Growing up in New Jersey forces you to be prepared for anything in life, it is full contact living. At a young age you learn to deal the fickle and brutal weather, the sheer amount of people and the scenarios which feature both or be swallowed by it.
These elements coupled with the ability to Jerseyans to “see everything around them at all times” make them intrepid travelers. Face it, where there is an airport anywhere in the world, there’s an Aussie and a Jersey person.
Take that environmental awareness, ahem, balls, and the God given ability to capture the moments that matter, and you have photographer Tyler Heffernan, the Jersey guy in the airport.
The ocean off of New Jersey is either placid and puny or ferocious and firing. Tyler Heffernan takes notice of, and maximizes his use of the mood the sea gives him. The mountains of New Jersey will never be mistaken for Tahoe or the Tetons, but it gave Tyler the confidence to go bigger, and Tyler Heffernan is doing just that.
He’s got the schooling from early high school days at Ocean County Academy of the Arts followed up by Hallmark Institute of Photography for college. He paid his dues assisting on shoots and campaigns for Nike Snow, Forum, Foursquare, Special Blend with photographer Cole Barash. Now, he’s branching out on his own with shooting for Oakley, Fiat Automobiles, June Mountain, Oneill Europe and Head Snowboards. He’s logged the miles too, From going to Japan for a month, up and down the west coast several times, back and fourth to New Jersey in between a few trips to Canada and one trip to Argentina. He is constantly bouncing around and hates staying in one place for to long.
As a writer for twenty years, I’ve known and worked with some amazing photographers and I’ve witnessed what makes the great ones great. I see how hard fellow Jersey guy and my frequent collaborator Danny Clinch works and how he uses his natural rapport with his subjects. I’ve seen Jim Marshall and Timothy White work magic with their personalities while working with the biggest stars on the planet.
I grew up peering over the images in surf and skate mags from C.R. Steyck, Art Brewer, Glen E Friedman, Dick Messeroll, was and still amazed by what they in shooting surf and skate in natural light.
In my heart of hearts, the miles I’ve seen and the people I’ve met and worked with, the kid from Jersey, Tyler Heffernan has the very same attributes that make the great ones great.
Look at the kid’s work. It speaks for itself.
Tim Donnelly
Jersey Shore, NJ USA