A New Series - "Behind the Image"

For a full index of posts in this series, check out the "Behind the Images" page - here. Be sure to follow the hashtag #JoeValencia_BehindTheImage on Instagram and Twitter to learn of new installments.

Self-portrait

Behind the Image

The COVID-19 pandemic is still dominating the news and our lives; I am beginning my fifth (sixth?) week of working from home. It's been almost as long since I have been to a park or photographed a sunset, instead venturing out to my yard looking for something to catch my eye. This has given me time to go thru some of my older (some forgotten) images and look at them thru "new eyes." I have also decided to use this time to work on my black and white processing skills.

As I go thru the images I am reminded of the circumstances that lead up to making it - it's funny, I find it difficult some days to remember why I got up from the couch or even the name of someone I've known for a long time. When I look at a photograph it is like I was there just yesterday. Art, like music, can evoke memories lost since forgotten. That is one of the things that is so attractive about the medium of photography to me; there is no better "high" than when when someone says that one of my images brought back fond memories.

I decided to create a new series titled, Behind the Image. Each post will be a single image (well... maybe two or three in a series) with the story of "what", "why", and "where" with a little bit of "how" thrown in now and again. I will create an index page with links to all of the posts in the series for easy reference - look for it in the tabs with the other pages.

Behind the self-portrait

The image I used here is a self-portrait that I shot a number of years ago when I had my original blog. I used to participate in challenges where a theme was presented and we were to post images representing it. The theme for this particular challenge, if you haven't guessed, was orange. We had a good amount of fresh snow in the back yard so I put on my orange fleece jacket and orange backpack before heading out. The camera I am holding is my old Canon A1 35mm film camera fitted with a Sigma 400mm f/5.6 lens. I used a selective color technique to turn the background monochrome and help accentuate the orange.

I was happy with the image, overall, except for the prominence of the fence. I would have liked to have a clean background to make it look like I was "in the field" instead of the back yard but I wasn't. Could I clone to fence out? That's possible I suppose but I don't have that kind of patience. I am also not that good with Photoshop, yet.

I hope you will enjoy the series as much as I enjoy reliving the experience of making the images. The first post should be ready in a few days, I hope. The image will be a recent black and white conversion of the last sunset I shot at Manasquan Reservoir, just prior to the state shutdown. Stay tuned!

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All photos are copyright Joseph S. Valencia All Rights Reserved They may not be used in any way without express written permission of the photographer. If you wish to use any of the photos you may contact the photographer at valencia32photo@gmail.com

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The Jersey Shore: An Introduction

Blue Hour - Spring Lake
February 2019

DISCLAIMER: This post is about the REAL Jersey Shore - the beaches and shore communities. It has nothing to do with "Jersey Shore" television show or any of it's cast of characters. That is an abomination (in my humble opinion) and does not properly reflect life here.

An Introduction

I have called the Shore "home" all my life - I've never lived more than about five (5) miles from the beach and rode my bicycle to many of the places I will write about in this series.

I am writing about the Jersey Shore for a number of reasons - the first is, "Why not?" It is probably the only place in New Jersey that people don't need to be told about - we have been a popular summer destination since the 18th century! Well.... definitely the 19th century. The "Shore" has hosted a number of U.S. Presidents over the years - from Franklin Pierce in 1855 thru Donald Trump in 2019 - and been the birthplace for some of Hollywood's biggest stars. There is also a guitarist from Freehold (born in Long Branch) who made it big in Asbury Park - what's his name? 😉 😃

It is also the part of New Jersey that I know the best, having spent my life here. You will find that most of the images in this post were shot during the "off season", Labor Day thru Memorial Day, when the beaches are virtually deserted and the air is it's crispest. I shoot my sunrises primarily between October and February. So, without further ado, let's get started.

The Jersey Shore

Let's start with defining where the Jersey Shore is - according to Wikipedia, The Jersey Shore "encompasses about 141 miles... of oceanfront bordering the Atlantic Ocean, from Perth Amboy in the north to Cape May Point in the south." The article also mentions that most of the shore is located in South Jersey but it also only divides the state into two (2) regions - North and South. I favor the three (3) region idea and include Central Jersey which is where I was born, raised and still live. I am not going to cover ALL of the shore in this series but, rather, some of my favorite locations and a few that were shot just for this project. I decided to break this down into a few different parts due to the size of the area. As-of this writing, I'm not sure how many parts this will be or exactly how I will break it down but I have already decided to start with Sandy Hook, followed by Ocean Grove. If you follow my "general interest" blog - From the Mind of Joe Valencia - you may recognize some of these places, as I have written about them in the past.

Host to Presidents

Long Branch has a long, proud history as a resort town hosting presidents, Ulysses S. Grant summered in Long Branch between 1867 and 1885, when it was known as the Long Branch Commission. Long Branch didn't became a city in 1903. Grant had a home on Ocean Avenue that he would spend summers in - even convening Cabinet meetings there. Sadly, the home at 995 Ocean Avenue was bulldozed in 1963.... The "Church of the Presidents" is a former Episcopal church where seven (7) presidents worshipped - Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, James A. Garfield, Chester A. Arthur, Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley, and Woodrow Wilson. The church was deconsecrated by the church in the early 1950's and had been scheduled for demolition. A group of local preservationists stopped to demolition and the church was turning into a museum. It is being restored and is not open to the public. You can learn more about the church here - https://www.churchofthepresidents.org/.

Not Just Amusements

As mentioned above, The Jersey Shore has more than 140 miles of shoreline, many of those miles have boardwalks and on those boardwalks you will often find rides, games, restaurants and other attractions. There are amusements to be found in Keansburg, Point Pleasant, Seaside Heights and Wildwood, among others. Asbury Park used to have many rides and four (4) or five (5) miniature golf courses but most of that is gone now. There are a few "kiddie" rides but it is mostly replaced by restaurants. Asbury Park was one of the places we used to ride our bikes to, about 10 miles each way, just to play pinball and miniature golf. The amusements are fun but they make up just a small part of the boardwalk; you can walk for miles smelling the salt air, listening to the crashing waves and watching to boats. This is some of the most beautiful views you will find.

Parks - National, State, County and Local

No doubt, the most well-known park along the Jersey Shore is Gateway National Recreation Center, aka Sandy Hook. There are many others along the shore or in neighboring towns, including Seven Presidents Oceanfront Park which is part of the Monmouth County Park System. Yes, "seven presidents" ties in with the church and the seven presidents who vacationed here.

Of Course, the Beaches

Yes, of course there are beaches! That is the big draw to the area and why tourism is such a big industry here. Personally, my favorite time of year to go to the beach is from Labor Day to Memorial Day; most times I have the beach to myself. You will find many seascapes in this series, virtually all taken in the "off season" and many taken during sunrise. The is something magical about a sunrise over the ocean, everyone should witness it as least once in their life.

Other "Stuff"

There is plenty of other things to do at the shore and many things to see, I will be bringing to you what I can but it will be far from comprehensive. If you have anything you would like to see me cover in the "Shore" section, please let me know in the comments below and I will do my best to do it. I would also love to hear your ideas of other areas of the state you think are beautiful and worthy of recognition - I will try to cover them, too!

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you enjoy the series - I think it will be a lot of fun and, hopefully, it can help change opinions of the great Garden State.

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All photos are copyright Joseph S. Valencia All Rights Reserved They may not be used in any way without express written permission of the photographer. If you wish to use any of the photos you may contact the photographer at valencia32photo@gmail.com

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Sandy Hook Visitor Center
Before Superstorm Sandy

The Jersey Shore: Sandy Hook

Introduction

New Jersey has ten (10) areas under the direction of the National Park Service. While none are "national parks", they are National Scenic Trail, National Heritage Area, National Recreation Area, National Monument, National Historical Park, National Historic Trail and National Reserve. I will be writing about some but will start with Gateway National Recreation Area, aka Sandy Hook.

Sunset on the Bay
image courtesy Katherine Valencia
(my daughter)

Sandy Hook - Gateway National Recreation Area

Sandy Hook is probably the busiest place on the shore and it is also one of my favorites. It is a very diverse place, too; being a peninsula means there are plenty of beaches for sunbathing and the fishing is some of the best of the East Coast. There are also miles of hiking trails, old bunkers and munitions batteries, the Lighthouse and Coast Guard Station. The header image shows the original Visitor Center as seen from the beach. The building was once used as housing for lifeguards before being turned into a Visitor Center. The building is now closed due to damage suffered during Superstorm Sandy in 2012 and the center has been moved to the Light Keeper's Quarters. This image is from March 2012.

I've been going to "the Hook" for as long as I can remember - I had an 8^th grade class trip there and remember having a Boy Scout Jamboree back in the 70's. We camped on the beach, I remember rain.... This was also a place where we rode our bikes to a few times. I spent a lot of time surf fishing during the late 80's and early 90's and I can't tell you how many hours hiking along the beaches and trails, almost always with a camera in hand. I don't get up there too often anymore, it is now a 45 minute to an hour drive but I try to get there at least once a year.

Great White Egret
Horseshoe Cove

The summer months find the park filling up early so if you want to go for a day at the beach, rise with the sun and head out. That's why this is one of my off-season destinations. If sunbathing is your thing, there are several ocean beaches but chose wisely - one of them is the "Nude Beach". There are trails to hike that bring you thru wooded areas and beaches - on both sides of the peninsula. The Hook is one of the few places where you can come early for a sunrise over the ocean and stay late to witness a sunset over the bay. Both are equally beautiful and distinctly different.

Red-Winged Blackbird
Spermaceti Cove

Wildlife

If you are a bird watcher, prepare yourself for a long day; the Hook is located along the Atlantic Flyway and is visited by more than 325 species of birds. The red-winged blackbird and great white egret are but two of the many different birds you will find here - some of the more common being glossy ibis, green heron, black-crowned night heron, piping clover and willet. Horseshoe Cove is a great place to find herons, egrets, osprey, geese and ducks; in fact, I spotted the egret shown here because a chevron of Brant (aka Brent Goose) caught my eye and the egret was feeding about 10 yards away. Of course, sea gulls are the dominant bird here and found on both ocean and bay sides. There are large poles with platforms sticking up in a number of locations - those are for osprey to nest. In all of the years I have been going to the Hook, I have only been able to capture an osprey on "film" once - it was shortly after I got the image of the blackbird shown here. Unfortunately, it caught me by surprise and it isn't a very good image.

Birds aren't the only wildlife you will find - if you are quiet and look real close, you may spot a red fox or two. You will also find Monarch butterfly and horseshoe crab, in addition to the aforementioned osprey. Muskrat can be found along the bay side but the real show-stopper might be the seals; you can find them playing in the surf or, between December and March, laying on the beach soaking up the rays.

"Herb Robert" Growing from Rock Wall
Mortar Battery

Though I've not seen any in my travels, I understand you may come across an occasional snake along the way. The overwhelming majority of snakes in New Jersey are non-venomous and none of the venomous snakes are native to this area.

Flora

Warning: Poison ivy is prevalent - learn to recognize the plant and keep your distance.

The warning aside, poison ivy does play an important role - it's roots help secure the sand in place during storms. Milkweed is abundant and is vital to the well-being of the Monarch butterfly. The flowers, trees and plants found on the peninsula are many - mushrooms, cacti, Maple trees, flowering dogwood, beachgrass, sunflower and bayberry, to name a few. The Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum) shown here was found growing out of the wall surrounding Mortar Battery. For more information, check out the Sandy Hook Herbarium run by the Marine Academy of Science and Technology. I would like to thank Ms. Cheryl McDonald for helping me to identify the plant. I would also like to thank Ms. McDonald for letting me know of the Holly Forest at the park. I'm certain that I have been thru there because I have explored the entire park at some point but I had forgotten. The Holly Forest is the largest on the East Coast and has trees that have been there since the British occupied the area - some reaching 70 feet high! The forest is also believed to be the largest virgin holly forest in the country. There used to be a nice pathway thru the forest but my understanding is that it is now closed to the public - there was a problem with people damaging the trees by taking clippings for Christmas decorations. The Park Rangers were conducting walks thru the forest but it would seem that has ended as I cannot find any information.

History

There is no way I can write about Sandy Hook and not talk about it's rich history and it's role in our military history, particularly the American Revolutionary War, War of 1812 and the Civil War. You will find bunkers, ammunition batteries, and the lighthouse.

Sandy Hook Lighthouse

Mortar Battery

The Sandy Hook Lighthouse is the oldest operating lighthouse in the United States, built in 1764 it was lit for the first time on 11 June 1764 - at the time it stood 500 feet from the tip of the hook, today is is nearly 1½ miles from the tip. The lighthouse was nearly destroyed in March 1776 by the Monmouth County Militia for fear it was aiding the British. They took most of the items essential for the lighthouse to function and broke the glass lens. The British ultimately took over the hook, repaired the lighthouse and remained there until the end of the war.

A wooden fort was constructed during the War of 1812 and named, Fort Gates. As an additional line of defense, a cannon was installed in the lighthouse. After the war, it was decided that a permanent structure should be built but it didn't start until 1859 when the Army began construction of Fort at Sandy Hook. The fort was never finished and was knocked down in the 1950's. The gun batteries didn't come into being until the end of the 19th Century. This is around the same time Fort Hancock came into being; designed to protect New York Harbor from invasion.

World War II saw a proliferation of aircraft being used for warfare and by the end of the war anti-aircraft guns played a key role in defending the fort, only to be replaced by Nike missiles during the Cold War. The fort was decommissioned at the end of 1974 and became part of the National Park Service.

The U.S. Coast Guard now occupies much of the land on the bay side, close to the tip.

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Ms. Cheryl McDonald for identifying the plants shown here.

I would also like to thank my daughter, Katie, for allowing me to use her sunset image. It's hard to believe I have never shot a sunrise or sunset at Sandy Hook, I'm glad she has. You can check out more of her work at her Facebook page - Katie Valencia Photography.

Original Visitor Center
before Superstorm Sandy

Links to websites and other information

• Download a "Multi-Use Pathway map" (PDF) - here
• Download a "Trail map" (PDF) - here
• Map of Sandy Hook (JPEG) - here
• Fort Hancock Historic Walking Tour (brochure/map) - here
• Birds of Gateway National Recreation Area (PDF) - here
• Mammals of Gateway National Recreation Area (PDF) - here

The Twin Lights
As seen from the park entrance

How to get there

For GPS, use the following address: 128 South Hartshorne Drive, Highlands, NJ 07732
General directions (from the National Park Service website): https://www.nps.gov/gate/planyourvisit/sandyhookdirections.htm

• From North Jersey and New York: - South on the New Jersey Turnpike - Exit 11 onto the Garden State Parkway (South) - Exit 117 (Keyport/Hazlet) - After toll, bear left and follow Route 36 East - 12 miles to park entrance (after crossing the Highlands Bridge)-Stay right to enter the park.
• From South Jersey: - North on Garden State Parkway - Exit 105 (Eatontown), bear left for Route 36 East - Continue on Route 36 East, pass Monmouth Mall and across Route 35 through Eatontown and Long Branch (Route 36 is called Joline Avenue here). - Continue on Route 36, which turns left and follows north along ocean. (Route 36 is called Ocean Blvd. here) - North for six miles through the towns of Long Branch, Monmouth Beach and Sea Bright to park.
• From Philadelphia & Camden, New Jersey: - New Jersey Turnpike north to Exit 7A (Shore Points) onto I-195 - East on I-195, to Garden State Parkway north. - GSP north to Exit 105 (Eatontown). - Then follow "From South Jersey" directions above.

For alternate transportation options - including public transportation - you can check out the website above.

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"Sunset on the Bay" is copyright Katherine E. Valencia All Rights Reserved They may not be used in any way without express written permission of the photographer. If you wish to use any of the photos you may contact the photographer at k.e.v.photographynj@gmail.com

All other photos are copyright Joseph S. Valencia All Rights Reserved They may not be used in any way without express written permission of the photographer. If you wish to use any of the photos you may contact the photographer at valencia32photo@gmail.com

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The REAL New Jersey - a new project and series (CANCELLED)

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Due to a number of reasons, this project has been cancelled indefinitely. One of the biggest reasons is the inability to secure corporate sponsorship and secure the equipment needed to execute the project properly.

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This post is part of a series - for more information about the series, as well as links to the other posts, check out The REAL New Jersey Project Page

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I recently submitted a series of images to a magazine for consideration. The magazine selects a single artist each month and devotes the issue to them - they publish 11 images and conduct an interview. I wasn't selected but received a nice email from the publisher who spoke highly of a couple images in particular - he said I was one of three finalists and he encouraged me to submit again at a later date.

I decided to take those 11 images and use them as the seeds for a new project on Behance - The Real New Jersey. The project will be "live" and updated throughout 2019; I will also be creating a companion series here on the blog. You can check out the project here - https://www.behance.net/gallery/77865857/The-Real-New-Jersey.

The blue hour image of the beach at Spring Lake is one of the many Jersey Shore images you will find - seascapes, sunrise, sunset, beach, waves, etc.... I will also be traveling outside of the Jersey Shore to bring you to the Appalachian Trail, Sandy Hook and other parks and natural wonders the state offers.

I hope you enjoy the project as much as I do.

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All photos are copyright Joseph S. Valencia All Rights Reserved They may not be used in any way without express written permission of the photographer. If you wish to use any of the photos you may contact the photographer at valencia32photo@gmail.com

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Interview with Photographer Simon Cook

Simon Cook is not a working professional photographer but rather a talented amateur. His first love is writing (check out his blog - "The art of writing and photography on the web") and he has found a way to combine both passions through his blogging. I have been following Simon for close to a year now and I enjoy his writing as much as I do his photography.

Simon grew up in Wales and emigrated to the U.S. after meeting his wife online (more on that later.) He has since settled in New Jersey and has explored quite a bit of our beautiful state. Through his posts I have "discovered" places that I didn't know about and have added them to my list of places to shoot and I am grateful.

Personal questions

What is your favorite childhood memory?

When I was about 12 my parents were not very well off; my brother and I had no idea, but my parents always felt like they were not giving us enough. One Christmas, we opened our presents on Christmas morning and were very happy. We had dinner and then my parents surprised us with an additional gift of a huge cassette player (yes I am that old!). It was the greatest memory of my childhood. It became an even better memory when 30 years later I found out my parents had spent their last money the day before just to make our Christmas special.
(Joe: that's a great memory - you think you're old, my first tape recorder was a portable reel-to-reel!)

What are the five foods you can’t live without?

Does Guinness count as a food?
Let’s see:

• Steak – need I say more? Somehow steak, smothered in garlic mushrooms with a nice loaded baked potato is something to die for – it would be my last meal if I was on death row.
• Tiramisu – decadent, creamy, rum filled, coffee topped joyous piece of dessert!
• Fish and Chips – my dad was born in Grimsby which at the time was a thriving port. The fish and chips were as fresh as fresh could be – add some mushy peas and I am in heaven.
• Curry – well on those days when I went out for a beer or ten with the lads in Wales I could always blame the curry in the morning for the hangover!
• Lasagna – but only the way my wife makes it. Mozzarella, ragout cheese and chopped meat – and enough to feed an army.

What’s the best advice anyone has given you and who gave it to you?

I met my wife on the internet – she lived in the USA and I lived in Wales, UK. I went out with my dad once I had made the decision to move to the US to tell him – I was expecting a lecture. However he surprised me and basically said that sometimes in life you have to ‘jump’, otherwise you’ll regret not jumping. I jumped – and 20 years later I’m still happily married.
(Joe: great advice and welcome to our side of the Pond!)

What is your favorite thing to do when you aren't shooting?

As you’ll see when I answer the photography questions, my first ‘pleasure’ is writing – so when I’m not shooting I’m either writing or reading. I love learning and part of that process for me also involves writing.

If you could spend an hour with any famous person, past or present, who would it be and why?

Stephen Hawking – not only is he a genius, but he is also very funny. To achieve so much while be extremely disabled is astonishing. I’d love to spend just a few minutes in his presence – to try and even understand how he communicates, how he thinks, how he feels would be very profound to me.
(Joe: very interesting choice. I think it would be fascinating, too.)

Professional questions

Why blog about photography?

I am an amateur writer who loves expressing himself in words; as I’ve grown as a writer I stumbled across photography (mostly thanks to my dad). What intrigues me about photography is that it allows me to see the world from a slightly different perspective and it also allows me to amend the reality I am seeing; the blogging process for me therefore becomes in exercise in being more creative in my writing, but also I am finding that the thought process involved in combining writing and photography seem to help me improve at both.

Can you explain your photography in 10 words or less?

Eclectic mix of reality and fantasy experimenting with perspective and texture.

What is your greatest achievement in photography or blogging?

I won a grand prize in a competition on Hubpages – although I would not consider that blogging! In reality, my best achievement is having a school class ask my permission to use part of one of my blogs in a school play. It was a tongue in cheek article looking at what you would do if the world ended (it was written ready for December 21, 2012) – it was a humbling experiences knowing that children read my work, but also appreciated it enough to include in a play.
(Joe: I read that article - quite funny!)

If you could interview any photographer for your blog, past or present, who would it be?

Without a doubt Annie Leibovitz; I love music and was lucky enough to visit the Rock Hall of Fame in Cleveland when her work on famous portraits of rock stars was there. Her photographs were amazing; they were raw – you didn’t see the rock star as you see them on stage but you saw their souls – it was almost as if they were nude.
(Joe: she is one of my idols. I would have loved to see her work "live" and hope I can get an interview with her for this blog.)

What comes first - the blog or the photography and what’s your favorite part about the process?

The photograph always comes first for me, although I would like to be able to come up with a theme and then write about the photographs later. I enjoy the process of trying to get a different perspective in my pictures and then explain why I wanted that perspective.

Bonus question:

What are your Top 5 "Deserted Island" albums?

• Dark Side of the Moon (Pink Floyd)
• 2112 (Rush)
• The White Album (The Beatles)
• Led Zeppelin IV (Led Zeppelin)
• Tapestry (Carole King)

To learn more about Simon and to read his posts, please check out his profile at https://niume.com/profile/100576#!/posts. I would also like to suggest you read Love's Road by Simon Cook and bookmark it.