Barnegat Lighthouse State Park Photography
Photography Hot Spot for Sunrise, Sunset and Milky Way Photography
WHERE TO DO PHOTOGRAPHY – BARNEGAT LIGHT
Barnegat Lighthouse State Park is also a Milky Way Dark Sky location, so be sure to go at the right time. You can get sunset and Milky Way images all in one trip. Be sure to see our Dark Sky Photography Information Page. Photography will also be helpful if you are newer to the Milky Way.
BEST TIME TO GO
We think the off-season is the best time to go. Not during the summer weekends.
HOW LONG TO PHOTOGRAPH
Set aside several hours to spend at this beautiful location. And don’t forget it’s not always about the photography. It’s also about the experience. Connecting to Mother Gaia and all of the beauty in this area can be a profound experience. If you’re going to do Milky Way photography here during the Milky Way season, set aside at least three. hours.
WHAT ELSE TO BRING
Remember to bring organic bug repellent and sun protection, as well as a durable pair of hiking boots if you’re going to walk out on the jetty rocks. Also, bring a pair of water shoes if you’re going to photograph next to the jetty during high tide. Packaging long pants, a hat, and sunglasses is also wise to shield yourself from the elements.
OTHER PHOTOGRAPHY NEARBY
Check out the bottom of our page for other articles on Where to do Photography in New Jersey.
HOW BUSY DOES IT GET?
This location doesn’t get too busy—or at least it has not been every time we have been here. However, driving down LBI on the summer weekends, the roads get busy.
HOW TO GET THERE
Take the Garden State Parkway
GPS Coordinates
39.76327, -74.10623
ADDRESS FOR GPS: Broadway and The Bay, Barnegat Light, NJ 08006
PHOTOGRAPHY BASICS
SHUTTER PRIORITY:
You have moving subjects here so you will want to shoot in shutter priority to ensure your shutter speed is high enough to have your subject in sharp focus. Approximately 1/250th of a second is appropriate for people walking by, and adjust your ISO accordingly. If they are moving fast, increase your shutter speed to about 1/500th of a second. A fast bird flying by would be shot at about 1/1000th of a second. If it’s a bright sunny day, go as high as 1/1200th of a second. Remember, the higher your shutter speed, the less light comes into the camera. It should not be an issue outside during daytime hours. For More Details, see our Shutter Priority Page.
MANUAL MODE:
You have moving waters here. You can do your long-exposure running and milky water shots. You will have to use a tripod for this effect. Your settings will vary depending on the lighting and your neutral density filter. You will shoot in manual mode for the milky waters. ISO is always 100 or as low as your camera will allow. The aperture is f22, or the highest f-stop your camera will allow. Your shutter speed will be the only variable depending on the light. Roll your shutter speed until your meter reads zero. (In the center) Use your shutter release or 2-second timer to prevent camera movement when exposing your picture. You will want at least a 2-second exposure for milky water. If you don’t have a neutral density filter, you may not get more than 1/15th of a second in the sun.
You can buy an ND filter here. We highly suggest you do not go anywhere without one. Long exposure for moving waters makes all the difference between lifeless images and outstanding, dynamic images.
ISO:
The higher you set it, the more light is when exposing an image. The higher the number, the more digital noise, so stay below 800. If you need to go higher to get the shot, you can use Topaz Denoise to filter out the digital noise later. See the ISO page here.
GEAR LIST FOR SHOOTING MILKY WAY
LIGHT POLLUTION MAP:
CAMERA:
You will need a camera to manually control your ISO, shutter speed, and aperture.
LENS:
A fast, wide-angle lens of 1.4 – 2.8 is ideal. If you use a 3.5 or higher (slower lens), you must increase the ISO. The higher the ISO, the more grain or digital noise or grain will appear in your photos.
TRIOPD:
A good, sturdy tripod is essential for night photography. If it gets windy, you will need a sturdy one. Remember that when you buy one, it should be sturdy enough to withstand the wind but small enough to fit in your suitcase.
SKY MAP:
Sky Guide is available through the iTunes Store for $1.99. It has a 5 out of 5-star rating on both the current (3.2) version (1200+ ratings) and all previous versions (8600+ ratings).
FLASHLIGHT:
Our choice is Coast brand for flashlights. The ideal flashlight will have high lumens, and you can zoom in and out on the light emitting from the flashlight. Get the HP7, PX45, or the G50. Ideally, go with the HP7.
MOON PHAZE MAP:
The best time to go is during a new moon; you want to be in the darkest area possible. The week before the new moon, when the moon has not risen, is a perfect time to go, so be sure to check the moonrise chart to see when the moon will be up.
REMOTE SHUTTER RELEASE:
When painting with light and over a 30-second exposure, you must have a shutter release to use your bulb mode. When exposing your pictures in general, you can use the remote release or use your camera’s built-in two-second timer.
CAMERA SETTINGS FOR MILKY WAY
ISO:
Start with ISO 1600 – 3200. This is just a common starting point, and you will adjust from here.
Shutter Speed – Remember, the earth is rotating. If you leave the shutter open for too long, you will see star trails that will not make for a crisp image. We want crisp, non-star trail images. Here is the formula to avoid star trails—the 500 rule – Divide 500 by the focal length of your lens. So, if you have a 24mm lens on a full-frame camera, you will set your shutter speed to 20 sec. (500/24 = 20.83). If you are using a crop sensor camera, first do the math of the crop sensor to find the focal length. Cannon is 1.6, Nikon is 1.5. Convert to full-frame focal length, then use the formula. Nikon 18mm x 1.5= 27mm – 500/27 = 18.51 seconds.
APERTURE:
Depth of field isn’t critical on these shots, but letting the light into the camera is; therefore, you should shoot wide open if. If the depth of field is essential to you, try not to go too high. (wide open =the lowest aperture your camera will allow). You will have to increase the ISO some, giving you digital noise.
SHUTTER SPEED:
Now that the ISO and aperture are set in manual mode, roll your shutter speed until your meter reads (0) zero. Take a test shot and adjust from there. Remember, the earth is rotating. If you leave the shutter open for too long, you will see star trails that will not make for a crisp image. You can make star trails specifically, but that’s not what we are going for here since we started with Milky Way photography. We want crisp, non-star trail images when doing this.
Here is the formula to avoid star trails—the 500 rule – Divide 500 by the focal length of your lens. So, if you have a 24mm lens on a full-frame camera, you will set your shutter speed to 20 sec. (500/24 = 20.83). If you are using a crop sensor camera, first do the math of the crop sensor to find the focal length. Cannon is 1.6, Nikon is 1.5. Convert to full-frame focal length, then use the formula. Nikon 18mm x 1.5= 27mm – 500/27 = 18.51 seconds.
WHITE BALANCE:
In live view mode, you can change your white balance settings and see what it will look like. You can shoot in shade or cloud mode as a standard setting and adjust things later when editing.
LIVE VIEW:
To focus in the dark, use your camera’s live view, hit the zoom button, and focus on a bright star. You can also use the infinity setting on your lens but do several test shots to determine accuracy. It can be off a little on some lenses. You can also light it up with a flashlight, focus, then gently, without touching the focus ring, put the camera in manual focus so it will not search for the focus. You must do this each time you move your camera to take your next angel.
WHEN TO VIEW THE MILKY WAY:
The best images are usually of the dense part of the Milky Way. We can see this part of the milk way in the southern sky. During March, April, and May, the Milky Way rises above the horizon in the pre-dawn hours. In June, at about 10:00 p.m., you will see the Milky Way. From July until October, you can see the Milky Way as soon as it sunsets, and it becomes dark enough to see about an hour after sunset. In November, the Milky Way no longer comes above the horizon. You will have to wait until March if you want to stay away really late or get up early to see her again.
See our Milky Way Hot Spot Locator and our Night Photography Information.
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BARNEGAT LIGHT STATE PARK INFORMATION
There are no Fees.
Facilities & Activities:
HOTELS
Add your hotel here! Do you want us to send our photography and ghost-hunting friends to your hotel for their ghost-hunting trip? Put your hotel information here. We will put a picture of your hotel, the website link, the phone number and your information on your hotel.
For only $99, anyone can advertise with us for an entire year and be featured prominently in our magazine.
When Photographing Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, Stay at:
Drifting Sands Hotel – Quiet, Immaculate and Affordable
But now, under new management, we can’t vouch for them anymore. There’s lots of changes we haven’t seen, but I’m sure it’s great.
119 E 9th StShip Bottom, New Jersey 08008 Phone: 609-494-1123
The perfect location for LBI Beach Weddings. Our Wedding Photographers should have this clean, comfortable, affordable Beach Wedding location on their suggestion list. Drifting Sands offers a beachfront location for a flawless ceremony with breathtaking views.
This was one of our Top Picks when staying in Ship Bottom. But now, it’s under new management, so we can’t vouch for it anymore. They will be renovating, and I’m sure it will be absolutely fabulous, probably even better than it was.
It is right over the bridge off Route 72 when entering Long Beach Island. The bright, open, airy, immaculate rooms made us feel at home here. After a long drive, the fast check-in and highly attentive service were a pleasure. The management is top of the line here since it was undeniable how well the establishment is run. We also enjoyed speaking with some of the grounds staff. They were accommodating in pointing out photography locations we were unaware of in the local area. Photography Magazine Extra Loved It Here!
CAMPING
Add your campground here!
Do you want us to send our photography and ghost-hunting friends to your campground to stay during their ghost-hunting trip? Put your campground information here. We will put a picture of your establishment, the website link, the phone number and your information on your campground to make it easy for our photographers and ghost hunters to find you. They are really good at getting there in the dark.
Would you like to be featured in an article as a place to stay while doing photography or ghost hunting? If so, please send us an email. You will be surprised at how affordable our prices can be.
FOOD AND DINING
Add your Restaurant here! Do you want us to send our photography and ghost-hunting friends to your restaurant after their ghost-hunting trip? Put your restaurant information here. We will put a picture of your establishment, the website link, the phone number and your information on your restaurant to make it easy for our photographers and ghost hunters to find you.
Weather Barnegat Light House State Park.
Don’t forget that you can use a rain sleeve on your camera if it is raining. Use a low ISO, such as 100, if it is bright and sunny.
If you are doing photography along with your ghost hunting on cloudy days, you can do running water or waterfall photography to avoid the glaring sun. You can also use an ND filter to get a long exposure for dramatic effects, even in the sunshine. If you ghost hunt indoors in abandoned places, be careful!
THE BARNEGAT LIGHTHOUSE
The Lighthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places as Barnegat Lighthouse in 1971.
In 1988, the tower was closed to construct the new south jetty, then reopened to visitors in 1991 with a new walkway on top of the jetty. The top of the lighthouse is accessible via its 217 steps and continues to attract in excess of half a million visitors year-round.
In 2008, the Friends of Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, a local non-profit organization, raised funds to reactivate the lighthouse. A sum of $35,000 was raised, with $15,000 contributed by the Barnegat Light Borough Fraternal Order of Police Local Lodge No. 5. This supported the acquisition of a new $15,000 VRB-25 light system and the replacement of aging windows. Funding was raised entirely at the local level.
In October 2008, the VRB-25 system was installed. While physically smaller than the original light, the system has become a standard for US Lighthouses, with over 100 installed.
On January 1, 2009, at 5:00 pm, the 150th anniversary of its opening, Barnegat Lighthouse activated its beacon for the first time since before World War II.
The light now operates daily from dusk until dawn. A foghorn on Barnegat South Breakwater Light 7, at the ocean end of the south breakwater, guards the inlet. The tower is flood-lit at night.
BARNEGAT LIGHTHOUSE HISTORY
The lighthouse’s beacon remained a first-class navigational light until August 1927, when the Barnegat Lightship was anchored 8 nautical miles (15 km; 9.2 mi) off the coast. This prompted the automation and replacement of the first-order lens with a gas blinker. As a result, the tower’s light was reduced by over 80 percent. The gas blinker was replaced several weeks later with a 250-watt electric bulb, though the gas apparatus can still be seen at the top of the tower.
The light was deactivated as a Coast Guard lookout tower in January 1944 and given to the State of New Jersey. Four years later, the local municipality, Barnegat City, renamed itself Barnegat Light. In 1954, the lens was returned to the borough of Barnegat Light and is now on exhibit in the Barnegat Light Museum. The area around the lighthouse was declared a state park and dedicated in 1957. The lightship was removed in 1969.
The structure was added to the National Register of Historic Places as Barnegat Lighthouse in 1971.
In 1988, the tower was closed to construct the new south jetty, then reopened to visitors in 1991 with a new walkway on top of the jetty. The top of the lighthouse is accessible via its 217 steps and continues to attract in excess of half a million visitors year-round.
In 2008, the Friends of Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, a local non-profit organization, raised funds to reactivate the lighthouse. A sum of $35,000 was raised, with $15,000 contributed by the Barnegat Light Borough Fraternal Order of Police Local Lodge No. 5. This supported the acquisition of a new $15,000 VRB-25 light system and the replacement of aging windows. Funding was raised entirely at the local level.
In October 2008, the VRB-25 system was installed. While physically smaller than the original light, the system has become a standard for US Lighthouses, with over 100 installed.
On January 1, 2009, at 5:00 pm, the 150th anniversary of its opening, Barnegat Lighthouse activated its beacon for the first time since before World War II.
The light now operates daily from dusk until dawn. A foghorn on Barnegat South Breakwater Light 7, at the ocean end of the south breakwater, guards the inlet. The tower is flood-lit at night.
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