Natural Vs. Artificial: New Jersey Landscape Photography

I have long been interested/obsessed with lightning. As a kid, I used to love going out to the front stoop to watch storms. Living in a neighborhood with lots of trees didn’t exactly afford the best view of lightning or the sky – so the second I could drive, I began logging hours by the shore. At first, it was the bay beach a couple of miles away from my house. After a while, I began to feel comfortable creeping over to the Ocean Gate boardwalk.


I wasn’t doing photography seriously then, but I loved to take my first 35mm film camera with me to take the same 5 photos over and over again on different days. I never even attempted to get a photo of lightning, knowing that the combination of me being a seriously unlucky individual and also a rather cautious one created a cocktail that kept me from the experience. Once I got into photography seriously, I began to love long exposures, fireworks, and essentially any ‘light painting’ photo I could get.


I had not attempted getting shots of lightning until the other night. Having just finished shooting an event, on the way home, I noticed that there was some serious storm going on. It wasn’t raining, the clouds seemed to be in the right position to be able to photograph, and all the impossible variables seemed to fall into place. I set up by Island Heights, and began a relatively frustrating hour checking exposures, getting my timing down, and trying to remember to continuously press the shutter (next on my purchase list: remote shutter). I managed to get several bolts, though the one I’m going to share was the night’s best. It was totally exciting each time I knew I ‘got one’ in my shot, and I am now waiting patiently for the next storm.


Just so you can compare, I’m going to show you nature’s fireworks vs. the ones that we shoot off on the Fourth of July. I tried a little something different with this year’s fireworks and pushed my ISO way higher than I typically do, so I could include some foreground. When I finally got to look at the frames, I was really happy at the sense of ‘awe’ that including the people watching the show included.





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Beautiful Things: New Jersey Landscape Photography

I feel like it’s always a catch-up with this blog! We have done so many great family shoots and weddings recently, that it will take a bit to get all that goodness up. For now, enjoy this sampling from last night in Ocean Gate, NJ. The iconic (to locals) boardwalk and pavilion made it through Sandy – so it’s nice to see one local landmark completely untouched. Yes – these are HDR photos!





If you’re digging all this, make sure to check out our Facebook page where there is plenty more goodness from the Summer 2013 Landscape Collection (as well as much more!).

We also have a site with plenty to see!
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A (little) Spring in Our Step

There were moderately (I say this conservatively) spring-like temperatures this past weekend, so we were able to get out for a bit in Cattus Island State Park. I have been DYING (dying, dying, dying) to test out my new 100mm Macro f/2.8L on bugs so I was REALLY (really, really, really) hoping that we were finally going to see some signs of life. With the exception of a couple ants, my macro pickings have been limited to plant life, household objects, and my extremely uncooperative schnauzer. I’ve gotten to use the lens for bling shots of my brides/brides to be (which it’s awesome for, and I love the bling!) – but I was really hoping for some creepy crawlies.

I was in a little luck, and was able to spy a caterpillar on our walk. It was kind of windy, so holding his branch steady without freaking him out was difficult, but I got a couple of snaps. I also took a few other shots. Check out these snaps from our ‘nature walk’. There are only a few, because it really wasn’t that exciting.
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A Deployment: New Jersey Portrait Photographer

It is not often that I tear up when I edit photos – but it happened when I was doing these.
You probably remember the cutie from the last session. When her Mom (and a pal of mine from high school) had contacted me not only about doing those adorable Easter portraits, but also some pre-deployment shots for her family, I was touched and also thrilled that she was trusting Ray and I to capture those moments. All my love to this sweet family, and a speedy return home.
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Texture Adventure

In Sandy’s wake, we have limited access to the beach and consequently, our favorite photo spots. For the past couple of months, we’ve been very slow with our own personal photo work. The work that we do for our clients aside, we also enjoy just going out with cameras and capturing whatever it is we choose. In an effort to get back into our own personal photo adventures, we took some visits to local parks to get some shots – with an emphasis on textures and patterns. Being that we usually don’t shoot the woods or winter very often – it was a fun exercise. It also proved that you can find textures and patterns in nature pretty much anywhere you look.


Here are a couple favorite shots from the adventure. You can view the whole set on our Facebook page.


Initially, the woman in red in this photo irritated me. She was ruining my shot! I initially had planned to just clone her out – but I ended up liking the pop of red she provided.

These posts are really nothing special, but I really loved the clean, uninterrupted way the snow was sitting on top of them. While I initially included just the first post – I decided I liked the perspective effect the rest of them had behind it.


This was literally ice in a mud hole on the ground. I stepped on a lot of it before realizing how much like shattered glass it appeared.

If you were a 90’s kid, you surely remember Legends of the Hidden Temple on Nickelodeon. This pattern in tree bark reminded me a lot of Old Mec.



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An Engagement Shoot at 50mph – New Jersey Engagement Photographer

We seem to have a real knack for shooting in fairly extreme conditions. Having already conquered shooting in far less than desirable conditions (read: hurricane Sandy), we knew that shooting in 50mph wind was going to be a challenge. We had a really special couple coming to shoot with us – but we were worried that the wind was just going to be too difficult (and uncomfortable) to shoot in. I had tentatively stepped out on the dock to see what it was like, and was nearly blown off – it was that bad! Luckily for us, Rosemary and Blaze were game to push on. While I was dressed like Ralphie in A Christmas Story Rosemary managed to look effortless (and completely beautiful) – luckily I was not the one getting photos taken on that day!

While we were a bit limited by the wind and essentially had to hide behind a small building for cover – Rosemary and Blaze were truly amazing and really did make this shoot look like just another day at the beach (it wasn’t! trust me!). If they made 50mph winds in December look gorgeous, I can only imagine how wonderful they are going to look in their wedding photos! Weather aside, these two were so in love that it just made these photos glow!

Check out the full set on our site: www.deepsixphotography.com

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Long Exposure HDR

 

Every now and then I get on a jag with long exposure shooting. I don’t always find the technique applicable (I’m sure that I would use it a whole lot more if we had some waterfalls or the like around) but when I use it, I’m typically not disappointed. The last long exposure HDR shot I did was at the lighthouse, and became Deepsix Photography’s top-selling photo. I’m not sure that this most recent endeavor will climb the charts quite like that one did – but I do really like it:

 

 

 

Just for comparison – here is a similar shot (zoomed in quite a bit) that is not HDR, just long exposure. If you look at the above shot, you can see the moon just beginning to descend from the clouds. Below, you can see much more of it.

 

 

And there you have it – one shot, two similar ways. Which do you prefer?

 

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Sky’s The Limit

Before you read this  post, have you visited our site (www.deepsixphotography.com), and ‘liked’ our Facebook? If not – do these things now!

Ray and I go to a handful of ‘regular’ sunset shooting locations depending on time of year. In the summertime, one of our key spots is a little dead end, where you almost have to kind of sit on someone’s bulkhead to get the shot. We’ve never been apprehended doing this, so I assume it’s legal.

Anyhow – while getting this shot, we were approached by a duck gang. They excitedly came up to us, trolling for bread. We don’t usually carry bread when we shoot – and the ducks were incredibly persistent. Lesson learned: bring bread.

Anyway, here’s the shot.

Epic Engagement

The other week, we had the pleasure of shooting an engagement session with Kristin and Matt. Unfortunately, try as we might – the weather was really not cooperating, but we toughed it out through really unseasonable June temperatures and some howling south wind for some absolutely gorgeous shots:

 

 

And then.. to cap an awesome evening – they were open to letting me do some HDR stuff – which I love to do. So basically, they bravely took engagement photos to a whole new level:

 

Awesome.

Stormy Monday

Yesterday, the sky was doing some crazy stuff. I love multi-layered cloud cover, and there were many fantastic examples putting on quite a show. Additionally, the sky behind the heavy cloud cover was a supremely dazzling blue. I’m not sure if it’s a coincidence that these storms seem to roll through on Mondays, but this is the second instance where I’ve found that the weather was rather miserable, unseasonably cold, and generally yucky on the most hated day of the week. Lucky for me, this lends itself to some unique and wonderful sky photography.

This shot illustrates that dazzling blue that I was talking about hiding behind the clouds.

And here are the clouds covering up the dazzle on the opposite side of the island. I love all the layers and textures!

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