Sourland Mountain Preserve

One of my first thoughts, when I saw Frank's challenge, was, "I'll hike the Sourland Mountain Preserve to Devil's Half Acre". Bhavna offered to come with me. The parking in the area near the trailhead on Mountain View Road was filled with cars.

Devil's Half Acre is a large boulder field with talus caves which can be approached through the Sourland Mountain Preserve by taking the northernmost trail 34 of the way up and then heading about 12 mile to the north/northwest.

The warmer weather seduced local area residents and their dogs to enjoy the outdoors. We started up over the rocky terrain. I scrambled, took this shot and noticed that Bhavna was way behind me.

Sourland Mountain Preserve
Rock, Sourland Mountain Preserve —FujiFilm X-T2 + Fujifilm XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR @ (16 mm, f/5.6, ISO400), © Khürt L. Williams

While on Hike and Hops at St. Michaels Farm Preserve a few weeks ago, we both injured our feet. It seems Bhavna didn't recover as quickly as I did. Her mind was willing, but her body was not able. We walked the shortest part of the trail returning to the car, just thirty minutes after starting. I got this shot and a few others.

Sourland Mountain Preserve
FujiFilm X-T2 + Fujifilm XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR @ (17.6 mm, f/5.6, ISO400), © Khürt L. Williams
Sourland Mountain Preserve
Rock, Sourland Mountain Preserve —FujiFilm X-T2 + Fujifilm XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR @ (16 mm, f/5.6, ISO400), © Khürt L. Williams
Sourland Mountain Preserve Trail Map
Sourland Mountain Preserve Trail Map

There's still snow on the ground, Browns Mills, New Jersey

This image was taken at Whitesbog Village in Browns Mills, New Jersey. I was walking with a group of photogs. We walked among a few square miles of cranberry bogs some of which are still functional. There are a few wooden pathways throughout the property at Whitesbogs. Some were still covered in ice and snow from the winter storm from a few two months ago. I was hoping to capture the feeling of cold and damp in this section of Whitesbog.

The image was taken on a tripod with a remote shutter and ND filter. Three exposures were combined into one HDR image. I was attempting to bring out the flow from light to dark and to show how the sun was slowly turning a wintry area into spring.

One challenge was in the placement of the tripod. I had originally placed the tripod on the wooden walkway. However, I soon realized that my colleagues who were walking my way were shaking the tripod ever so slightly. So I placed the tripod into the water just beneath the walkway.

One thing I would have changed would have been the orientation of the camera. I think a portrait orientation would have worked better. I would have captured the part of the sky you see reflected in the water. However, my 18mm (APS-C) was not wide enough to include the snow on the ground in the trees to the right of the water.

Reflections at Whitesbog Village, Browns Mills, New Jersey

Whitesbog Village was a commercial cranberry farm/company town, built in the early 1900s by Elizabeth Coleman White. There are many older buildings that are being restored and many others that are decaying.

I visited for the first time with a Meetup group of photographers from Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

We walked among a few square miles of cranberry bogs, some of which are still functional.

That afternoon the water was a mirror for the sky. There was a gentle breeze, not strong enough to cause any ripples. I set up my tripod and my Nikon with a Hoya 10 stop ND filter. I was able to capture 2-30 second exposures which I combined in Photomatix Pro. This image is a long exposure HDR.

In Adobe Lightroom I pushed the saturation, highlights, vibrance and clarity settings, then applied a Fuji Velvia 50 preset and reduced the grain.

Whitesbog Village—Nikon D5100 + 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6
Whitesbog Village—Nikon D5100 + 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6