Benches of Seaside Heights is set in Seaside Heights, NJ, a dilapidated coastal resort best known as the site of MTV’s ‘Jersey Shore’ TV show. Each summer, I candidly photograph the town’s visitors as they relax, eat, and make the best of a day at the beach. I intend to continue this series indefinitely, both as an exploration of human behavior, and a chronicle of Seaside’s visitors over time.

I start around 3PM, when the sun starts to light up the subjects’ faces, and end at 5PM, when my shadow starts to become visible in the frame. I don’t stop to look, or think, or compose, or try to pick the right moment. I take a few shots, without looking, and move on. I don’t see what I have captured until weeks or sometimes months later, when I open the images on my computer.

http://ellenmitchell.photography/gallery/benches-of-seaside-heights-nj