LOCATION SCOUTING #3: Fire Island Lighthouse

Location

Feb 1

Fire Island Lighthouse, Field 5, Robert Moses State Park - New York, USA

So, for this location, I actually visited it multiple times. Visiting around 3 to 4 times, I think I have a reasonable grasp of this location.

PROS:

Some of the pros is that the actual beach for fire Island is not as crowded as it could be. This is mainly because before you reach fire Island you pass through Jones Beach. Jones Beach grabs the lion share of people. New Yorkers that want to go to beaches usually end up here. They'd have to drive a bit extra in order to get to the Fire Island lighthouse area. Most photographers I know, including myself, enjoy having the freedom and flexibility of space. Less people to edit out, less people to adhere too or be cautious off while shooting.
Another pro is the lighthouse itself. It's well constructed, it's beautiful, it's a museum as well. You’re even allowed to walk all the way up the stairs to the top, which grants you gorgeous views of the Atlantic Ocean and the parts of Long Island visible by the naked eye. The museum aspect continues when you visit the building connected to the lighthouse. It gives information on the lens and lighthouse light itself. Pretty interesting, I suggest stopping by.

The Lighthouse’s downstairs area has both restrooms and a small little gift shop that sells drinks and snacks. So, if you need to use the restroom, you won't have to go too far. Same if you're a little hungry or thirsty. They also sell cute memorabilia and lighthouse merch. The employees that work there are really nice always had a good hospitality and great service every time I visited

There is a bay on the other side of the lighthouse that offer more beach to work with. Sadly, the quality of that side of the beach is poorer in comparison from my experiences. But that option is still there. It might work with the vision you may have for your photosets. But to paint a picture, there’s lots of washed-up seaweed and it seems like the beach itself on the Bayside feels a lot less maintained.
There’s also wildlife in the area. I remember when I was out there, we saw a deer walking around. It was really cool. I’m not sure if they’re human friendly, so it would be best to not disturb them.

CONS:

At some points, and to be fair to the lighthouse, this can’t be helped, the water and beach condition can be extremely unpredictable. During my first visit, the water was pristine. The beach sand was amazing. It felt like I wasn’t in New York but was in Tampa Florida. Then the next time I visited the lighthouse, it was the complete opposite. The sand had random spots of solidness and chunkiness. There was a lot of stuff in the water, it reminded me of the Hudson River. It’s not the kind of quality you’d want to drive out for.
If you have never been here, the GPS can deceive you. It can be a little difficult to get to. When you’re driving to the fire Island lighthouse, your GPS will take you to a point where you can’t really turn into. I believe the area that the GPS wants to take you is actually closed off. You actually have to make a right beforehand. Keep an eye out for signs for the parking lot once you’re in the area. You’ll know because you’ll be able to see the lighthouse in the distance once you cross the bridge. To help with this, I’ll post some examples down below.

Continuing on with accessibility, once you find parking, you’re going to have to walk quite a distance. I’m personally ok with this so it feels weird placing this as a con. But I’m placing this here so people understand what they sign up for, especially if they have a model who wouldn’t be expecting this, or people carrying gear. (It’s not crazy far though.) There is a boardwalk that goes through a bunch of vegetation fields and sand dunes. There is poison ivy along the way at some points, so I would avoid touching stuff on the way there.

Getting to Fire Island, depending on traffic if you’re coming from the city, can take you anywhere between an hour and a half to 2 1/2 hours. Once you cross Fire Island Inlet Bridge into Fire Island, traffic usually calms down.

If you want to go to Fire Island for photography, I personally recommend that you try to go in the morning. Try to reach there before 11am. I have noticed that around noon is when crowds start to pick up, especially on weekends. This also helps immensely with finding a parking spot.

Grade: B+

Overall review. It’s a great beach place, and a great lighthouse location. One that you could spend a lot of time at and not really feel compelled to leave for either food reasons or bathroom breaks. It’s in travel distance to other cool areas. Everything you need is sort of in one location. It's overall great aesthetically. The lighthouse is beautiful, the beach is well-kept and then there’s a less unused beach on the other side that works well as a plan B. The people at the lighthouse are really nice and friendly. The only reason the grade isn’t higher is due to the plain simplicity of the location aesthetically. While I do love everything about this place, when it comes to photography, it would simply fall short when compared to other amazing places on earth. With that said, anyone can come here and take breathtaking shots while enjoying their stay. I’ll be back!

I mentioned earlier that I came to this location multiple times. Each time I visited; I did a different kind of photoshoot.

The first time I went here I came with my fellow photographer Darien D. Hester: Photography & Design and model Mei Hoshi. We did a cosplay photoset from the anime Pokémon. Where Mei was the gym leader Jasmine. We wanted to make use of the sand and the dunes and incorporate my 3-D modeling into it. I made a Steelix from Pokémon using 3dsmax that I would edit into her photos.

Second time I came here, I was with the besty Yuna Moon along with another friend Alvin who helped out as an assistant. I did another cosplay shoot where we shot the anime One Piece. Yuna Moon dressed up as Nami. This this time around the water and beach quality was pretty gross. I’m not sure if something happened like a storm or some type of leak but it was really underwhelming. It just kind of shocked me because the previous time I came here the water was pristine. It felt like I was in Tampa not New York.

See Full Photoset!

Allow me to share a delightful photographic experience I recently had with my dear friend Amber. We embarked on a picturesque photoshoot near a lighthouse on the beach, and to our surprise, we encountered a thick blanket of fog that lent an enchanting aura to our imagery.

At the outset, we were somewhat apprehensive about the weather's cooperation, but as the fog gently wrapped around us, we began to appreciate its serene and ethereal quality. The soft, diffused light provided a dreamlike atmosphere, elevating our photographs to an artistic realm.

The fog acted as an inspiring catalyst, compelling us to explore innovative angles and compositions. Despite initial challenges, we embraced the unique conditions, and the results were awe-inspiring. Each frame captured the allure of the lighthouse silhouetted in mist and the tranquil beauty of the beach, evoking a sense of wonder and tranquility.

As we reviewed the photographs later, we were astounded by the mesmerizing effect of the fog on our images. The interplay of light and shadow, along with the softness of the fog, imbued the shots with a captivating elegance that we could not have achieved on a clear day.

Fellow photography enthusiasts, I encourage you to consider the captivating potential of foggy weather for your art. Nature has a way of surprising us with its beauty, even in seemingly unfavorable conditions. Embrace these opportunities to explore your creativity and produce breathtaking works of art.

Lastly the last time that I came here, I was shooting another model, Jessie. It wasn’t cosplay related this time, but we had some concepts of her being a painter. Sort of like the ocean’s muse. (Funny enough, that’s what I called the set.) So, we brought an easel with us to the beach. We also had some other props like a stool and some painting accessories. It must have been funny from the lighthouse keeper’s point of view, watching me lug around a wooden stool all day. LUL It was...windy! The paper didn’t want to stay on at all. We had to have the model hold the canvas the whole time. Luckily there were a lot of seagulls in the area, which added to the atmosphere of the photoset. The water was so much better this time too. The waves were huge! The only thing I was hoping for was an overcast sky but sadly it was a full sunny day. I was still able to make the moody photoset work. Both the model and I were really happy with how the photos came out.