Grounds of Sculpture

WRITTEN BY:  BRUCE LOVELACE

PUBLISHED ON: March 24 , 2025

Join me in my photography excursion to the Grounds of Sculpture, a unique place in New Jersey to practice your photography. This article will dive into the art of photography at the Grounds For Sculpture as well as give you a virtual visit using my photography. You can explore the unique challenges and rewards of photographing diverse range of sculptures and scenic landscaping at this captivating location in Central New Jersey.

Grounds For Sculpture signI chose this angle to include two of the sculptures and the front wall of the building in one composition. The top of the building is a leading line for your eye to follow to the larger sculpture, and then to the smaller sculpture, giving your eye a path to follow. I got down real low to include both the grass in the foreground to frame in the composition as well as make the sculpture of the couple appear tall.

I included tips and techniques for capturing the essence of this magical place, revealed to you through critiquing the collection of photos.  It's an image gallery that will help you find out how to photograph the landscape and the sculptures and create compelling and memorable photographs.

The Grounds For Sculpture, near Trenton, NJ, is a unique destination where art, nature, and imagination intertwine.

Visitors are encouraged to explore the 42 acres and interact with the sculptures. It's an extraordinary opportunity for photographers like you and me to practice our craft and capture striking images. Now, let's immerse ourselves in the monumental and the whimsical, and the abstract and figurative collection of unique photography subjects.


Emotion Provoking 911 Sculpture
"DOUBLE CHECK"

In 1982, Seward Johnson completed work on what would become one of his most renowned sculptures. Double Check is the life-size bronze of a businessman working on a park bench, oblivious to the impending doom at Ground Zero. This sculpture representing the 911 terrorist attack on our country provokes an uncomfortable emotional response. I composed it to be a symmetric composition and contrast the figure against the building behind him. The retrospective was scheduled to be on exhibition at the Grounds For Sculpture from May 4 to September 21, 2014 but due to overwhelming popularity, was extended through July 2015.

The video below is a great clip to watch to get an overall feel of what's available to see and photograph at the Grounds For Sculpture and sets the tone for the marvelous experience you will have when you come to visit.

Lighting

Stuck with Lighting, but the ability to see and understand how the light is portraying your subject is vital, just as it with other genres of photography.  Overcast days can also be beneficial, providing even lighting that eliminates harsh shadows.

Sunlight is your photography friend if it's illuminating your subject and background in an appealing way. Direct sun will give you the potential for capturing certain textures, with some of the sculptures, as well as including interesting shadows as part of your composition.

The visiting hours are from 10am to 4pm, so you won't have an opportunity to take advantage of the sweet photography light that occurs around dawn and dusk.

Lighting at Grounds For Sculpture-1The strong overhead lighting from the sun was perfect for bringing out the texture in these sculptured boulders. The trees and the blue sky as the background provided good separation to emphasize the main subject. I positioned the camera at a spot that intentionally creates a "tension point" by having the tip of the sculpture barely touch the tip of the tree branch.

Lighting at Grounds For Sculpture-2I chose this angle specifically for two reasons. 1. I like the dark background behind this white sculpture from this angle.2. I wanted to shoot to emphasize the diagonal of the top edge of the sculpture and maintain a gap between the two main veridical posts. A more typical view that many photographers would take would be to shoot this image from the side.

Man and child sculpture
Would you like a piece of chocolate, young lady?

I brought my camera down to eye level to get a better view of the faces with this sculpture. I edited this photo in Photoshop by darkening the parked cars in the background to make them less of a distraction.

Fisherman sculptureThis was an easy composition to figure out. The vegetation and the dark shoreline provided perfect framing for the main subject. The position of the fisherman and his fishing rod, along with his fisherman's hat and equipment belt, made it obvious that he was a fisherman, so the near-silhouette does not hinder you from immediately identifying what he was doing.

Boat reflectionAlthough including the reflection of the boat in the water made for a good composition I was disappointed in the original image that came out of the camera. I decided to use the power of Photoshop to improve the color of the water in the lake in the foreground and the color of the sky, which was originally green. The reflection of the blue sky in the water made this a better photograph.

Camera Equipment

Equipment  wide and telephoto focal length, polarizing filter (not super wide)

CAMERA: You can certainly get some great photos with your smartphone. Of course, image quality will be better if you have a digital camera with a larger sensor. Additionally, you'll have more control over your camera settings with a more advanced camera. See my current favorite Travel Photography Gear.

LENSES: You should be armed with the ability to shoot wide angle, normal, and telephoto views of the wide variety of subjects found at the Grounds For Sculpture.

FILTER:  A polarizing filter will improve saturation in many instances, improve sky color, as well as decrease reflections which will be quite handy when your photograph has water included.

TRIPOD:  You really don't need a tripod in most situations, but it may come in handy occasionally. Shooting late in the day, just before closing in the winter when the days are short. Additionally, if you're traveling solo and want to shoot any selfie photos with the sculptures, a tripod is a must have piece of equipment. Jump Down to See My Selfie With a Sculpture.

Wide-angle lens sculpture
"Dancing Couple And Painter"
Zoomed to the lens's widest setting gives this composition a strong perspective. I chose a low camera position that included the painter, the dancing couple, and the painting as the 3 main subjects and the bottle as an added visual touch. Including 3 points of visual interest in a photograph often creates a winning composition.

The Power of Perspective

With modern auto-exposure and auto-focusing is so advanced with your camera, you can concentrate your efforts on composing your subject in a unique and interesting way. In addition to choosing the best lens or focal length, the perspective you decide to take when photographing these sculptures is  likely the most powerful thing you'll get to play with.

Look at the dramatic differences that the perspective I took had with these 5 photos of this particular sculpture

5 different perspectives of a sculptureFive Different Perspectives
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Frequently Asked Questions:

Can you use tripods when you photograph the Grounds For Sculpture?

There are no limitations for using tripods when you shoot photos or video at Grounds For Sculpture.

Is Grounds For Sculpture any good for taking photos?

Yes, the Grounds For Sculpture is a great location for photography of a wide variety of subjects.

Is drone photography allowed ?

Drone photography is not permitted at the Grounds For Sculpture.

Is wedding photography permitted at Grounds For Sculpture?

Yes, wedding photography is permitted at Grounds for Sculpture, but professional photography/videography requires advanced approval, If you are a professional photographer, you need to complete and return the photographer agreement. 

Party at Grounds For SculptureThis was one of my favorite sculptures to see during my visit, but surprisingly I did not spend much time photographing it. I choose this perspective, including most of the party goers, because I though it better told a story than a close-up photo would have.

For additional information about visiting, photographing, or participating in a program visit the website: www.groundsforsculpture.org/  For photography lessons at Grounds For Sculpture visit: Digitalphotoacademy.com/portfolio/grounds-for-sculpture/


Bruce Lovelace portrait

Bruce Lovelace is the publisher of TravelingPhotographer.com. Bruce shot portraits full time for over 35 years. Now he shoots more travel photography.  Read more about him on the About Page. He also publishes how to articles and camera gear reviews at the  Photography Tips and Canon Geek websites.

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Shooting Selfies With Sculpture

The Grounds of Sculpture encourage photographers to shoot away and that includes the obligatory selfie. Cleary the empty side of the bench is an invitation to join this young lady and her book for a self portrait.

Selfie and SculptureMy Photographer's Selfie With Sculpture
Open shade is great portrait lighting and this spot under the trees with fully grown leaves in the summer provide great light for this portrait.

Larger-sized sculpture photos are 12 inch x 72 ppi.