N.J. Fishing Pier Photography
This summer, we embark on a photographic journey through New Jersey to capture the unique beauty of each pier. If you’re a beginner looking to perfect your skills before diving into a project like this, take some time to read up and prepare yourself. If you need extra guidance or a photography lesson via Zoom at night or over the weekend, don’t hesitate to email us. We are here to help you create stunning images that stand the test of time.
THE BEST NEW JERSEY FISHING PIERS
Do you know of a hidden gem for photography at one of the New Jersey fishing piers? We would love to hear from you! Share your spot with us by email, and we’ll give you full credit if we publish any pictures.
THE VENTNOR FISHING PIER
ADDRESS:
Cambridge Avenue and the Boardwalk, Ventnor, New Jersey
It is one of the state’s longest fishing pier, measuring 100 feet long. You can photograph the dock 24 hours/a day, all year long. The dock is staffed from mid-April through September from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. You may need beach passes to get on the beach and photograph this pier. We do not promote fishing, so you must go to another page if you want to kill fish. (lol)
General Advice: Exposure to low levels of contaminants in the environment may have long-lasting health effects on people. Mercury, PCBs, and dioxins are among the major pollutants found in some New Jersey fish in portions of the state; hence, don’t eat the fish.
PIER HISTORY
This is the third time the Ventnor City Pier has been rebuilt. The first pier was built around 1914 but was replaced. The second pier was rebuilt in 1940 after a fire destroyed it. It was destroyed in 1963 by a ferocious storm that came through New Jersey. The dock you see in our images was a 3.2 million dollar renovation started in 2007, and the pier opened again just in time for the Fourth of July in 2008.
OCEAN CITY, NEW JERSEY FISHING PIER
ADDRESS:
Ocean City Fishing Pier is on 14th Street
We have visited this place many times, yet its beauty has always captivated us. Every time we return, the photography Gods smile down on us, blessing us with a blast of colors in the sky. And today was no exception. As the sun descended toward the horizon, the skies above us erupted in a kaleidoscope of vibrant pinks, oranges, and purples, painting the clouds in a stunning display.
BELMAR FISHING PIER
ADDRESS:
100 Ocean Avenue, Belmar, New Jersey
You can also see our full page on the Belmar Fishing Pier, which has some good images.
The pier was damaged during Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Repairs were finished in 2015. It was destroyed again in 2017 by Hurricane Jose. The pier is currently open and in perfect condition for some fabulous photography.
Sunrise is usually the most colorful time to photograph this pier; sunset can produce spectacular colors. However, after photographing it during these times, daytime photography can seem quite dull.
You will want to do long-exposure photography because we believe blurry waters make for a much more mind-blowing image. If you photograph during sunrise or sunset, adding color to the long exposure, and voila, you will have an incredibly dynamic potential award-winning image. If you do plain old shots, don’t expect any awards.
To get the incredible shots we are talking about, you need a tripod, and you need to use your 2-second timer. You may need an ND filter for when the sun is bright during sunrise and sunset.
If you are unfamiliar with long exposures, see our How-to Section on Waterfall Photography and check out our Neutral Density Filters Page.
THE STEEL PIER
ADDRESS:
1000 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, NJ 08401
We spent quite a bit of time photographing this area in Atlantic City. We spent several hours on the beach at night, photographing long exposure of all the different colors and the moving milky waters of the ocean.
This spot is perfect for both sunrises and sunsets. If the sky is filled with a burst of colors, it becomes an even better location. Overall, this area offers beautiful views and dynamic colors in every direction.
If you have a ten-stop ND filter, you can shoot milky waters in the daytime. We stayed at a hotel right in front of the pier, so parking was not a problem. There is plenty to do besides photography at this location, but be sure to shoot sunrise and sunset at the pier.
KEYPORT FISHING PIER
ADDRESS:
1 American Legion Dr, Keyport, NJ 07735 (732) 739-3900
Keyport Fishing Pier is a great location, especially at sunset. Even though most New Jersey shores face east, Keyport hooks into the water, and you can see the sun setting behind the pier to the west. You can see in our photograph that we didn’t pick the right day for sunset photography, that’s for sure. A big storm rolled in. We haven’t been down here at sunrise, but the locals tell us there have been many crazy good sunrise photography opportunities at this location, too. Open Every Day 6 AM–10 PM
The Key Port Waterfront is always quite busy. We’ve met a lot of people here. We even met a great couple who took us for a boat ride, and we did photography at sunset from the boat! In October, there’s a witch walk, and there’s also a new zombie walk. You can come down here to photograph.
THE AVALON PIER
Address:
East 30th Street Avalon, New Jersey
The two bright lights on the dock make it difficult to see the Milky Way above the pier. We went down to about 12th Street and did our Milky Way photography there. You can get some milky water fishing pier shots here. The sunsets are on the bayside, but on a good night, the colors just might burst on the ocean side.
Remember to be mindful of the location when it comes to Milky Way photography in New Jersey. Not all piers are suitable for this type of photography. Specific guidelines must be followed; please refer to our NJ Milky Way Photography Guide for more information.
THE KEANSBURG PIER
ADDRESS:
275 Beachway Ave, Keansburg, Monmouth County, New Jersey 07734
As we approached the pier to create some scenic shots, a woman stopped us and informed us that we couldn’t access the dock unless we were fishing. I had hoped to get some fantastic shots from the pier. We have since bought a drone — new photos will follow.
THE OCEN GROVE PIER
ADDRESS:
Embery and Ocean Ave, Ocean Grove
The Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association owns this stunning pier, built in the shape of a cross. As a country founded on freedom of religion, we value and respect their right to openly express their beliefs through this beautiful structure. However, they do not say it was intentionally designed as a cross. There have been reactions from individuals claiming fear or discomfort due to a religious symbol in the neighborhood. We also support their right to live and express their opinions in our free country, but we disagree. Freedom of religion and freedom of expression is the foundation of this country.
GET THE RIGHT NEUTRAL DENSITY FILTER
Be sure to visit our Neutral Density Filters page if you are unaware you must have one to create incredible pier photography.
LEARN LONG EXPOSURE WATER EFFECTS
You can follow our waterfall photography guide to get that milky water effect. We believe the milky water effect is a must when creating high-end, jaw-dropping photographs of waterfalls. Point-and-shoot cameras do not have a large enough lens aperture to take in all the detail of a beautiful cascade at a mid-range distance, and their plastic lenses put out images with less contrast and saturation than those shot through glass. The solution is to use only professional camera bodies with full manual controls and good lenses that fill the frame with silky blurred water.
If you have great images of N.J. docks or fishing piers and you would like to be published here in this article please send us your images with permission for use only in our magazine. Please size them 1200 pixels wide on the long edge and limit resolution file size to below 150 or as close to it as you can.
You can also enter your image in our current photography contest.
Photography, Lessons, Workshops and Classes.
