The gleaming Manhattan skyline rising over the Hudson River is about as real as a stage prop to Cruz, Emilio and their friends. They can see this illusory panorama from their wind-swept perch — a collection of shacks tucked along cliffs in Union City, N.J.

In 2008, Ester Jove Soligue, 32, a Spanish photographer, began documenting this improvised neighborhood just inland from Weehawken Cove. She had been studying at the International Center of Photography, and had recently moved to Union City. A neighbor who had grown up in town told her about the encampment, which had been there for decades, and took her there.

Ester Jove Soligue

She discovered handmade shacks of tarp and lumber — some with little windows, and one with stairs — that were home to about 25 people during the winters. Some of them survived on government aid. Others found work as day laborers. Some were friendly to one another — lending a neighbor a few bucks to get through a tight spot — until alcohol got the best of them.

“I was shocked that people could live like this so close to a great city like New York,” she said. “I wondered: How did they live? What were their days like?”

It took some persuading to gain their trust. The first time she went to photograph Emilio, he stayed in his shack while she sat outside, talking for hours. “I never saw his face,” she said. “Then he came out and we spoke. As strange as it sounds, we talked about nothing and everything. We talked about where we were from and got to know each other.”

During her time visiting the cliffs, one man died, and another set fire to his shack and ended up being deported. Others, like Cruz, shared quieter moments with her, painting.

Ms. Jove Soligue still visits them.

“To be honest,” she said, “I feel good with them.”