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Wildwood, NJ Nothing says summer vacation like the traditional American beach town. And there's no beach town like Wildwood, NJ. With a two-mile-long boardwalk, more rides than Disneyland, and five miles of wide, white-sand beaches, it's a photographer's playground.

In addition to all of these classic trappings, Wildwood also boasts the country's highest concentration of mid-century "Doo-Wop" architecture, with many themed vintage motels, glittering chrome-and-neon diners, coffee shops, and ice cream parlors.

The best part? Unlike on some photo treks, your family won't be bored while you're shooting.

• Info: Check out www.wildwoodnj.org, 609-522-2444; Doo Wop Preservation League, www.doowopusa.org (download a walking tour map); Doo Wop Mid-Century Architecture Trolley Tour (free), 609-884-5404.

How to shoot...

• The rides: For contrast and drama, twilight is best for shooting the glitter of the boardwalk. You'll get a beautiful cobalt-blue sky and enough natural light that you won't have to bump up the ISO really high.

Gail and Tom Mooney, who photographed Wildwood in the 1990s for the New Jersey tourism campaign, didn't go above ISO 100 for their twilight shots; the blue still in the sky gave depth to the evening scenes. They also used a tripod and slow shutter speeds to get blur from the motion of the rides, which gave their images a sense of energy--exactly what Wildwood is known for.

Since they used film, the Mooneys needed a magenta fluorescent filter to keep the lights from going green. You won't need that with your DSLR, but bracketing the white balance from daylight to fluorescent is a good idea.

Another method is to use your auto white balance and set your camera to the vivid color mode or adjust the colors later in an image editor. (Remember to shoot RAW!)

If you're close enough, experiment with flash ghosting--freezing a moving subject with flash while using a slow shutter speed (say, 1/15 sec) to blur the background and keep a sense of motion.

• The neon: Capture the kitschy old signs in a series of images, and then display them together in a high-energy set. Photographer Brian Evans took this approach, and recommends shooting the whole set at similar angles and exposures. Also, pack a tele, since many signs are several stories up. Evans used a 70-200mm. He shot at night, metering off a midtone in the sign and letting the background go black.

• The motels: Think you can't shoot anything in the midday sun? Think again. Try capturing the colorful patterns of the '50s and '60s motels in bright daylight with a complementing strip of bright blue sky at the top of the frame. A polarizing filter helps cut glare, remove reflections from windows, and pop the sky. When photographing a building with a lot of straight lines, make sure your camera is level and leave room to crop at the edges in case your lens adds distortion there.

• The people: Beachgoers are as colorful as the landscape, and getting people shots is as easy as picking a spot to stand and waiting for your subjects to turn up. "People are very willing to have their portrait taken, it's part of the experience," says Brooklyn, NY-based Svetlana Bahchevanova, who enjoys shooting on the Wildwood boardwalk. Her method? Simply asking passersby if she can take their photos--no one has turned her down.

Cloudy days sap the excitement from the beach, but are perfect for people photos because the light is flattering. If you must photograph people in bright sun, use fill flash, set to -1 EV for a more natural effect.

Is your background distracting? Limit your depth of field (so you get just the people, not what's behind them), by increasing your shutter speed or using a 2-stop neutral-density filter, which lets you shoot at a wider aperture.

4 More Great Beach Towns

Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY This summer may be your last chance to photograph the classic rides and carnival games at Astroland. After the 2008 season, much of the 46-year-old amusement park is slated to be replaced with luxury apartments and condos. Catch the outrageous outfits (and lack thereof) at the Mermaid Day Parade (June 21) or Burlesque at the Beach every Friday night, complete with fireworks, sideshow freaks, and old-time vaudeville acts. (www.coneyisland.com)

Myrtle Beach, SC Although the 58-year-old Myrtle Beach Pavilion closed in 2006, modern amusement and water parks abound in the area. Beaches? Try 60+ miles of sand. The Sun Fun Festival (June 5-9) is a chance to shoot pageants, concerts, and attempts to build the world's tallest sandcastle. (www.mbchamber.com)

Santa Cruz, CA Modern rides and amusements mix with those from the early 20th century. The wooden Giant Dipper rollercoaster (circa 1924) makes a striking foreground element in sunset shots, and be sure to get close-ups of the hand-carved horses on the 1911 Looff carousel. Pack the tele to catch surfers in action--nearby beaches have some of the world's best waves. (www.beachboardwalk.com)

Saugatuck, MI Forget kitsch and corndogs. This small city on Lake Michigan is a grown-up beach town, with art galleries, upscale restaurants, and quaint inns. Take the hand-cranked chain ferry across the Kalamazoo River for postcard-perfect sunsets on the high dune of Mt. Bald Head, or just stroll along the neon-free boardwalk on the beach. (www.saugatuck.com)

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