Good Times

On Memorial Day, the impulse struck me to head to Ken Lockwood Gorge in Annandale, New Jersey. Last spring, I explored the Gorge during a photo walk. Shaan and Kiran, and I prepared a simple picnic with soda, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and fruits. I managed to get Bhavana to leave work a little early to join us, and we set off on the one-hour drive from Montgomery Township. She agreed that taking the family for a spur-of-the-moment outing would be fun.

It appeared many others had the same idea as the parking area was full, even overflowing. We found a space near the south entrance gate and made our way towards the northern end of the Gorge. Bhavana was pleased to see the well-maintained and clear path, providing a comforting canopy of trees offering respite from the heat.

We found a rock with a flat surface surrounded by river water and settled for lunch. Our time was filled with joyful conversations about school, college, and cherished memories. I hope such outings strengthen our family bond and create lasting memories for Shaan and Kiran.

Ken Lockwood Gorge
Ken Lockwood Gorge · Monday 25 May 2015 · Nikon D5100 · AF-S Nikkor 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 VRII

The day was hot and humid, lasting about an hour before Bhavana and the kids decided it was time to head back. We strolled slowly back to the car, taking our time to savour the moments. Along the way, I couldn't resist capturing some long-exposure images.

This experience sparked my desire to have more family outings like this. My childhood memories from St. Vincent and Bequia resurfaced, reminding me of the fun days spent with my cousins, hopping into the back of my uncle's Land Rover, and embarking on day-long adventures. From reaching the top of La Soufriere Volcano with Uncle Clifford to crabbing in Bequia's mangrove swamps with my Uncle Errol, those were truly good times.

Ken Lockwood Gorge
Ken Lockwood Gorge · Monday 25 May 2015 · Nikon D5100 · AF-S Nikkor 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 VRII

Ken Lockwood Gorge

If you live in New Jersey or are just travelling through and have some time, drop by the Ken Lockwood Gorge.

Loren Fisher setup a meetup at the Ken Lockwood Gorge through the Somerset Photography meetup. I had never been to the gorge. I didn't know what a Gorge was. Loren explained it to me.

Ed, Prasanna and I carpooled from Skillman. We stopped in Somerville and had a leisurely lunch at Hurry Chutney.

While Saturday -- the day before -- was warmer and sunny, today, Winter came back. We were all dressed in layers from head to toe. Some photographers forgot to bring gloves, but fortunately, Loren had some extras in his truck.

Ken Lockwood Gorge
Ken Lockwood Gorge · Sunday 23 March 2014 · Nikon D5100 · AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G
Ken Lockwood Gorge
Ken Lockwood Gorge · Sunday 23 March 2014 · Nikon D5100 · AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G

The sky was all grey. Soft lighting would prevail. I had rented a Sigma 8-16mm f/4.5 expecting I would get many wide-angle shots. However, this area still had snow and ice and minimal greenery. Most of the other photographers decided to do long-exposure photography. Ed had brought his neutral density filters with him. He was able to get some very long exposure images. Prasanna and I were a lot less prepared for that sort of photography.

Ken Lockwood Gorge
Ken Lockwood Gorge · Sunday 23 March 2014 · Nikon D5100 · AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G

The most prolonged exposure we could do without blowing out the image was ¼ second at f/29. I still think we got some great shots. I tried to extract more colour from the images. I wanted to make them look warmer and more "spring" like than the weather indicated.

Ken Lockwood Gorge
Ken Lockwood Gorge · Sunday 23 March 2014 · Nikon D5100 · Sigma 8-16mm f/4.5-5.6 DC HSM

I didn't use the Sigma 8-16mm as much as I thought I would. At one point, I took it off and shot exclusively with my Nikkor 35mm f1/.8. Maybe it was my familiarity with this lens, but I feel the images are sharper and livelier.

Ken Lockwood Gorge
Ken Lockwood Gorge · Sunday 23 March 2014 · Nikon D5100 · Sigma 8-16mm f/4.5-5.6 DC HSM

I enjoyed the hike, and I expect to return in the spring when the trees have some leaves, and the air is warmer. If you live in New Jersey or are just travelling through and have some time, drop by the gorge.

Ben, Khürt, Loren, Prasanna, and Ed at Ken Lockwood Gorge
Ben, Khürt, Loren, Prasanna, and Ed at Ken Lockwood Gorge · Sunday 23 March 2014 · Nikon D5100 · Sigma 8-16mm f/4.5-5.6 DC HSM

Mini Photo Journal - Spring Break Meetup at Ken Lockwood Gorge

I'm carpooling with local photographers Ed Velez and Prasanna. The meet up is at 3 PM, but we decided to have lunch at Hurry Chutney in Somerville. I also think it's an excellent opportunity to test out the photo journaling workflow I developed around Pressgram.

Lunch

This was my first time eating at Hurry Chutney and my first time eating lamb Gungara. The vegetable samosas were delicious. Ed ordered some coconut curry dish, which he says was quite spicy.

man with camera, ken lockwood gorge
Prasanna and his kit.
man with tripod
Ed and his kit. It's cold!!! Too cold for spring.
man standing at edge of water, tripod, ken lockwood gorge
Ed getting shots of white water.

The sky was grey all day, and the greenery was ... not green. The gorge was still in winter mode. So we resorted to long exposure photography. I don't use a neutral density filter, so the best I could do was shoot at f/29 at ½ of a second. I'll post the images from my Nikon in a few days.

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