An evening on the Ben Franklin Bridge What makes South Jersey an interesting and unique place to live is that you are close to the wilderness forests of the New Jersey Pinelands and the City of Philadelphia. One can enjoy both city and country life without traveling very far. There is a pedestrian walkway on the Ben Franklin Bridge that spans the Delaware River and connects [...]
A Remnant of Personal History 2018 Update: When I posted these photographs in 2016 I had no idea what would happen. These photographs have inspired former campers at Cejwin to share their experiences in the comments. This post has gone from being about photography to being a community. If you are here to see my work, also read the comments so you [...]
An aimless pursuit of beauty. What do you do when a day of scouting for photography locations doesn't yield anything? That happened recently on a trip to the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. We spent the afternoon hiking the Cliff and other trails to check out overlooks and waterfalls. My plan was to find the best ones and spend the next few [...]
Being on the top of that mountain taught me to experience sunrises and sunsets in a different way. I've always looked for that decisive moment when the light is at it's peak. Now I realize that a sunrise is a story that starts at first light and ends when the dawn colors fade.
I'm not sure why I went back to the old Pennhurst Hospital which is often referred to as the "Shame of Pennsylvania." The hospital for "feeble-minded children" (from its original name) was built in 1908 and had a long history of being overcrowded, underfunded and understaffed which lead to abuse and neglect of the young residents until it was closed in the 1980's. [...]
Why wake up at 4am to hike up a mountain? One of the things I love about being a photographer, and a hiker, is the challenge to find unique places to experience nature at its best. In Virginia's Shenandoah National Park that meant hiking up a mountain in the dark before the sun came up. On a beautiful afternoon my wife and I hiked [...]
If this post doesn't make you cry I'm not doing my job Yellow Dog Village is an odd name for a town, but it is sort of an odd town. In the early 20th century when miners and mine owners battled each other over wages and working conditions, this town was a place of harmony between workers and management. Yellow Dog Village [...]
Hiking the New Jersey Pinelands for Therapy and Art I had a knee injury from a bicycle accident a few months ago and have been walking as part of a physical therapy program. On a recent Saturday afternoon, I decided to do some therapy by hiking in the Franklin Parker Preserve, one of my favorite New Jersey Pinelands spots. It ended up being more of a spiritual [...]
Visually Preserving an Un-preservable Local Treasure I had posted photographs from this mansion earlier and was going to make it a series with several parts, Instead, I'm creating a new post with more information and photography. The McNeal mansion was built around 1894 in Burlington, New Jersey as the dream house of a local industrialist named Andrew McNeal. It sits along the Delaware [...]
Nike missiles go viral (sort of) My blog post about the former Nike missile site in Lumberton New Jersey received an overwhelming response. Not only did this post receive as much traffic in a few days as my blog gets in an entire year, the people who are contacting me about it are different than my usual blog followers. In addition to the [...]
Through the overgrown property I saw the remains of a stylish 1960’s building with a repeating decorative concrete arched roofline. It’s a bit strange to see a relatively new building in such terrible shape.
Honoring and Preserving a Cold War Legacy When passing through the idyllic and peaceful countryside around Lumberton, New Jersey, one would never expect to come across a fearsome relic of the Cold War. Yet, until recently, just outside of town, were the remains of a Nike missile battery built in 1956 and designated with the catchy name PH-23/25. In the 1950's and 60's the army built [...]
Strange Trees, Stranger Rock Formations and That Beautiful Desert Moon A few years ago a visit to Joshua Tree National Park was a photographic bust for me. Part of it was timing. We were only there for 2 days, the weather was really hot, blah blah blah. In retrospect, mediocre vision on my part was the real reason my work wasn't what it should be. As a result I [...]
Winter Berries by Richard Lewis 2013 Happiest of Holidays to all of you who celebrate at this time of year. Thank you so much for visiting, sharing, commenting and being a part of this blog. HAVE A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Creepiness in a Not-So-Old and Abandoned Home Old and abandoned buildings are usually a ruin that results from age and abuse. Damage from water, mold, deterioration, and vandalism is commonplace and expected when entering one. I recently photographed an old bungalow that was a bit different. Parts of the home were in pretty good shape. A little time with a broom and mop would make the place [...]
Shop Local is Good, But is Photograph Local Better? Between commitments and our annual family reunion occurring during Thanksgiving, I decided to challenge myself and spend a week only creating photography in the New Jersey Pinelands. My self-imposed limits were to shoot within a 20 minute drive from my home and to hike no more than 1 mile after I got to a location. [...]