This past Sunday I went with Bergen County Camera to the Lakota Wolf Preserve. The trip was a bit pricy, but absolutely worth the money. Out in Columbia, New Jersey, the people at the site work year-round to feed and care for not just wolves, but foxes and bobcats as well.
On the bumpy ride up to the shooting area our guide told us that during Hurricane Sandy around a hundred trees were blown down, some damaging the fences keeping the wolves in. Amazingly the trainers spent the night on top of the hill amidst the hurricane conditions making sure the wolves were safe and contained.
This was an amazing opportunity, getting to photograph these beautiful creatures in a near-natural habitat. The morning light created several challenges, but allowed for some beautiful views of the animals.
Showing posts with label New Jersey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New Jersey. Show all posts
Mar 28, 2013
Dec 28, 2012
9/11 Beacon Memorial
I've always wanted to photograph the 9/11 beacon memorial. I remember being particularly inspired by the opening scene from Spike Lee's movie The 25th Hour, which focused on the beacon lights from different angles for the first several minutes.
Though I hadn't been home the past several anniversaries I was finally able to make it this time around. Throughout the year my work for Lifetouch took me to several places in New York and New Jersey that had great views of the Manhattan skyline and the Freedom Tower construction site. It's been interesting to witness the slow but steady progress on the tower at different points in the year. So this year I decided to spend Sept. 11 revisiting a couple of these spots and photograph the beacon memorial from different vantage points.
My first stop was a cliffside park in Weehawken, NJ, a ways upriver from the World Trade Center. It was a relatively quiet scene, though the sidewalk was lined with all sorts of photographers. Some had iPhones and point-and-shoots, others had tripods and enormous telephoto lenses. For the most part people were silent, but here and there you could hear quiet conversation.
I spent about 15-20 minutes photographing and taking in the scene, and then drove down to Liberty State Park in Jersey City to get a closer vantage point. This was a very different atmosphere. I arrived around 9:30, a short while before the parking lot's usual closing time, though you wouldn't know it that night. It felt more like the Fourth of July, especially when I noticed the ice cream truck stationed right outside the park entrance. Inside the park I found myself in a sea of tripod-wielding photographers, each one fighting for a spot on the river. The longer I stayed the more uncomfortable I felt, finding myself somewhere in the middle of the spectrum between somber visitors and enthusiastic photographers. On my way out of the park I noticed a group of older visitors posing for pictures in front of a piece of metal from the Twin Towers that had been turned into one of several memorials at the park. I tried not to judge, figuring everyone copes and commemorates tragedy differently, but when they put their coffee cups on the piece of the building so they could review their pictures I had seen enough.
So the trip was not at all what I had planned, but I think I managed to find a few moments at least to reflect and photograph some nice (if not at all original) frames of the memorial.
Though I hadn't been home the past several anniversaries I was finally able to make it this time around. Throughout the year my work for Lifetouch took me to several places in New York and New Jersey that had great views of the Manhattan skyline and the Freedom Tower construction site. It's been interesting to witness the slow but steady progress on the tower at different points in the year. So this year I decided to spend Sept. 11 revisiting a couple of these spots and photograph the beacon memorial from different vantage points.
My first stop was a cliffside park in Weehawken, NJ, a ways upriver from the World Trade Center. It was a relatively quiet scene, though the sidewalk was lined with all sorts of photographers. Some had iPhones and point-and-shoots, others had tripods and enormous telephoto lenses. For the most part people were silent, but here and there you could hear quiet conversation.
I spent about 15-20 minutes photographing and taking in the scene, and then drove down to Liberty State Park in Jersey City to get a closer vantage point. This was a very different atmosphere. I arrived around 9:30, a short while before the parking lot's usual closing time, though you wouldn't know it that night. It felt more like the Fourth of July, especially when I noticed the ice cream truck stationed right outside the park entrance. Inside the park I found myself in a sea of tripod-wielding photographers, each one fighting for a spot on the river. The longer I stayed the more uncomfortable I felt, finding myself somewhere in the middle of the spectrum between somber visitors and enthusiastic photographers. On my way out of the park I noticed a group of older visitors posing for pictures in front of a piece of metal from the Twin Towers that had been turned into one of several memorials at the park. I tried not to judge, figuring everyone copes and commemorates tragedy differently, but when they put their coffee cups on the piece of the building so they could review their pictures I had seen enough.
So the trip was not at all what I had planned, but I think I managed to find a few moments at least to reflect and photograph some nice (if not at all original) frames of the memorial.
Oct 25, 2012
Scott Kelby's Fifth Annual Worldwide Photo Walk 2012
I recently took part in Scott Kelby's Annual Worldwide Photo Walk. I hadn't heard of the event until a colleague of mine mentioned it to me this year, but it seems like a really cool organization. On a given day, photographers from all over gather in various locations --anyone can start their own walk in any location-- and take pictures together. I thought it would be good to meet and collaborate with some new people, and I jumped at the chance when I saw there was a walk at the Ramapo Reservation, a place I've hiked at before but always wanted to photograph in the fall.
Here are some of my best shots from the walk. I had a great time, but would love to go back again soon and see how the leaves look later in the fall.
Here are some of my best shots from the walk. I had a great time, but would love to go back again soon and see how the leaves look later in the fall.
Apr 10, 2011
If God is Willing and Da Creek Don't Rise
Last month much of the Northeast US got hit with some really nasty floods. Major causes included heavy rains and a particularly high amount of snowmelt. In our neighborhood of Westwood, New Jersey we had an interesting additional factor.
Many of the houses on my block, including mine, are situated in a flood zone. There is a creek running behind the houses that will often overflow with heavy rain. It's not unusual for one or several homes to get water in their backyards every once in a while. The real damage occurs when United Water, which operates the Woodcliff Lake reservoir, decides to open their flood gates to protect their facilities. The sudden surge of water will often, as was the case on March 7-8, send water flowing through yards and into houses.
Usually homes in the affected areas will get a flood warning or a reverse 9-1-1 call when these situations are anticipated, but this evening there was little to no warning. Luckily I was still awake in my basement-level bedroom around 2:30am, when I noticed water coming under the doors. Had I been asleep at a reasonable hour I likely would have awoken to a nasty wet surprise. I immediately began moving valuables upstairs and waking the rest of the family. From there we were racing against the continuously rising water to save anything salvageable. By the time the sun rose the water had finally begun to recede.
One of my first instincts was to grab my camera and start taking pictures -- mostly for insurance purposes. But before long I realized there was a story unfolding as firefighters showed up on the scene to assist people trapped in houses, neighbors began helping each other, and reporters arrived with the sunlight to interview fatigued residents in their soaked pajamas. I decided to capture as much of the ordeal as possible while being very much part of the story myself.
I narrowed my pictures down to what I hope is a cohesive photo story, although I'm sure I missed some important shots while I was busy trying to save my Goosebumps books and guitar amps from flood water.
Many of the houses on my block, including mine, are situated in a flood zone. There is a creek running behind the houses that will often overflow with heavy rain. It's not unusual for one or several homes to get water in their backyards every once in a while. The real damage occurs when United Water, which operates the Woodcliff Lake reservoir, decides to open their flood gates to protect their facilities. The sudden surge of water will often, as was the case on March 7-8, send water flowing through yards and into houses.
Usually homes in the affected areas will get a flood warning or a reverse 9-1-1 call when these situations are anticipated, but this evening there was little to no warning. Luckily I was still awake in my basement-level bedroom around 2:30am, when I noticed water coming under the doors. Had I been asleep at a reasonable hour I likely would have awoken to a nasty wet surprise. I immediately began moving valuables upstairs and waking the rest of the family. From there we were racing against the continuously rising water to save anything salvageable. By the time the sun rose the water had finally begun to recede.
One of my first instincts was to grab my camera and start taking pictures -- mostly for insurance purposes. But before long I realized there was a story unfolding as firefighters showed up on the scene to assist people trapped in houses, neighbors began helping each other, and reporters arrived with the sunlight to interview fatigued residents in their soaked pajamas. I decided to capture as much of the ordeal as possible while being very much part of the story myself.
 |
| I was glad I remembered this tip one of my photojournalism professors taught us for shooting in the rain: Wrap your camera in a zip-lock bag, cut a hole for the lens, and wrap everything in a rubber band. Thanks, Professor Lippincott! |
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