While the COVID pandemic upended a lot of our lives it has given me time to reflect more on my photography – though I have been lax in writing about it! Among my subjects in 2020, as part of my Jersey Shore project, were scientists who study the fish populations in the vicinity of Barnegat Bay and Toms River, NJ. I spent two days tagging along as they gathered and counted fish. The challenge is how to make that an interesting photograph but still show the work they are doing. The seine net to me was the principal subject in addition to the human subjects, of course. This hands-on research is conducted throughout the year with the exception of the winter months. On my list is to go out in warmer weather with them and do some more shooting – preferably with me in the water (which means investing in waders!!) In working on any photo project such as this it is important to photograph the same subjects many times in order to get that one or two photos that really speak to the viewers and also reflect the photographers viewpoint and help tell the story. These are some of the first images taken in October. (You will note that even working outdoors they were wearing masks.)
