Kip’s Castle

Kip’s Castle, situated on a 10-acre estate on the border of Montclair and Verona townships, overlooks the New York skyline and was modeled after a medieval Norman castle. It was constructed over a three year period in the early 1900s by successful industrialist Ellsworth Kip and his wife Charlotte Bishop Williams Kip.

Kip’s castle has a very interesting past, having previously been occupied by a followers of Indian spiritual guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. They wore only red and orange and drove a fleet of Rolls Royce cars. The eerily beautiful mansion was then used for years as headquarters of one of New Jerseys’ most prominent law firms, and in 2007 was purchased by the county of Essex as an addition to the historic Essex County Park System. Now the castle grounds functions as a public park, and is an excellent setting to practice your landscape and architectural photography skills.

Zoom into the stones and leaded glass to create interesting abstract photographs, and explore every angle of the building through your camera lens. Get down low and shoot the building from a low angle; this will add elements of drama and intrigue to your final image.

Use one of the castle’s many archways as a natural frame within your photograph. This is a great compositional technique that can really pull your image together while creating a sense of depth.

Please bring your fully charged digital camera, and any other photographic equipment you would like to use. Please dress for the weather and wear your most comfortable shoes.

Call Digital Photo Academy at 1 877 372 2231. Lots of people seem to hang up if our welcome recording comes on instead of a live voice, but we promise to return your message within a day or two if you leave one with your name and number.  It would be even better if you included your e mail address as well as the date and city of the class you are considering.  If leaving a voice mail message is not your thing, please email us at [email protected] or [email protected].

22 Crestmont Road
Verona, NJ 07044