Photographing Batsto Village in NJ
Driving thru the Wharton State Forest along County Rd 542 in the NJ Pine Barrens you will venture upon the entrance to Historic Batsto Village. Originally built along the Batsto river in 1766 as an iron works, Batsto would supply many house hold items of the time such as pots, kettles and various metal cooking utensils. During the revolutionary war years Batsto would supply the Continental army with cannons and munitions. So would begin the long and rich history of Batsto Village as it transformed from an Iron works to a glass works to a state owned historic site with many owners along the way.
As you enter the village you are greeted by the Batsto Mansion
Batsto Village State Park offers much to see and do. Walking and site seeing thru the village is just one of many activities. There is the mansion tour, the nature center on Batsto Lake and as part of the Wharton State Forest there are hiking trails, mountain bike trails, as well as nearby camping and canoeing.
Batsto Village Post Office.
As a photographer I find Batsto Village so inspiring. It has many faces, It has it's seasonal appearances as well as polar opposite weekday and weekend appearances. On weekends there is much hustle and bustle while weekdays can bring a more peaceful setting. I truly enjoy photographing all facets of this destination. Many many moons ago, on a 4th grade class trip, I came to Batsto for the very 1st time. Over the years since, I have made quite a few return visits. In the past year my photographic methodology has returned to capturing my personal images on black and white film. To say my passion for this art form has been rekindled is an understatement. I now find Batsto Village more enticing than ever before. Truly an open canvas of unlimited photographic opportunities.
The Saw Mill powered by the run off of Batso Lake in to the Batsto River.
All the photos in this blog and corresponding gallery were taken on b&w film. I used my Pentax K1000 and Pentax Program Plus 35mm film cameras along with 3 focal length lenses - 35mm, 50mm and 100mm. The film used was Fomapan 200, Fomapan 400, Ilford FP4 and Ilofrd HP5. I developed all films myself as well as scanning for digital post processing. Since March of 2020 I have been shooting all my personal photographs on film again. I began my photographic journey back in 1971. Shooting film brings me back to the reason I started in the first place. I am grateful that I have returned.
As I strolled thru the village this gentleman was enjoying a beautiful Spring afternoon.
A lot of people who live in South Jersey are quite aware off Batsto Village and have probably been here at least once or twice. For those who have not and are unfamiliar, it truly is a step back in time and for the fellow photographer there is always something to take a photo of. Each time I return I find something new to wet my photographic appetite. Those who would like further information about the history of Batsto I found an interesting read from the state of NJ. https://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/parks/docs/batsto_teaching_resource.pdf
To view the photographs in my Batsto Village Gallery please click on any of the photos below and once again thanks for viewing. :-)
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FAS Photo - Photography by Frank Sollecito