Living in New Jersey certainly has its perks. First and foremost, we get to experience all four seasons to their full potential. From summer heat waves and flat spells to refreshing crisp fall air and beautiful changing colors, we quickly move to below-freezing, snow-filled winters, then thawing out with rain and inconsistent temperatures in the spring. New Jersey also has so much variety in things to do and places to visit. Depending where in New Jersey you’re located, you are within a two- to three-hour drive from just about everything.
As any East Coast surfer knows, the best window of surf is from September to May, or from fall to spring. Generally, the colder the air and water become, the better the surf gets. In Jersey, we go from surfing crowded, two-foot south wind slop most of the summer in board shorts, to pulling into well overhead, backbreaking tubes in five-mil suits, gloves, and boots a few short months later. Because of its somewhat inconsistent weather patterns, surf forecasting plays a major role in finding the best waves. Luckily, we are only a short trip to many different breaks that all offer more lined up surf in different swell and wind directions. The numerous amounts of jetties and piers also help maximize conditions in a lot of areas. When it’s on, New Jersey is one of the heaviest beach breaks in the world, and it often turns world-class during the late fall and winter months.
There’s a populated but talented group of photographers that call the Garden State home, and each one usually has its core group of rippers they work with. I’m usually on the map with LBI kingpins Randy Townsend, Conor Willem, and Pete Machotka, but I always enjoy grabbing a session and meeting new folks. There isn’t a ton of versatility as far as foreground and background shots in Jersey are concerned, so I always try to find new angles and heights to grab a unique frame of what the Atlantic has to offer. Although I don’t get to surf as much as I used to, I am a junkie for shooting film and photography. I find nailing the shot as rewarding as making a tube or landing and air reverse. My goal is to continue to stay inspired, keep enjoying what I do, and get people stoked on my work. And if you’re not having fun doing something, what’s the point of doing it? I haven’t had the privilege to travel outside the East Coast to shoot yet, but I’m hoping that changes very soon. Live the search. Here is a small selection from the several different faces of New Jersey. Enjoy!
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