NJ Conservation Foundation’s Franklin Parker Preserve in Chatsworth is a quick 30 minute drive for me. All back roads and no traffic, getting there early guarantees me that the hiking trails will be as empty as the streets. Arriving just after first light and hiking the wider loops, I’ll often not see another soul until almost midday.

The Preserve is on land that was once a bustling cranberry and blueberry farm, the remnants of which are easy to find. The abandoned bogs and water canals are perpetually filled with water, and regularly visited by ducks, geese, and swans. You can even spot a beaver occasionally if you keep an eye out! Whoever blazed the hiking trails knew what they were doing, because the trails here can either follow the well-packed and wide routes left over from vehicle use in cranberry farming, or you can jump onto a trail that weaves in and out of the pine forest for frequent shade. In short, it’s a great place for a half day hike in the NJ Pinelands.

Back in February I chose a particularly clear and warm (for winter) day for a 10 miler. It was one of my first hikes here of the year, so all of the turns seemed new to me, even though I knew exactly where I was going. Along for the morning as an exercise I love to do was my Nikon F3 with one lens and one roll of Ektar film. Thirty six photos and one lens. No flurry of snapshots and heavy editing later, searching for a keeper or two. Find your photos and take time to compose them. That way, every one becomes a keeper! Enjoy some of my favorites from my #30SIXpics in Franklin Parker Preserve…

Know your film, trust yourself. #believeinfilm #kodakprofessional #ektar100
(Be sure to click on “Beyond Weddings” in my menu to the left to see more photos…)

photo journal

Posts tagged with hiking

Christopher H Photo - Film Photography in Franklin Parker Preserve