July Featured Photographer: Justin P. Goodhart

Date Published: July 12, 2019

What is your name and where can people find your photography?

My name is Justin P. Goodhart and you can find my work here:

www.justinpgoodhart.com

www.facebook.com/JGoodhartPhotography

www.instagram.com/justin_goodhart_photography

Facebook and Instagram are more up to date with photos.

 

Describe your perfect staycation in Dutchess, or your idea of a fun weekend in the county.

A perfect day for me would be to get up early and hike up to Cat Rocks along the Appalachian Trail in Pawling to watch the sunrise over the Harlem Valley.  Then I’d drive down to the village of Pawling for breakfast at Pawling Bread Company.  Peruse books and antiques at The Book Cove and go to the awesome Pawling Farmers Market on Saturdays.  Then maybe another walk on the Appalachian Trail, this time the Boardwalk (also in Pawling) through the Great Swamp where there are always birds singing and there are wonderful benches to rest and take in the beautiful vista. For the rest of afternoon a walk into Dover Stone Church, which even on the hottest summer days, is cool and refreshing in the deep ravine.  The perfect ending to the day would be a concert and delicious meal at Daryl’s House, where the music is always on point!

Since I can’t just pick one, another perfect day would be in and around Beacon.  I love the hike and the view from Sugarloaf Mountain, which is part of the Hudson Highlands State Park Preserve, just bordering Dutchess. The village of Beacon has so many great places to eat and shop. I love the tacos at Tito Santana Taqueria. A beer (or two) at Draught Industries.  And on a nice day sitting outside for a drink at The Roundhouse with a great view of the falls, and a bite to eat is also a great choice.  Riverwinds Gallery is an awesome place to check out local art and artisans.  And I find watching the glass blowing at Hudson Beach Glass mesmerizing. I’d finish the day watching the sunset across the Hudson River from Long Dock Park.

 

What equipment do you use in your photography?

My primary digital camera is a Nikon D750, I have a variety of lenses, but my go to lenses these days are 50mm and 85mm primes for general shooting.  A 14-24mm for night ultra-wide angle shooting, and a 200-500mm for wildlife.

I also shoot with some film.  I’ve been using a medium format Mamiya 645 for several years, it produces wonderful images.  I also recently inherited a couple vintage cameras (Kodak Brownie Starlight circa 1956 & Kodak Jiffy Six-16 circa 1940) that belonged to my great-grandfather.  With a little work and modification I got both working again and am having fun using them.

 

What is your favorite place to photograph in Dutchess and why?

A single favorite place is hard, Cat Rocks, at sunrise, especially late summer and early fall when inversions in the Harlem Valley are common it hard to beat!  That and Dover Stone Church.

 

Do you have somewhere on your list that you want to photograph in Dutchess, but haven’t gotten there yet?

Stissing Mountain Fire Tower.  It’s been on my list for a while but just haven’t made it happen yet.  This fall would be a great first time visit I think!  I’ve also only been to Denning’s Point once, and would like to get back there for sunset sometime.

 

Give us a few photography tips

#1 Composition.  No matter how great the view is, how interesting the light or how intriguing the subject, great composition, to me, is the most important.  I’d recommend starting with learning about the rule of thirds and leading lines, while they are not hard fast rules, they can get you working in the direction of better composition.  I actually find an iPhone (or any camera phone) great for looking at composition, since you’re not worrying about camera settings, lenses, adjustments, etc. you can really focus on the composition of the image.

#2 Good Light.  The best light, for most types of photographs, is found at the very beginning or end of the day.  The “golden hour” if often a favorite of photographer, which is just after sunrise or just before sunset.  The light is often warmer and shadows softer and smoother.  But also don’t forget about just before sunrise or after sunset, many times it is 10-15 minutes before sunrise or after sunset that you get the most beautiful colors in the sky!