Ocean Grove has long been a haven for artists, but few have documented its spirit as consistently—and as widely—as the photographer whose work anchors one of the community’s most-visited online galleries. The collection, displayed prominently on the blog’s photography section, now serves as a living archive of New Jersey’s shore culture, its architecture, its people, and the fleeting moments that often go unnoticed in everyday life. The gallery, which can be explored through the “Photo Art Gallery” tab to see the Photo Art Gallery by Paul Goldfinger at the Blogfinger website, offers viewers the ability to enlarge each image with a single click. It’s a simple feature, but one that enhances the impact of the photographs, particularly the richly detailed black-and-white prints.
For those who follow New Jersey’s vibrant creative scene, this kind of project is emblematic of the state’s thriving visual arts community. Explore New Jersey regularly highlights similar creative work through our ongoing coverage of art & culture, showcasing the many ways artists bring the Garden State’s stories into focus.
The gallery itself is divided into two collections—color and monochrome—each with a distinct personality. The color series captures the warmth and texture of coastal life, from golden-hour boardwalks to seasonal festivals and the quiet corners of Ocean Grove that locals instantly recognize. Many of these photographs have appeared in museums, libraries, magazines, university publications, hospital newsletters, retail displays, and various digital galleries. Two images have even made their way onto book covers, with one currently available in bookstores around the world.
The black-and-white series, meanwhile, offers an entirely different experience. Many of these images were originally produced in limited darkroom editions, giving them a tactile quality that speaks to traditional photographic craftsmanship. In recent years, some have been recreated through specialized labs that handle digital files with the same care once reserved for darkroom negatives. These monochrome works have become fixtures in local homes, especially throughout Ocean Grove, where the photographer’s work has become woven into the town’s artistic identity.
Accolades have followed. Six color photographs have earned top honors in Pfizer Labs’ international color calendar competition, with additional wins in various regional contests. Yet the greatest recognition may be found in the blog’s long-running readership: nearly five million visits since 2009. And with most of those views tied to the photographs themselves, the gallery has become not just a personal portfolio but an essential part of Ocean Grove’s cultural documentation.
What makes this collection especially meaningful is its sense of place. While the gallery includes images from various travels and subjects, Ocean Grove remains its beating heart. The town’s Victorian charm, shoreline light, and year-round activity create a backdrop that photographers dream of, and this particular artist has embraced it fully. The annual “Art on the Porch” event, where some of these prints have been displayed, is just one example of how the community continues to celebrate and elevate local creative voices.
As the gallery continues to grow, it stands as both an artistic achievement and a digital time capsule for a beloved New Jersey shoreline town. Through its expansive reach—from galleries to bookshops, from national publications to living room walls—the collection underscores the power of photography to document, elevate, and immortalize the everyday beauty around us. Explore New Jersey will continue following projects like this that enrich the state’s creative landscape, with more stories featured in our ongoing art & culture coverage. Most of all, check out the Photo Art Gallery by Paul Goldfinger at the Blogfinger website.
