HELME SNUFF FACTORY AND NEARBY PHOTO OPS

by Ginny Santora

n January 10th, our own Neil Larsen provided us with an engrossing slide documentary account of the old Helme Snuff Factory, located in Helmetta. Neil has sentimental feelings toward the old factory, as it reminds him of a job he once held for 16 years with one company; when the company closed down, people were crying. It was the best job he ever had, so he can relate to how many of those Helme employees must have felt upon the closing down of their factory that was such a big part of their lives.

Helmetta is a tiny town, and was a company town at the time the factory was in full swing. There are many stately old homes, the former residences of the management, that still exist to this day. Many homes of the workers are also still there. The Helme Snuff Factory, built in 1884, closed down about 10 years ago. Neil showed us pictures of stairways, chimneys, the loading dock, as well as shots of ivy growing up around the windows and up the sides of the building. There were close-ups of door latches, chipping paint, hinges, and locks. There was also a pond on the premises, most likely for chemical processing. Whether or not you've experienced a similar loss, you would have been touched by the presentation of these glimpses into the past that Neil presented with so much thought and care.

The second half of Neil's presentation provided us with a look at photo opportunities in our area that are within an hour's drive. Neil is usually out and about before dawn, and starts out in his own backyard, taking pictures of flowers, close-ups of rain drops on leaves, as well as his cat! About a mile from his house, off Englishtown Road, are some woods. You can compose shots of mushrooms, foggy autumn mornings, and ferns. In the Rutgers woods, right behind their experimental gardens, you can find columbine and sunflowers, among others. Neil also showed some shots of backlighting on spider webs -- if you look closely, you can find spider web almost anywhere. Winter shots of the pond at Rutgers is also an interesting choice of subject. There is also a mill pond, and a brook that runs across it in the Davidson's Mill area. You can try creative shots of leaves in the water, and sunset on Farrington Lake is also an option. There is a mill down from the headwaters of the Passaic River. It was a lake about 10,000 years ago, and the swamp that exists today is the lake that is still draining. Also, try Spruce Run Reservoir and Ken Lockwood Gorge. Try taking Route 522 in Manalapan and drive over to Owl Haven and Battleground State Park. These are both easy to get to, and at Owl Haven there are farms and fields to walk through. Other possibilities are Thompson Park at Newman Springs Road, and Hartshorn Woods, 1 mile from Sandy Hook. You can hike or bike there, and capture images of beach scenes, woods, bird tracks, and flowers. For Winter shots, judges may prefer side lighting, but Neil likes the gray scenes, as he believes it captures the feel of Winter.

Neil provided a very interesting as well as educational program, informing us of the many photo opportunities that abound, literally, in our own backyard, and areas very close to home, proving that we don¹t necessarily need to travel great distances at great expense to capture some fantastic shots. Much thanks to Neil for sharing his images and his expertise with us!