Artist's work reflects use of early sunlight
Edward Hughes uses natural light for photos
BY JENNIFER AMATO Staff Writer
Edward Hughes is an early riser. He wakes up before sunrise, arriving at a set location as the sun is just progressing into the sky. He sets up his camera on the top of his truck and waits for the reflection of the sun to create a mirror-like image. It's either hit or miss, but with the push of a button a scenic landscape is captured instantaneously.

Edward Hughes, the North Brunswick Artist of the Month for November, likes to hang out with nature and incorporate himself into photographs, either as seen here or with silhouette shots.

The 64-year-old North Brunswick resident has been taking photographs of nature for the past 40 years. His work is being displayed as part of North Brunswick's Gallery of Art, as he has been named the November Artist of the Month for November.

The retired lab researcher from the University of Medicine & Dentistry in Newark is inspired by nature, mostly working during the sunrise and sunset hours so that he can work with natural light.

"I feel alive," he said. "It's a whole new day coming. Every day is different. Everything is constantly changing. Nothing is constant … so it doesn't get boring."

"Cafe Ole"

Instead of using a tripod, he uses the top of his truck, holding the lens open for one-seventh of a second, pushing the button and letting the camera do the rest of the work. With the reflection coming from off the hood or roof of the truck, a river-like appearance is created as the light curves and bends.

"I get things I've never seen before," he said. "Every time I do that, it's like a new experience. … I find it interesting because it brings the eye in. I get ahold of their attention … and they keep looking deeper into the picture, and that's my main objective."

Or, during twilight, he will use the light from another area, hold the lens open and try to absorb the light indirectly. His newer photos feature him as a silhouette, as he uses a mirror to reflect the sunlight emanating from behind him.

"I like working with shadows," the former South River resident said.

Hughes also enjoys shooting from the ground up, such as when he lay on the ground in front of Café Ole, in Trenton, with his eyes at the curb level to capture a hanging bicycle from a different angle.

"Misty Lake"

"Shooting straight on doesn't do it; it makes the picture look flat," he said.

Hughes is an avid traveler, visiting 17 countries in Europe, as well as the Caribbean Islands and Asia. He has photographed Oktoberfest in Germany, straw markets in the Bahamas, the windmills of Copenhagen, Denmark, and the Golden Temple in India. He also drives around New Jersey, traveling down roads he has never been to before.

Hughes recently joined the Raritan Photographic Society in East Brunswick, advancing from a hobby to a more technical form of artwork. He said the composition and clarity of his subject matter has drastically improved.

However, Hughes still claims that photography is 60 percent luck. Such an example is a man he was watching fish off a jetty in Asbury Park. Just as he took the picture, a boat sailed past in the background. Hughes said that had he snapped the button a second prior or a second after, the "miracle shot" would have never existed.

"It's about being in the right place at the right time," he said.

He also loves a picture he took of sailboats in Salt Lake City, in which the blue sky and snow-capped mountains complemented the ocean view. His other favorites include tree bark eerily sticking out of a lake, a sunrise reflecting off a mirrored building, a cornfield by the Department of Transportation and a tree surrounded by fog in a lake.

Outside of North Brunswick, Hughes will showcase his work at Gallery 125 in Trenton, where of the 35 pictures selected, he has produced two. He also has two photos hanging at the University of Medicine & Dentistry in Newark.

The North Brunswick gallery is located in the Department of Parks, Recreation & Community Services' wing at 710 Hermann Road. Normal gallery hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, call (732) 247- 0922, ext. 475, or contact CLaBarbera@ northbrunswickonline.com.