NJ Large Format Newbie Looking to Meet Up

[sosacorp]

Hi,

I'm new to the forum and to large format. I've done some reading up on LF and own a tachihara 4x5 with 6 lenses. I have a ton of velvia film that I want to go out and shoot, but I'm not 100% sure of what I am doing with this camera. Does anyone want to go out and take some amazing photos while perhaps showing me a thing or 2?? I'll buy lunch :) and donate some film!! I live in Edison, NJ but am willing to travel anywhere in NJ or eastern PA. You can PM me or post ehre. I hope to hear from you.

[marcant21]

hey, i'm in somerset, not too far. Near easton avenue on 287. Let me know and I can send you my contact info. I have an 8x10 and 4x5, but not very portable. However I have a graflex 4x5 that I can bring.

[Fotoguy20d]

Im up in Bergen county. I dont take out my 8x10 much anymore but still shoot 4x5 (Speed Graphic usually). Time is tough but Id like to get out and shoot sometime soon. I was in Boonton lat weekend - looks like some nice photo ops there between the old buildings in town, and the trail along the flume on the river. I was in West Orange at Edison Labs not too long ago (no LF camera then either) - also looks like fun but I dont know how NPS would feel about a bunch of us traipsing through with tripods (although they have a nice ULF in the photo lab upstairs)

Dan

[Flauvius]

Jersey has a great number of excellent locations to photograph with a large format camera.

Send me a PM if anyone would like to form a group of serious guys/gals to shoot and share ideas.

Flauvius

[pdmoylan]

I agree with Flauvius. NJ is strong for landscape work. The NJ Pine Barrens and its many unique areas, the Skylands the upper Delaware River parks adjoining PA are great places to explore.

Unfortunately I am now in Maryland but visit NJ occasionally.

Good Luck to you.

[Peter Lewin]

One more neat place to photograph in NJ: the recently opened (May 2012) Duke Farms near Somerville, NJ. I was there two weeks back with my wife to walk the trails, am itching to get back with the 4x5. Landscape, some ruins, some restored buildings, two glass-frame greenhouses, etc. Free, and no problems with tripods outside of the buildings. Its also the largest contiguous public open space in NJ, showing that it helps to belong to what was at one time the richest family in the U.S. if not the world! www.dukefarms.org.

[Fotoguy20d]

Another place is Paterson Falls and the Historic District. How about the Great Swamp.

[Peter Lewin]

Another place is Paterson Falls and the Historic District. How about the Great Swamp.
I live very close to the Great Swamp, and to be honest, have never found it to be particularly photogenic. Unless you're good at capturing egrets and other birds with a view camera... (Since humor doesn't come across in postings, I personally don't find the swamp landscape too appealing, and the wildlife lends itself to smaller formats with telephoto lenses. But of course that is just my own opinion, others may differ.)

[Flauvius]

The Somerset County Courthouse complex "right down the road" in Somerville offers a lot of opportunities. In particular, the stark white marble columns of the old court house building, the old wooden doors and hinges on the old annex bldg, and the 9-11 steel beam memorial are noteworthy.

Apart from a few Victorian type houses at the other end of town - no more than four blocks long -, there is nothing else in Somerville that caught my eye.

Flauvius

[JBelthoff]

Hi Guys,

I'm in Morris County, Budd Lake... Count me in on any meetings you might do... :)

[Bob Salomon]

Water Gap?

I'm in Rockaway so might be available in Morris County.

[JBelthoff]

Bob,

You're in Rockaway? Where abouts...? I grew up in Rockaway...

[Duane Polcou]

I visited the Great Swamp NWR this past weekend 9/9/12. There is a board walkway section which traverses part of the swamp. I was hoping to get some "black water" shots but it has been so dry the entire swamp in this section is leaf litter.

The Delaware Water Gap is one of the my favorite spots to shoot; Dunfield Creek Natural Area has some fine waterfalls. But again, it's been a dry summer so the flow is minimal. But during autumn, the hike up the red dot trail to the summit of Mt. Tammany and back down through Dunfield Creek can be extrememly photogenic, as is the hike up to Sunfish Pond. I'm definitely doing that loop with the 4x5 once the colors change.

Hackelbarney State Park is a nice glacial ravine with some fine boulders and small waterfalls. There is also a grist mill near by with some interesting 19th century stuff.

[Joe O'Hara]

I'm in Burlington County, close to the Pinelands. There's a nice trail along the east side of Batsto Lake that has amazing mountain laurel in late April. In that same area, the wild blueberries and similar plants turn bright red in mid-October. Corsons Inlet SP near Ocean City is an unspoiled area where you can work with dunes and plants characteristic to the area, along with a wide beach that sometimes has interesting contours in the sand at low tide. I concur about Hacklebarney, there are some excellent spots along the Black River trail there that can be quite impressive when the fall foliage is out, as well as in the spring. There is also Ken Lockwood Gorge near Califon which is great in the fall and spring. I've enjoyed working with the frozen ponds at Whitesbog in midwinter. In a few weeks they'll be harvesting the cranberries there that I saw ripening a couple of weeks ago.

I'm out with my 4x5 just about every weekend, send me a PM if anyone would like to organize an expedition.

[Bob Salomon]

Above the mall in the Township It is above Birchwood.

[pdmoylan]

Having spent many years imaging Great Swamp, the Pine Barrens and Hacklebarney with 4x5, I would strongly urge you to consider only the wilderness area of Great Swamp (forget the boardwalk area), Martha's Furnace in the Pines (I have so many real nice images from here), and as others have stated, Hackelbarney in the fall or spring. I have also found areas of Cape May COunty very interesting including some lesser known bogs in season. Drop me a pm if you want more details.