#NTVArtists: April Showers Bring May Flowers Through the Lens of Kelly Teleglow

We may be stuck in isolation as the cold, damp month of April is giving way to warm, sun-soaked May afternoons, but at least we can begin to enjoy the life that is blooming all around us! As one of my favorite Long Island photographers, Kelly Teleglow, points out there is beauty even in the weediest corners of our lives - from the flowers in our own backyards to random clusters on the side of the road. Hopefully, we can all take a ray of hope from the beach blooms and accented park views that flowers provide. Even a walk around the block is a special thing this time of year and, while the rest of our lives may be in a state of disruption, we still have that opportunity to look forward to each day.

This month’s blog will be another #NTVartists feature; this time around Kelly’s exquisite captures of the flowers we all enjoy on Long Island this time of year and what they symbolize. In the midst of a pandemic, it feels even more fitting to feature Kelly, as I really admire her ability to utilize different perspectives, colors, edits, moods and natural settings to find something extraordinary in everyday experiences -something we all need to try to do with the current limited state of things.

#NTVartists: Raptors of Long Island Through the Lens of Shane Etter (@BigOleMrKanish)

While I may not ‘love’ social media, Instagram has provided the opportunity to develop friendships with a lot of awesome people in the Long Island wildlife and photography communities. One of those friends is Shane Etter, a prodigiously talented photographer whose bird portraits are always a highlight of my Insta-feed.

Last February, Shane and I collaborated on a #NTVblog featuring his photos of the various owls that can be found on Long Island at different times throughout the year. Today, I am excited to post our follow-up, exploring the diverse non-owl species of raptors that can be found here as well.

For more of Shane’s photography, please follow him on Instagram.

Fire Island: Lighthouse Fun Facts And the Highly Disputed Name Origin

Fire Island is a prime example of Long Island’s diversity. It’s a virtual “choose-your-own” adventure where one can have a tranquil beach day or party to the break of dawn depending on what sort of weekend you’re looking for. The 9.6 square miles of barrier island also hosts great breaks for surfing, as well as, a unique sunken forest, and both ocean and inlet host some of the best fishing on Long Island.

With so much to offer, the fact that the lighthouse largely defines Fire Island shows just how special the structure is. It has played a pivotal role in Long Island’s maritime history dating back to 1826 and its distinctive black and white patterning make it one of the most beautiful of the over twenty lighthouses on Long Island.

A lesser known, yet no less interesting, aspect of the Fire Island is that no one can agree on the source of its name. There are four different ‘stories’ as to the origins of the moniker and each one is supported by credible reasoning as to why it could be true. But before we lay out each origin story, let’s look at a few more fun facts about the region’s most recognizable landmark.

Robert Moses and the Creation of Jones Beach State Park

There are few places more identifiable with Long Island than Jones Beach. The 6.5-mile state park, with its white sand beaches and iconic water tower, conjures warm nostalgia for nine decades worth of Long Islanders. Personally, Jones Beach State Park was the first place I met the Atlantic Ocean, and I still have vivid memories of my cousins coming down from Connecticut for a few days each summer to hang out at Field 6 and then get dinner at Borelli’s Pizzeria in East Meadow. While our family would eventually switched to Robert Moses State Park and I personally made the change to Long Beach once I hit high school, I can’t drive down Ocean Parkway without being brought back to those early days taking in deep breaths of salty air from the back of my parent’s minivan.

The Fall Run Is Upon Us! A look at the Fall Striper Blitz with Photos and Video from Tim Regan (@southforksalt)

Long Island fisherman, rejoice! The summer doldrums are behind us and soon enough those monster Stripers are going to be hitting your line like a freight train again. Of all of the amazing species we have in our waters at various points in the year, few garner more respect than New York’s official State marine fish, The Striped Bass.

Morone saxatilis is an incredibly dynamic species - athletic and complex in their behavior - that deserves every bit of their reputation as a prized game fish. For this month’s #NTVBlog, we take a deeper look at the Striped Bass and the sacred Fall run Long Island gets every year.

Luckily, we are honored to have photography and video content from a great Long Island fisherman and photographer, Tim Regan (@SouthForkSalt). In addition to his amazing Instagram and YouTube pages, Tim also does a weekly Long Island Fish Report for On The Water Magazine, which you can check out here.

The Rich Geological History of Long Island's Gold Coast!

For most people familiar with the area, Long Island’s north shore conjures images of palatial estates and the serene waters of the Long Island Sound. Members of New York’s cultural elite have been making their homes on the Sound’s beautiful beaches long before F. Scott Fitzgerald drew international acclaim for his portrayal of “East Egg” and “West Egg” (based on Port Washington and Great Neck respectively) in The Great Gatsby. It’s safe to say that the “Gold Coast” has a long and storied history for New Yorkers, but what isn’t spoken about as often is the fact that the area’s geological past runs much deeper and is just as interesting.

The Artistic Imprint of Kaaterskill Falls

Today, Kaaterskill Falls is one of the most popular hikes in the Catskills region. The breathtaking 260 foot cascading waterfall that serves as its calling card is one of the tallest in New York state and standing in its presence evokes an intimate awareness of just how epic and powerful the natural world is. Before it became a hub for extreme selfie seekers, Kaaterskill was the subject of local lure that drew countless artists and other lovers of nature from all of the region.

From Elephants to Frankenstorms: A Brief History of the Long Beach Boardwalk

In terms of iconic Long Island landmarks, the Long Beach boardwalk shares the same hallowed ground as the Montauk Lighthouse or Sagamore Hill. Ever since William Reynolds first orchestrated its construction in 1906-1907, the boardwalk has played a central role in the Long Beach community and served as a destination for New Yorkers looking to spend a nice day at the beach.

Today, the boardwalk remains as integral to the Long Beach economy and way-of-life as ever. It has survived several incarnations, but still draws thousands of people to enjoy its beauty and meet with neighbors.

Here are a few of the key stages of the boardwalk’s history.

#NTVartists: Owls of Long Island Through the Lens of Shane Etter

Shane Etter is one of the most talented bird photographers on Long Island. His patience and keen eye has resulted in breathtaking shots of some of our Island’s most elusive residents and winter visitors, owls. It’s not uncommon for Shane to spend hours in search of his muse - fighting the biting coastal winds of the frigid south shore or navigating the woods in search of these beautiful birds.

Those willing to brave the cold have seen an increase in owl sightings on Long Island over the past few years. For this month’s blog, we are highlighting Shane’s beautiful owl photography from around Long Island and giving some background on his incredible subjects.

For more of Shane’s photography, please follow him on Instagram.

Keep Me Where The Light Is Part 1: Orient Point + Montauk Lighthouses

Montauk Point + Orient Point Lighthouses
As one would expect from an island located just outside a major port, lighthouses have played an important role in the history of Long Island. Since 1796, over twenty five lighthouses have been built on Long Island, each with their own unique story. On the north shore, lighthouses helped sailors navigate the jagged rocks and abrupt shoals of the Sound. On the south side of the island, lighthouses were often the first thing European immigrants saw when they reached their new home.
The Keep Me Where The Light Is series will look at two of Long Island’s lighthouses in each part. The goal is to provide a better view of the underwater geography of Long Island, as well as, the history of some of our most beloved historical structures and how to enjoy them today.

Long Island’s Trees of Christmas Past, Present & Future

In the dead of winter, very few traditions help cope with the cold better than snuggling up by a fire, admiring a beautifully decorated Christmas Tree.

In the spirit of Christmas, this article will discuss Long Island’s evergreens at Christmas time from three angles: (1) Christmas past - The Long Island Pine Barrens, (2) Christmas Present - The environmental benefits of real trees and where to cut your own on Long Island and (3) Christmas future - How to recycle your Christmas tree.

Outdoors Lessons from Long Island's First Inhabitants

Chief among the many important lessons that the first settlers on Long Island learned from the Native Americans was how to make use of the abundant natural resources the island had to offer. The tribes who made their home on Long Island were expert fishermen, whalers, hunters, farmers and gatherers and their descendants still live in harmony with the land in many of the same ways today. They kindly passed that knowledge on to their new neighbors upon their arrival, and the stories of these first interactions between Native Americans and settlers on Long Island were not much different from those of the Wampanoag helping the Pilgrims survive their first harvest season at Plymouth in 1621. We’re all familiar with that tale as the inspiration for the first Thanksgiving Feast.

The Stranger Things Happening at Montauk's Camp Hero State Park

For anyone that grew up on Long Island, Montauk is a special place. In recent years, the Hamptons crowd has crept in, but most of us still think of Montauk as a lowkey fishing community with great beaches and plenty of family-friendly fun spots (i.e - Puff n Putt, Fudge n Stuff), lovingly referred to as The End. What many people who enjoy Montauk don’t know, though, is that it has a separate past. A dark and mysterious history full of covert government experiments, time travel and an other-dimensional creature named “Junior” that served as the inspiration for the Netflix original series, Stranger Things.

Or at least that’s how the story goes...

#NTVartists: Daniel Imperial (Photographer)

Daniel Imperial is a rising photographer from Port Jefferson. He excels in a lot of different photography environments from the natural world of Long Island to the urban landscapes of New York City. He was kind enough to answer some questions for us ranging from the craft of photography to some of his favorite places to shoot on Long Island. Here is our interview.

Get To Know: Ospreys

Most Long Island residents that spend anytime on the coasts have been lucky enough to catch a glimpse of an Osprey. Whether its returning to their nest on Reynolds Channel from a successful hunt out at sea in Long Beach or circling over the Long Island Sound, the seahawk is a majestic sight to behold.

As they prepare to make their way down south for the colder months, here is some history on one of Long Island’s most beloved summer residents.

Long Beach Sand In My Shoes

There’s a saying in Long Beach that goes: “I’ve got Long Beach sand in my shoes”. It’s a way for LB locals to speak to the love they have for their tight-knit community while calling to mind the many memories they create on their city’s beautiful beaches.

As great as our beaches are, kicking back in the sand and surf isn’t the only way to enjoy Long Beach’s expansive coastal habitat. From quiet evenings on the boardwalk to exploring the marshes around Reynold’s channel, there are countless ways to enjoy the outdoors in Long Beach.

Here are a few of them to get you started.