As you can imagine, I look at thousands of photos each year for these galleries. There are always some that simply stand out.
Close, but not eggs-zactly.
Not because they were taken by professional photographers who've had years to perfect their craft, but because they were taken by folks like you and me, usually using the basic cameras we had available to us back in the day.
Sometimes it's the composition, perhaps an unintentional balance of shapes or lines. It could be the lighting, or perhaps the contrasting shades.
MORE: Vintage photos around New Jersey
But what makes them truly works of art in my mind was that for the most part, they just ... happened. People going about their daily lives, inanimate objects positioned just right.
Here's a selection of some vintage New Jersey photos that we think qualify as works of art. And here's a link to last year's gallery.
Greg Hatala may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @GregHatala. Find Greg Hatala on Facebook.