Photographer Scot Surbeck Has An Eye For Just About Everything

On Jan. 3, 2005, a chance stroll down Park Street towards Watchung Plaza changed architect Scot Surbeck's life.

"A car was on fire and it was a parked grey sedan," he explained. "A high voltage wire had fallen on top of it. That wire ignited the car's engine.

"I immediately started shooting photos and then a firemen sprayed water on it, which created huge flames and an incredible image," he said.

The result was "Car Fire at Watchung Plaza," a photograph he took with his Nikon D-70 that hooked him on taking pictures. It's a passion that has won him a large fan base. Not only does he shoot for the Friends of Anderson Park, but he also is staff photographer for the Manhanttan Sailing Club in New York City.

"After that photo I started shooting photos all over the place and I started to attract a lot of followers," he said.

But photography wasn't his first career choice. Indeed, a career in the arts is something that offended the sensibilities of his father, a military man and engineer who expected Surbeck to follow in his footsteps.

And, as was expected of him, Surbeck initially earned a degree in mechanical engineering at Lafayette College in Pennsylvania, then moved to New York City in the 1970s and nabbed a job at Westinghouse Electric.

"But I hated engineering and the whole corporate culture," he said.

Eventually Surbeck left Westinghouse to study architecture, even setting up his own firm in Manhattan before making a move to Montclair some 16 years ago.

"I did what so many people here do ... [his former wife and] I lived in Manhattan and then Brooklyn Heights and then Park Slope and then Montclair," he said. "We had three children and thought Montclair was a great place to live."

Surbeck said that whenever work at his architectural firm was slow he'd shoot photos to keep his creative juices flowing. Then came that photo of the car on fire. It was immediately published on a community blog and compliments started pouring in.

"In architecture, it's delayed gratification, but with photography you get immediate gratification," he said.

Surbeck's interest has moved more recently towards street photography and an exhibit of his work - 48 photos in total - at the Montclair Public Library certainly illustrates the breadth of his work and his experience.

Check it out before the display ends on July 31. An array of photos are on display, including "Two Women in New York," which was recently awarded second place in the annual American Society of Media Professionals -- N.J. fine arts competition.

For more information on the exhibit, call 973-744-0500, ext. 2221. Or go here.

Surbeck's photos are also for sale. Prints cost $295 and framed images are $395.