A couple weeks ago, my friend Devon asked if I’d be down to do a photo shoot for spooky season. He’d been playing around with film lately and had just gotten some black and white film that he wanted to test out. Of course, I said yes! This was my first photo shoot ever and it was so much fun.
When he asked me where I wanted to shoot, I had no clue. Naturally, I asked my mom if she had any ideas, and she suggested the Mohonk Preserve Testimonial Gateway in New Paltz. We utilized the eeriness of the stone structure and nearby woods to capture some really cool moments and visuals on film. Then, we went back through to capture them on his digital camera as well. Flip through and check out the digital photos in the gallery below!
About Devon:
Devon Wood is a photographer, videographer and content creator born and raised in the Hudson Valley, NY. He’s always used photos and videos for both storytelling and as a therapeutic, expressive outlet. Outside of creating, he enjoys the outdoors, television, movies and sports. Follow him on Instagram: @unrealdevonwood
About The Location:
In 1908, the “Smiley Testimonial Gateway” was built as a 50th wedding anniversary gift for Albert Keith Smiley and Eliza Phelps Smiley, the founders of Mohonk. Around 1,200 of the couple’s friends contributed the funds that would help build such a monumental structure and create the perfect entrance to the Mohonk property. If you visit, be sure to look for the inscription over the arch of the gateway that leads to the 3.2 miles of walkway through a line of trees that is quite a beautiful site to see.
