My 10 favorite locations for portraits in Northern New Jersey
There's an old real estate maxim that says the three most important things when looking for a property are location, location, location.
The same advice that helps you find your ideal home also works for the best portraits. Outside of a studio environment, the location is one of the more critical decisions in creating beautiful portraits. Fortunately for us in the Northern New Jersey area, we have plenty of photo-op worthy sites to choose from. Here are my 10 favorite locations in the area.
Parks
Goffle Brook Park
Goffle Brook Park is one of North Jersey's best kept secrets. I once worked for a company that wanted me to take pictures at some of the other parks in the area. None had the charm of Goffle Brook. I finally called them up and said, I'm not shooting at any of those parks anymore. Please book any portraits for me here at Goffle. After the first portrait we did at Goffle, they were so excited they put that photo in all their brochures. Goffle is beautiful, and it is my favorite outdoor location. And even better, it looks great in different seasons.
NJ Botanical Gardens
In season, this is one of the most beautiful locations in North Jersey. As the name suggests, there are several beautiful gardens that create wonderful backdrops for portraits. You need to have a permit for a professional portrait session on the property, however. That can cost up to $150 the last time I checked. But it is well worth it for the photo opportunities.
Glen Rock Thielke Arboretum
This little secret in Glen Rock is a great location in spring and fall. There are about three to four great spots for portraits. As you can tell, my favorite is this green arch structure. There are lots of ways to use this to frame a person or couple.
TRAIN STATIONS
Ho-Hokus Station
I love the structure of the bridge that leads into the Ho-Hokus Station. The lines are great for composition. The stone texture on the station itself makes for great backgrounds as well.
Ridgewood Station
Ridgewood is fairly accessible and has some unique features. The underground tunnel is cool. One day I will do something with that. For this day, I stayed above ground.
Lackawana Station (Hoboken)
Like everything else in Hoboken, this station is distinct. You’ll know it from the big clock outside, but the architecture and train stands look like the set of an old-time movie. It’s a beautiful location.
OTHERS
Sports Fields
I had been waiting for an opportunity to do a portrait over at the Hawthorne High School fields. When Joey showed up with his blue letterman’s jacket, I knew we had a winner. The brilliant Hawthorne blue and bleacher lines converge to create the perfect backdrop.
Hoboken Pier
Our Dani is a planner, so it didn’t surprise me when she came to me with a proposal for her prom session months before the actual event. She knew the exact date and location — the Sunday before the prom, down at the Hoboken Pier at sunset.
You can’t go wrong at Hoboken. The lights and cityscape overlooking Manhattan are beautiful on any evening.
Downtown Hoboken
I like to think of downtown Hoboken as urban chic. There are so many backdrops to create a fashion-ish portrait. In addition to these locations, you also have neighborhoods with iconic brownstones and cobblestone streets. I’m looking for a good excuse to shoot there next! :-)
Your Home
This is the most personal option, naturally. Your home can let you document not just your family but your surroundings. What a great way to capture exactly who you are at this stage of your journey. Even better, you can’t beat the commute. Personal portraits and a familiar cozy environment.
Your Home - On the Porch
Your home also includes the great outdoors. During the pandemic, I did a porch portrait fundraiser campaign. I loved how so many porches became beautiful backdrops for our neighbors.
These are my favorite location, but there are many more great options in Northern New Jersey. I keep finding new spots every day, but with these, I know you can’t lose!