Hello, Jersey Collective

Please allow me to introduce myself.

I'm Bob, and this coming week I will be contributing photos to Jersey Collective, a collaborative Instagram account that a different photographer takes over each week. Every day since March 2014, guests have posted at least one photo taken in New Jersey with a cell phone camera.

Asked to supply a bio for the site, I sent this:

Bob Varettoni has lived and worked in New Jersey FOREVER (yes, he's a vampire... and also, according to his favorite coffee mug, The World's Greatest Dad). He considers the Garden State the center of the universe, with easy access to cities and farms, beaches and forests, art and commerce -- and everything in between. His Tumblr (bvar.tumblr.com) and @foundinnj IG accounts are devoted to all things Jersey. Bob takes photos using an iPhone, which he has at his side 24/7 for work (corporate PR) and play.

So I've been around for a long, long year -- and also post many an image at @bvarphotos since Instagram is my favorite (that is, "creative" and "drama-free") social media platform.

Please join me this coming week at @jerseycollective, and get a little taste of life in New Jersey in 2018.

An example of what you might find?

Just this past week, I wandered around Paterson -- one of the most underestimated and misunderstood places in America. I have sympathy for the town, and just a few images to share:

Drove past this memorial mural along Presidential Blvd. in Paterson today, #july4th. It includes the words, “change for the better,” illustrated with a butterfly. It also shows a gun shooting out sunflowers, and notes the names of people who have died of violence in the area. #streetart #foundinnj #restinparadise 🦋

A post shared by Bob Varettoni (@bvarphotos) on Jul 4, 2018 at 12:43pm PDT

#tbt A visit to one of my favorite places, Lambert Castle, maintained by the Passaic County Historical Society. That’s the Cornu Clock (which belonged to Paterson silk baron Catholina Lambert and had been displayed at the Paris Exposition of 1867) in the center of the Grand Atrium. Lambert lived in the castle until his death in 1923, well after losing his fortune. The statue of Pandora in the corner is by American sculptor Chauncey Bradley Ives. #foundinnj #jerseycollective

A post shared by Bob V (@foundinnj) on Jul 5, 2018 at 11:40am PDT

Here's a somewhat related video -- not mine, and originally posted by Chris Pedota on www.northjersey.com -- of Paterson artist Said Elatab, who is inspired by the tragedies of his past.