I was at a vendor show the other day and saw several stands of photography artists selling their photos. The shots they took were amazing. There were pictures of flowers, animals, mountains, rivers and oceans, truly some of the best nature landscapes I had ever seen. So after seeing these photographers with their nature photos, I thought about where would an amateur photographer like myself go to find where to capture some spectacular photos like the ones I saw at the vendor show.
So after searching the internet and not finding one comprehensive spot, I decided to make one of my own. While I may not have been to all of the places I research, I will do my best to hunt out the best locations. I am going to be breaking down the locations by state. Every post will feature a new state. So whether you live in the state or are planning to travel to a specific state, you can find where to capture great nature and scenic photos.
For my first post I am going to start with my home state of New Jersey. The Garden State has more to offer than just being an extension of New York to the north and Philadelphia to the south. Beyond the hustle and bustle of the urban sprawl there are many beautiful locations in New Jersey that are great to take your family to, not to mention capturing that perfect picture.
To the north there is 72 miles of Appalachian Mountain Trails that start at the Delaware Water Gap with awesome mountain and water landscapes. My mom took me here for a summer vacation when I was 12 and I had a great time. The scenes were breathtaking and still standout in my mind. The trail then winds its way up to High Point State Park, from which you can see all three states (NJ, PA and NY), truly one of the most fantastic views in the state. Along the trail there are wonderful spots for the avid nature photographer to capture that perfect shot, especially in the fall, as the trail cuts through some of the most densely forested areas in North America. If you are also and avid hiker or back packer this would make for one great get away, while taking some stellar photos.
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| Deleware Water Gap |
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| VenCampen's Glen (DWG) |
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| Barnegat Lighthouse |
Finally, the other great location in the state for nature photography is the New Jersey Pinelands. Also known as the "Pine Barrens," this section of pine forest stretches over one million acres of the southern portion of the state. The Pinelands begin as far north as Ocean County and extend south to cover parts of Burlington, Atlantic, Camden, Gloucester, Cumberland and Cape May Counties. This marvelous location has over 900 species of trees and plant life, a 12,000 acre area of a pigmy forest containing thousands of pines and oaks that stand less than 10 feet tall. The Pinelands is also home to two National Wild and Scenic Rivers, the Great Egg Harbor and the Great Maurice Rivers. This extensive forest is inhabited by a vast range of animal life as well, including: bald eagles, hawks, falcons, owls, deer, bears, dozens of different reptiles and amphibians, as well as almost a hundred different kinds of fish. This is one of the absolute best locations in the entire country for nature photography with the variety of both plant and animal wildlife available to capture.
Be sure to bring the family as well because the 200 plus resorts in the region offer all sorts of family oriented fun ranging from canoeing and fishing to hiking and mountain biking. Bring the bug spray and your camera and capture some of the best nature southern New Jersey has to offer.
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| Pygmy Forest of NJ Pinelands |
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| Barred Owl, native to the NJ Pinelands |
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