Photographing in Princeton

[rxmd]

Hi everybody,

I'll be going to the US at the end of July for two weeks of conferencing in Princeton. I won't have much free time, but I'd like to do some photographing nevertheless (also, I've got a free weekend). Any tips? Is there much of a student life for street photography in August or is everybody at home?

Also I'm thinking of using the stay in the US to buy some gear and spend some of the conference reimbursements, so if anybody in the US has a 50/1.5 Canon or other Sonnar clone, a CV 75/2.5 or a good Russian or Japanese 85/2 that focuses on a Bessa I'd be interested.

Philipp

 

[Nick R.]

You can rent a canoe and visit the Delaware & Raritan Canal State Park if you're into nature. It's a nice time of year to be there.

 

[DanK]

The campus is great to shoot in and around at night. Some great architecture. Im sure there will be students in August, orientation starts in augu for most universities, but it depends on when in Aug you are going to be there.

 

[troym]

Princeton in August is very quiet. The students don't return to campus until September, and the townspeople are away on vacation.

I second the recommendation to visit the D&R Canal. Even if you don't rent a canoe, you can walk along the tow path and get some pleasant nature shots. Lake Carnegie, which is next to the canal in Princeton, is also a good place to photograph (watch out for the Canada geese!).

You should also visit the Princeton University campus if you like architecture shots.

There isn't much in the way of street photography in Princeton. There's Nassau Street, which is the main street. But I don't think you'll find too much going on at this time of year.

Visit NY City instead if you want to get some street shots. NY is a little over an hour by train from Princeton (either Princeton station or Princeton Junction station). It's an easy trip. While you're in the city, you could also visit some of the *reputable* camera shops. But note well that some stores (B&H, Adorama) are closed on Friday afternoons and Saturdays.

By the way, is the conference in Princeton proper, or in a hotel outside of town?

 

[rxmd]

Hi folks,

thanks for the recommendations! So apparently it's not the liveliest time of the year to be there. Maybe that helps to concentrate on the academic stuff. I'll definitely pay the D&R canal a visit, whether by canoe or not, after all it seems a good thing to do in between two weeks of sitting in offices.

I'll probably go to New York, as I'd planned to do anyway to look around and visit some shops. (I wonder what the rationale is behind closing on Friday and Saturday and opening again on Sunday, unless the stores are run by Jews, of course). I've never been there and a day won't probably be enough.

The conference, as it stands, is scheduled to be on campus, unless they'll have some last-minute changes...

Philipp

 

[troym]

A day in NY is definitely not enough time, but you'd be surprised how much film you can burn through on the streets with a 28 or 35 lens. And a little courage.

Yes, B&H and Adorama close for the sabbath. Another store with lots of rangefinder goodies is RFF sponsor Photo Village, which is run by Rich Pinto. That store is usually open on Saturdays (but call ahead first).

Besides those three, and perhaps a couple other stores, avoid all camera shops in NY. That sounds like an overstatement, but it's a rule of thumb that can save you a lot of pain. Even if you see a "bargain" at some hole-in-the-wall store, don't get taken in.

 

[lubitel]

Princeton University also has a very "klein aber fein" art museum. It quite small but has some amazing work ranging from medieaval until modern times.

 

[lubitel]

Also there is a coffe shop in Princeton called "small world" i think, and at least 8 years ago it was pretty lively in the evening, with music and lots of people.

 

[morgan]

I'll second the Princeton Uni art museum. It's surprisingly good for a small museum. If you have a car, there's some great farming shots to be had outside of princeton (towards Cranbury). Lots of big machinery, large fields, if you're into that kind of thing. NYC would be a great stop, and Philly isn't far either.