Here is an article I wrote for the website newsletter where my web page is managed. Kinda neat to publish online when someone actually buys the article.
http://skipwillitsfineartphotography.ifp3.com/The Making of a Fine Image
A photographer’s prospective
By Skip Willits
I met the Hereford Inlet lighthouse in February of 1995 when I was photographing the lighthouses in New Jersey for a poster which was subsequently published later in that year. Unknown to me at the time, I should have done the photography later in the spring when the Victorian gardens were in full bloom. I am a professional photographer of some modest renown specializing in lighthouses and other beach and maritime studies. The original photos I made in 1995 had nothing to do with the “Image” of this light.
Lighthouses and the history of them, their locations, keepers, legends and or myths have become a favorite topic of not only my vocation but my avocation as well. There is a sense of history and drama associated each light not found in other historic structures. I guess the aura of the ocean and the mariners lost at sea lend a mystique to lighthouses. Each light has its own romance and local devotees eager to work long hours to maintain them. The original Keepers, for the most part, were paid less than $500 per year to keep and maintain their light. Current “Keepers”, for the most part, are unpaid in dollars but reap much more in the satisfaction of promulgating the legends.
When most ships were powered by wind and sail, sailors were necessarily limited to hugging the coastlines. Lighthouses were the only sure marker of one’s location and served to warned ships to stay away. Modern shipping is conducted with GPS, radar, and other marvels of the electronic age. Lighthouses hence have become more of a destination rather than beacons warning of potential disaster.
North Wildwood is blessed with an historic beacon carrying on the history and mystery of an age long gone. Hereford Inlet Lighthouse is truly a destination in itself. Yes, for the lighthouse aficionados there is that. The Victorian house, the tower, the light, the memorabilia are all there for the lighthouse buff. But this treasure also affords one of the most unique Victorian gardens on the east coast. Steve Murray is the Superintendent of Parks for North Wildwood and is responsible for the spectacular plantings surrounding the lighthouse front and back. With 25 plus years of experience in seashore gardening, Steve has created the setting for the crown jewel of North Wildwood.
I have witnessed and documented, over the last ten years, a total exterior renovation of the physical structure, bringing it back to the way it was when the place was built in 1874. But the infrastructure, gardens, and location are merely the shell. A shell held together by the folks who put in many long hours of dedication and pure work. This is truly a place where people afford other people an opportunity is see, visit, learn, and contemplate. Steve also serves as the head of the organization. Betty Mugnier is the unofficial modern day “Keeper” and runs the place with the help of Jane and Marie. Sam and Ronnie Black run the food concessions when there is an event at the light and Ralph Feindt sells lighthouse caps and other memorabilia to help raise funds.
It is ironic that a place which was originally intended as a signal for mariners to avoid has become a place for folks to gather. But it seems that lighthouses are just that today, a place for good folks to gather. And, Hereford Inlet Lighthouse is one of the finest places to gather on the east coast and is truly the crown jewel of North Wildwood. And that is the image I see.
