• ISLAND BEACH STATE PARK MILKY WAY

    AND ALIENS

    Island Beach State Park, Milky Way, overlooking the fence.

Island Beach State Park New Jersey Milky Way

Milky Way and daytime photography, New Jersey

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Judges Shack, then. alien reaching for the Milky Way.

Island Beach State Park Milky Way Photography

Yes! Milky Way dark sky photography in N.J. Halleluja! We do not have to drive to Pennsylvania or Delaware for Milky Way photography. We have it right here in our backyard in New Jersey. This area has some great waters for the daytime, too. The blue-green waters you usually see out of state show up here.

Before you go to the park, be aware that you must plan to photograph the Milky Way. Be sure it is a late moonrise or a new moon between March and October. Also, know when the Milky Way will become visible above the horizon. See our how-to page here.

This is VERY IMPORTANT. You must bring fishing gear to get into the park late at night. Although what we are doing is entirely harmless, and we are all earth and nature lovers, they say you must go fishing to get into the park at night time. Throw out your pole into the waters and shoot the Milky Way.

LEFT:  The Judge’s Shack, Island Beach State Park Sunset – To purchase the image to the left, go to PamelaGoodyer.com.

WHAT IS THE BEST TIME TO GO?

This is a DARK SKY area that is good for the Milky Way, so keep this in mind if you want to pair this with a Milky Way trip. Otherwise, spring, summer and fall are ideal. 

WHEN CAN I PHOTOGRAPH THE MILKY WAY?

Months: The Milky Way Core can be seen from March to October, disappearing below the horizon for the rest of the year. It appears in the early morning hours in March and becomes visible earlier each month. The best time to catch a glimpse of the core is during summer when it can be seen immediately after sunset, providing an ideal viewing opportunity for stargazers and photographers.

New Moon: Timing is crucial to see the Milky Way. This celestial event can only be seen on clear nights without a visible moon, limiting the window for viewing.

Light Pollution: The best way to experience the full wonder of the Milky Way is to escape from areas with heavy light pollution. However, it may be possible to see some faint traces of the galaxy from places with mild artificial lighting; the most spectacular views can be found in remote locations far from cities and civilizations. Check out our How to Section for more details, including using a light pollution map to guide you to dark sky locations.

HOW LONG TO PHOTOGRAPH THIS AREA?

This area can be explored and photographed in just a few hours. If you’re coming here for the Milky Way, photograph your sunset while waiting. You can pair this up with other great New Jersey photography locations that are at the bottom of the page

WHAT PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR SHOULD I BRING?

    • A sturdy tripod will be vital for getting Milky Way and milky water shots.
    • A wide-angle lens will help you fit the majestic mountains into your frame.
    • Bring a telephoto lens and monopod for wildlife photography to help stabilize your camera.
    • Pack plenty of extra batteries and memory cards, as you’ll likely take many photos.
    • Bring your macro lens to photograph the vast landscapes and intricate details of the surrounding nature.
    • Pack an array of filters, from UV to polarized, to take the glare off the water and neutral density filters for long exposure to milky water effects.
    • Bring a spare set of fully charged batteries and extra memory cards; you never know when a perfect shot will present itself, and the last thing you want is your camera battery.

WHAT ESLE SHOULD I BRING?

  • Water and Snacks
  • Organic bug repellent. (Non-organic is very toxic)
  • Organic Sun protection. (Non organic sunscreen is a cancer causer.)
  • Durable hiking boots for any trail or terrain you may encounter.
  • Have a waterproof backpack or rain cover to protect your equipment.
  • Packaging a rain jacket and long pants.
  • A hat and sunglasses to shield yourself from the elements.
  • A thermos for Milky Way photography nights.
  • Navigation tools such as a map and compass. A smartphone with a GPS app works.
  • First-aid kit
  • Knife or multi-too

HOW DO I GET THERE?

Address for your GPS
2401 Central Ave.
Seaside Park, NJ 08752

WHAT OTHER PHOTOGRAPHY IS NEARBY?

You can also see our New Jersey Milky Way Photography Locations here.

And other New Jersey Photography Locations here.

HOW BUSY DOES IT GET?

It’s not too bad, but the area resembles other New Jersey shore towns.

ANYTHING ELSE?

See the park section below for the road construction information.

The Ultimate Guide to New Jersey Milky Way Photography

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GEAR LIST FOR SHOOTING MILKY WAY

LIGHT POLLUTION MAP:

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. 

HERSHEY MOTEL

This is our favorite motel in the area. We highly recommend this hotel in Seaside Heights for your Milky Way photography at Island Beach State Park. It is the nicest motel in the area and has the best rates. Tell them we sent you. Check out the website here. (732) 793-5000 – 1415 BOULEVARD -SEASIDE HEIGHTS, NJ 08751

The rooms are oversized and immaculate, and the pool is one of the biggest in Seaside Heights. The front desk service was flawless. Easy check-in and check-out with pleasant service. We will only stay here when we are doing photography in the Seaside Park/Seaside Heights area.

  • Family-owned & operated, serving vacation needs for over 60 years
  • FREE breakfast for all registered guests (limited menu & in season)
  • Just one block from the beach and boardwalk
  • FREE parking
  • Refrigerators and microwaves in every room
  • Large, spacious sundeck
  • Banquet facilities available
  • Boasting the largest pool in Seaside Heights!
  • Separate kiddie pool
  • Ask about our Jet Ski and Pontoon Boat Excursions
  • Poolside service for our Bar & Restaurant!
Island Beach State Park Hotel
Island Beach State Park, hotel
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Photography Information for Island Beach State Park

DO NOT GO HERE AT NIGHT WITHOUT FISHING GEAR. You will not get in.

This is a dark-sky location in New Jersey. You can get a permit to bring your vehicle on the beach, but this park at night is limited to fishing. For the first time ever, we will tell you to lie. We don’t believe in murdering fish, but we do believe in photographing the Milky Way.

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Island Beach State Park Information

PARK ADVISORY: A major construction project began.  The project will install a new sewer line in the northbound lane traveling from the park gatehouse to the nature center. For the duration of the project, there will be intermittent lane closures from the gatehouse to the nature center.  IT SHOULD BE DONE BY MEMORIAL DAY 2024.

Address
2401 Central Ave.
Seaside Park, NJ 08752

Email Address
IslandBeach@dep.nj.gov

Park Hours

Gate Daily – 8:00 a.m. to Dusk
Park Office – Weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. through September 24, 2023

Park Fees

Entrance Fee: Free entry for the 2023 season. Nothing posted yet for 2024

FOOD & DINING

 Restaurants

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 the information on your restaurant to make it easy for our photographers and ghost hunters to find you.

The best hotels while doing photography

HOTELS

HOTELS

Stay at the Hershey Motel. This is our favorite motel in the area. We highly recommend this hotel in Seaside Heights for your Milky Way photography at Island Beach State Park. Tell them we sent you. Check out the website here. (732) 793-5000 – 1415 BOULEVARD -SEASIDE HEIGHTS, NJ 08751

Add your hotel here! Do you want us to send our photography and ghost-hunting friends to your hotel for their photography or ghost-hunting trip? Put your hotel information here. We will put pictures of your hotel, the website link, the phone number and your information on your hotel.

WEATHER

IBSP: Weather

 

Don’t forget that you can use a rain sleeve on your camera if it is raining. If it is bright and sunny, you want to use a low ISO, such as 100.

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!

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