden State is unparallelled in the sense that there is more photographich material per square mile than any pther place I have been. To point out specifics is too easy and would fill up pages but the shore is a "can't miss" drive. From pristine parkland to locations out of a Sci-Fi novel, NJ's shoreline is an awesome place to shoot. Other than that, one of my favorite places to roam is the backroads of Warren County. Its a little far from you but definitely worth the trip. My best shots came from endless wandering anyway and rarely from visiting the usual hot spots and historical sites. Good luck!
 
I'm not sure if this it beyond your travel distance requirement - but a visit to The Pine Barrens will reveal some "crossroads" settlements with interesting older buildings (some of them glorified shacks) etc.
 
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