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!
www.deepsixphotography.com

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.
For the full set, Like us on Facebook.

Ortley Beach: 80 Days After Sandy

Just about 3 months after the storm, visiting Ortley Beach, NJ still feels like a different world. This post is going to be a bit photo-heavy, but it can serve as a dedication of sorts to the town that Ortley once was, and what it will be again. It’s difficult to describe what it’s like to go to a town you once knew so well that you could probably describe the streets house by house – and be met with what feels like no landmarks to identify what street you’re standing on. The rubble is extensive, the streets are buckled, and there are enormous masses of tangled rope and the fabric of people’s lives washed up on the shore. These are really the only photos I’ve taken thus far since the storm – I’ve only been back twice. Ray has been back several more times than that. The beach in Ortley is closed, and not wanting to tempt fate we didn’t try to sneak up so I could get some photos of the now-infamous fallen JetStar. In the last shot of the first grouping, Ray is feeling the water – not something we get to do every day anymore.











These photos are from the same street in happier times.

This is a favorite shot of the pier and JetStar – taken standing on the old ramp that used to lie at the end of the street.








As always, visit our site or Facebook for more.

Spring Lake, NJ New Jersey Wedding Photographer

 

Prior to being a photographer, I felt like I never really got to go to weddings. It’s quite amazing that now I get to share in the joy of people that I’ve just met and be part of their special days. It is even more amazing when said special day is the evening before a superstorm is priming to hurl itself into the coast.

 

All morning long we observed the weather. There were road closures, evacuations, and a million other terrible things going on. The weather was deteriorating quickly, and everyone was buying gas and anticipating what we were told were going to be weeks without power. While I was anxious and scared of getting trapped someplace that wasn’t home – I knew we had to go shoot this wedding! So out we went, to brave the wind and rain, to Spring Lake, NJ. I couldn’t have been happier that we did.

 

 

To say that the atmosphere was warm, cozy, and full of love was an understatement. Whispers Restaurant in Spring Lake is small, quaint, and lovely. The couple was absolutely beaming, and it was such a comfort to see true love prevail against even the worst storms. Making the best of what we had – we had to forgo all the sweeping landscape photos we originally had planned. Landscapes or not – it was clearly evident that this couple was just happy to be married – all circumstances aside. It was an honor to attend!

 

 

To see the full set, visit our site – www.deepsixphotography.com or visit our Facebook (and ‘like’ us!) facebook.com/deepsixphotography

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Catching Up: Halloween

So I love Halloween. A LOT. Arguably, I love Halloween far more than I love Christmas. I love scary movies, full moons, ghost stories, and creepy October nights with fog rolling down the street. Additionally, my birthday is the day after Halloween, so I typically enjoy a scary birthday and that suits me just fine.

This Halloween, as many (if not all) of you know – the Jersey shore dealt with a force more powerful than zombies, vampires, or ghouls. Hurricane Sandy swept through our coastline, devastating the barrier islands, and pretty much anyone who lived anywhere near the water. Many people lost their homes, their livelihoods, and their lifestyles. Much of the coast (myself included) was without power for 2 weeks. Life as many of us know it here, has changed dramatically.

I don’t have any photos of storm ravaged shore to show you. Access to the islands is heavily controlled, and I’m not sure I would want to share any more (even if I did have photos). The damage is so widespread and encompassing that there is no need to publicize it further.

Instead, I will focus on some of the happier moments in Ray and I’s current photographic lives. We did quite a bit of shooting the weekend before the storm, and also the weekend after. We were able to see two weddings occur in the pre and post devastation – and also attend one of the most kick-ass Halloween parties we’d ever had the privilege to go to.

Here are a few shots from the Halloween party – which occurred Saturday night before the storm hit Sunday into Monday. The mood was happy, the guests were wonderful – but I couldn’t help a feeling of foreboding as the storm approached. The wind began to kick up as the party went on.

If you’d like to see more of the set, visit our Facebook page – facebook.com/deepsixphotography. Don’t forget to give us a ‘like’ while you’re there!

Love at the Jersey Shore

I just wanted to share an engagement shoot that DSP did, with a really great local couple, Michelle and Tim. They were super fun to work with, and it was a really fun evening!

If you’re recently engaged or getting married – Deep Six Photography is ready to book your event! If you would like to see the full engagement series, look at our site, deepsixphotography.weebly.com!

The Grass is Always Greener

I’ve found that I really like including things in the foreground of my sunset photography. Unfortunately, many of the places that are wide open and good for shooting sunsets include gnarly things in the foreground. Like trash. I’ll have a couple more words on trash when I post this weekend’s photoshoot with local comedian John Poveromo later this week. Anyway – this weekend’s sunset was really pretty, but alas, I was shooting in an area infamous for filth. Luckily, with a little magic I turned trash into treasure.

It helped that this sunset was really epic to begin with – the clouds were pretty ultimately perfect for HDR. Anyway – all that grass and gravel in the foreground? It was nasty. It looks attractive here – but in reality there were wrappers and other gross tidbits all tangled within it. But it gives this sunset extra oomph that is just not there without that extra little pop of green.

This one I’m not sure how much I’m enjoying the filth. With the houses on the right, there might be enough to draw interest to the shot without the inclusion of dead grass. Still – you have to admit that the dead grass doesn’t look half bad. I do need to edit out that bright red object I’m only now seeing. Not sure what that is. Probably a twisty tie from a gallon of milk.

A Bird in the Sand

Ok, so for the title of this post I was really trying to do something clever with the old, ‘a bird in the hand’ saying – but I really couldn’t come up with anything catchy or clever. If I do come up with something, I will stick it up there.

I’m not really what you would call a ‘birder’. I’ve seen real birders. They are often photographers, but sometimes they just have these wildly expensive telephoto lens-looking things that do not take photos. They love birds enough to just watch them and be happy. I like to photograph birds, but on most occasions I take seagulls (which New Jersey is overrun with, by the way) for granted. Now and again Ray and I will go down to the jetty in the winter, where there are more colorful waterfowl. In the winter, Jersey gets harlequin ducks (my favorite) and little buffleheads. I have not successfully landed professional quality shots of these guys yet, so you will just have to wait until January when they return.

Yesterday down on IBSP, there were a couple little guys that looked  bit like seagulls (but were not), so I got distracted and started to do some shots of them. I also inadvertantly got some shots of seagulls, but they were doing cool things so I suppose it was ok.

These were the prettier little ones. They were rather petite and adorable.

Look at his little face. I was really surprised at myself for getting such a nice flight shot. They were small and fast.

I just like the blue of the sky and the white of the seagull in this photo. This is just your standard New Jersey gull.

Ray and I spent a long time trying to set up a sand eel so we could get a shot like this. It finally paid off, as I was able to snap the moment this gull landed to pluck the tasty little morsel off the ground.

This may be as close to birding as I will come.

Shameless Promotion: Buy Our Calendar!

So each year, Ray and I put together a calendar featuring some of our favorite photos. These calendars are close to our hearts, and we do our best to make sure that they are portraying the real beauty of the Jersey Shore (we promise you will not see Snookie, JWOW, or the shore house).  

This year we’re creating two. The first of this year’s goodies is an HDR masterpiece, featuring some of this year’s best HDR photos (from us, of course!). If you would like to check it out – head on over:

2012 Coastal Images: HDR

 

We’ve included a full preview on the site, if you’d like to check out what photos we’ve selected for inclusion. All photos have been completely remastered and beautified before inclusion. Not that they weren’t awesome to start – but we want to make sure you’re getting epic here.

They’re selling for a mere $19.99 – and we promise that you will get only the absolute best of the Jersey Shore!

All proceeds from the calendars go towards our future photo endeavors and getting our business off the ground.

Garbage Bikes

I like to take photos of stuff that’s not really important. I find those shots – when framed correctly, and in tasteful light – tend to speak the most. I guess I shouldn’t say unimportant. Maybe I should rephrase and say ‘the little things’. I love the simple, little things. Call me simple minded. Or maybe my life is just not that exciting.

This photo was on a typical day. Ray and I have garbage bikes. I say this with as much love as I can – but they are actually bikes that we found in the garbage. There was a whole storyline with the bikes last year, when a theif began quietly stealing bike parts over the winter. By ‘bike parts’ I mean that one day, handlebars would be gone. The next day, a seat. Pretty soon the theif had enough bike parts to create an entire Frankin-bike (which he rode around on, and got caught on – it’s along story, as I’m sure you can imagine). So anyhow, our bikes have been through a lot. They were sitting on the ramp one day – and I was like, “I need a photo of these bikes. The light is great – everyone get out of the way.” So I scurried to the other end of the ramp to get some photos. I love the sky in them. I love the bikes. I even love that puddle of water in the foreground. This all sounds cheese-y. But this is day-to-day.

I’ve seen some great photography. I love exotic places and palm trees and super blue ocean water with little cabanas and beaches with black sand. Unforunately, I live in New Jersey. You don’t get that stuff around here. What you do get are garbage bikes, dirty bars, and bennys (read: tourists). I’ve got to work with what I’m supplied with. It’s good in the way that it forces some creativity – but I am aware that I don’t live in an ugly place. I just need to work a bit harder sometimes to find what’s beautiful.

Wasn’t that touching?