Sandy Hook Never Ceases to Amaze Me

Sometimes I feel as if I should change the name of my blog to the Sandy Hook blog as I write about special place to me often. Sandy Hook is a National Park just a stones throw from me and is the body of land in the foreground of photo just below. The park is part of the Gateway National Recreation Area and located in North Eastern Monmouth County here in New Jersey and overlooks the Highlands NJ to the south and New York City to the north.

I visit here at least a few times a week to work out on the multi use path, to go fishing or take photographs. I’ve loved going here ever since my father took me here as a kid to go fishing and my experiences there with him to those I encounter today have bad a big impact on my life.

No matter how many times I go to Sandy Hook or how many times I might have photographed say the lighthouse or the old military installation at Fort Hancock there’s still new ways of seeing my favorite place almost as if it were for the first time. Usually this happens as a result of my passion for photography and how the light falls on what what I’m seeing in front of me. When this happens a photographers shoots!

One example was a very early morning and I couldn’t sleep.  It was so early he sun had not even risen and I was already out the door to explore the park. The day was strange, overcast and there was a light misty fog in the air. I headed out toward the northern most section of the park and when I arrived at the lighthouse the first of the morning light was just starting the brighten the sky. The result due to the overcast and misty morning shed the lighthouse in this blueish hue that made for something really special.  I have never seen the lighthouse in this kind of light before and it just blew my mind as the camera recorded the scene exactly how I was seeing things unfold with my own eyes.

This park continues to fascinate me and provide me opportunities to explore my vision as a photographer even though the subject matter doesn’t change. Too me I can find ways to create images that are visually pleasing from subject matter I might have photographed countless times before then that is pretty cool if you asked me.