Ox Bow Cliché

Gallery: LandscapePosted October 24, 20121,760 views43 comments

I'm not sure if you recognize this place ? It's located in the heart of New Jersey. No really, it is. A hidden gem that only locals know about ....

I was lucky enough to get a vantage point that isn't very common ;) . A kind tourist let me climb up top his rather mammoth RV and re-position it for the perfect view. Our teamwork framed the mountains betwixt the near foreground sage brush along the shoreline and the far grove of aspens for an exemplary (I hope) layering of warm and cool elements. I stayed in a cabin near mormon row (popular barns) for days. It wasn't until the fourth day when the smoke from the many fires in the area finally dissipated, and the obscured pinnacles of wonder appeared.

Photo Information:
Nikon D800E & 70-200mm AFS VRII
92mm f/16 CPL

Comments

43 comments

Comment posted by Chris Chamberlain on October 24, 2012 at 11:54 PM

Wow, awesome! I never tire of this scene, and this is as good as I've seen from here. Imo, this is processed to perfection too!

Chris

Registered on March 13, 2007, 500 Posts, 8365 Comments

Comment posted by Ned Fenimore on October 24, 2012 at 11:54 PM

It was sure worth the wait! Beautiful work.. the reflections and colors are pretty awesome.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 467 Posts, 2803 Comments

Comment posted by Wayne Jones on October 24, 2012 at 11:57 PM

Icon or not, this is absolutely stunning. Your persistence and resourcefulness (via the RV) got you an uncommonly beautiful view of this scene. I recall somebody saying once that if you shoot an icon, you need to hit it out of the park. This one is a grand slam.

I'll have to visit my sister in eastern PA so I can look for this part of New Jersey!

Registered on April 18, 2007, 953 Posts, 6435 Comments

Comment posted by Kory Lidstrom on October 25, 2012 at 2:07 AM

Very cool. It's an unusual type of comp but it works. The clouds really add to this one. Nice work.

Registered on November 19, 2008, 49 Posts, 1035 Comments

Comment posted by John&Patty Benway on October 25, 2012 at 4:22 AM

What a gorgeous scene Matt, this is really sweet. Beautifully seen and presented.
John

Registered on May 12, 2006, 626 Posts, 8700 Comments

Comment posted by Nuno Eira on October 25, 2012 at 4:40 AM

Congratulations love everything in the scene and was captured as ...

Registered on October 8, 2012, 37 Posts, 99 Comments

Comment posted by scott lanz on October 25, 2012 at 6:56 AM

Spectacular.

Registered on November 14, 2003, 840 Posts, 12902 Comments

Comment posted by Patricia Brundage on October 25, 2012 at 7:09 AM

Beautiful scene. My only suggestion is that I would love to see more... a pano perhaps. I'm sure many NJ photogs would challenge you to come and find the beauty there. Might not be as dramatic as this image, but an interesting challenge!

Registered on March 23, 2006, 1111 Posts, 6531 Comments

Comment posted by Serban Simboteleca on October 25, 2012 at 7:42 AM

I like the way you composed it, you get easily lead and naturally through the scene. Very beautiful!

Registered on March 17, 2011, 8 Posts, 67 Comments

Comment posted by Eva McDermott on October 25, 2012 at 7:55 AM

I remember seeing that mountain everytime I drove down the Jersey Turnpike when I lived in NJ way back when. That's why they call it the Garden State.

Seriously, this is stunning Matt.

Registered on January 4, 2009, 1015 Posts, 13229 Comments

Comment posted by Tom Hilton on October 25, 2012 at 9:53 AM

Dang,
NJ sure is pretty in the fall.

May be the BEST capture of Ox Bow I have seen,
Congratulations great job!

Registered on September 19, 2011, 68 Posts, 668 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Teller on October 25, 2012 at 10:09 AM

Great image of one of my favorite places on earth. This is a bit more of a unique look at an iconic place. The color in the trees and the fog add great interest to the image.

Registered on August 23, 2010, 1162 Posts, 6692 Comments

Comment posted by Mark Seaver on October 25, 2012 at 11:06 AM

Beautiful golden glow in the aspens set against the cool blues of the mountains and river. What a great shot!

Registered on January 23, 2011, 1103 Posts, 17270 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Chambers on October 25, 2012 at 11:11 AM

NJ?? I thought this was in Florida!!

Wow, quite beautiful Matt! The amount of detail in the larger view is amazing!! Love the autumn color of the trees and how they contrast with the cooler mountains. I REALLY like this!

Registered on April 10, 2005, 753 Posts, 21216 Comments

Comment posted by Paul Breitkreuz on October 25, 2012 at 11:14 AM

Matt, I've been past this site many times over the years. This is a super capture from this often shot area. I think the POV from the RV roof top helps provide a unique perspective too. A truly wonderful Autumn scene.

Registered on February 25, 2006, 525 Posts, 8448 Comments

Comment posted by Nancy Lea Sandy on October 25, 2012 at 12:47 PM

New Jersey, huh? I hope you plan to send that tourist a large print of this, it's excellent! The extra effort on your composition really payed off. Great work.

Registered on January 24, 2011, 576 Posts, 6942 Comments

Comment posted by John Williams on October 25, 2012 at 12:48 PM

You owe the RV owner a print

!

I saw this one on Commercial Fine Art's Facebook feed and thought wow. This one rocks Matt. I love a dramatic, wide vista, and New Jersey or not this one does it in style.

Registered on September 6, 2007, 221 Posts, 5985 Comments

Comment posted by Darren Huski on October 25, 2012 at 12:55 PM

Well it looks like everything paid off with this one.

You should publish the GPS coordinates to help others find this hidden gem. :-)

Registered on August 17, 2008, 61 Posts, 340 Comments

Comment posted by Morris McClung on October 25, 2012 at 1:29 PM

There is truth in cliches, and there is a lot of truth in this image. The truth is that the comp, color, pp are all fabulous to make this your own excellent version of a place that "must" be shot when near it.

Registered on May 7, 2007, 670 Posts, 19650 Comments

Comment posted by Chris Moore on October 25, 2012 at 2:06 PM

Wow!!

Registered on January 12, 2010, 84 Posts, 388 Comments

Comment posted by Nick Bristol on October 25, 2012 at 3:07 PM

Wow! Beautiful is right. love everything about this one!!

Nick Bristol
Lone Rock, WI

Registered on February 1, 2004, 752 Posts, 14140 Comments

Comment posted by Robert Dayton on October 25, 2012 at 5:02 PM

Breathtaking, Matt! I see no way of improving this. This is a special autumn grand scenic.

Registered on November 11, 2008, 281 Posts, 3958 Comments

Comment posted by Shantikara Valuska on October 25, 2012 at 5:13 PM

Wonderful! It really sings in the fall colors. (Maybe it's an icon, but I've never seen it before)

Registered on July 25, 2011, 38 Posts, 451 Comments

Comment posted by Navin Sarma on October 25, 2012 at 5:35 PM

beautiful glow on the trees. very nice job handling the light during midday while highlighting contrasts between warm & cool

Registered on July 17, 2011, 233 Posts, 1373 Comments

Comment posted by John Neukirch on October 25, 2012 at 5:41 PM

Dang, I've never been to Jersey but I'll have to go now. But I swear I saw that same view several years ago just north of Fargo ND from the drivers seat of a U-haul truck. Haha!
OK, seriously that image printed poster size has got to be killer hanging on a wall. Very nicely done Matt.

Registered on July 9, 2012, 207 Posts, 1476 Comments

Comment posted by John Mumaw on October 25, 2012 at 7:39 PM

Love the warm/cool contrast and the fog really makes this unique.
I never tire of seeing gorgeous images from this area, and this is one of the best!

Registered on September 9, 2005, 62 Posts, 2289 Comments

Comment posted by Scott Smorra on October 25, 2012 at 11:47 PM

This is awesome Matt. I really like the use of warm and cool tones. You did a good job getting a unique perspective here...I've definitely never shot any images on top of an RV!

Registered on November 2, 2009, 161 Posts, 2143 Comments

Comment posted by Jim Greenwood on October 26, 2012 at 12:13 AM

Wow! This is a masterpiece, even for such an icon. Does the tourist with the RV get a percentage of the profit from the print sales?

Registered on November 9, 2003, 229 Posts, 1523 Comments

Comment posted by Gary McGhee on October 26, 2012 at 11:16 AM

Stunning landscape Matt,

Gary.

Registered on April 15, 2010, 142 Posts, 2416 Comments

Comment posted by James Fougère on October 26, 2012 at 1:38 PM

Icon or not, this is an amazing fall capture !!

Some fresh snow on those peaks would have been nice, but still amazing to look at !! Getting up on that RV paid off, by getting the complete reflection of the mountain, and a nice foreground perspective :)

Registered on October 25, 2010, 41 Posts, 831 Comments

Comment posted by Rudy Ruberti on October 26, 2012 at 2:15 PM

Wow, this is absolutely beautiful.

Registered on October 28, 2008, 179 Posts, 1875 Comments

Comment posted by Kyle L. Krause on October 26, 2012 at 3:01 PM

Just gorgeous Matt, I think what really works for me is how your workfow and processing came out. The detail and sharpness are excellent. Beautiful light.

Registered on June 15, 2010, 29 Posts, 605 Comments

Comment posted by Yiming Hu on October 26, 2012 at 5:00 PM

Simply awesome. One of the best from this location.

Registered on April 28, 2011, 38 Posts, 733 Comments

Comment posted by Tony Kuyper on October 27, 2012 at 2:20 PM

Excellent. Just love the foreground line and the contrasts. It's very nicely done.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 364 Posts, 22328 Comments

Comment posted by Doug Koepsel on October 27, 2012 at 4:04 PM

That the higher vantage allowed the foreground and reflection together is nice. Two things stand out to me- one is the that the reflection seems more saturated than the trees above, and the red seems hot in the brush leaves on the right and far tree on the left end. Nice take on a tireless scene, and am liking the low clouds.

Registered on April 1, 2010, 196 Posts, 1592 Comments

Comment posted by Paul Breitkreuz on October 31, 2012 at 4:53 PM

Congrats on the WP with this fine image here, Matt.

Registered on February 25, 2006, 525 Posts, 8448 Comments

Comment posted by Nick Bristol on October 31, 2012 at 6:59 PM

Hey Matt, This image is beautiful...Congrats on the WP...well deserved!

Nick Bristol
Lone Rock, WI

Registered on February 1, 2004, 752 Posts, 14140 Comments

Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on October 31, 2012 at 8:07 PM

Congrats on a fine WP!
Sandy

Registered on November 24, 2003, 3937 Posts, 12909 Comments

Comment posted by Ken Smith on October 31, 2012 at 9:58 PM

.. oh.. so, this is beauty! my oh my...thanks for bringing it to us ...with such skill. Congrats on WP.

Registered on September 5, 2008, 449 Posts, 2444 Comments

Comment posted by Craig Myers on November 1, 2012 at 6:15 PM

A well-deserved WP. Nice preparation and great follow-through.

Registered on September 1, 2008, 85 Posts, 757 Comments

Comment posted by Ed Williams on November 3, 2012 at 7:40 PM

Fantastic color and composition Matt. What a beautiful place. Nice work to get into the right spot too. Congratulations.

Registered on December 28, 2010, 636 Posts, 3499 Comments

Comment posted by Angela McCain on December 6, 2012 at 10:27 PM

I was just ambling around and found this. My lucky day.

Registered on April 19, 2009, 367 Posts, 3589 Comments

Comment posted by Michael Cothran on December 13, 2012 at 12:42 PM

Matt, I'm new to being a member of NPN, but have been visiting daily for years. I had to go back and comment on this image. I cannot tell you how much impact this image has on me. It is probably my all time favorite landscape. I'm very envious of this image, and if I could ever come close to one as fantastic as this, I might be tempted to sell my camera afterwards for thinking that I could never do better!! I'd appreciate knowing more specifically the time of year (other than just Fall), the time of day, and where in the Tetons you were. Thanks.

Registered on December 5, 2012, 31 Posts, 730 Comments