Tribute of Light 2004

This is the 3rd time the WTC tribute lights were lit. I was going for a more pure, pristine rendition this time.

I love the sole cloud that floated into the beams.

Here are my previous 2 versions: Traditional Color (2003) & Moody & Gritty (2002)Comments are appreciated!

Best shot I've seen thus far, great work. I love the long exposure and the details.

That's one of the best shots I've seen of the WTC lights.

This is one of the best night shots I've seen. Very captivating. 7/6

Your patience pays off.

a bit scary

Jon, I'm really jealous of yr shot. I was on the other side in dumbo, and saw that cloud approaching, but my wife was growing weary, and I was running on empty, and the cloud was still way north for me to wait for...I left at around 8:45 and the cloud was just north of the manhattan bridge. I must say this is the best shot I've seen...much better than the one on the front page of the NY times sunday edition. Makes me wish I would have waited.can you give us some tech info such as shutter and f/stop info?

thanks again for sharing, and job well done! cheers

This is one of the most elegant photographs I've seen of WTC lights. The cloud of souls is priceless in this shot. The clean, sleek, crisp elements you have managed are excellent, in my opinion.

 

You honor the memory of the lives taken and the architectural structures lost.

 

Thank you.

one of the best

Thank you all so much for your kind words.

 

I shot many pictures that night, some technically much better (like 3 mins @ f/22 @ ISO 100, clear skies), but when I saw this cloud entering the beam I hastily reset my camera settings to a quick 30s/f8/ISO 200 and took this shot. In the next shot the cloud had already passed out of the beams (So to clear up any confusion, I did not "add" that cloud using Photoshop, it was there, just like you see it).

 

All of my other shots seemed so "seen that before": a nice clear view of the city and lights, just like most other shots of the lights i've seen in the past.

 

One point of note is that I consciously shot very wide, to give people a sense of the endlessness of the beams. Even this shot doesn't do them justice, as they continue upward tenfold. So many of the published shots in the past are zoomed so far in on the buildings, where the lights lose their prominance.

 

The cloud adds an interesting subject to the picture, just like adding a person to a landscape/architecture photo will create a much more personal connection for the viewer.

 

In almost every comment i've gotten about this pic (including those not on this site), everyone seems drawn to the cloud, but for different reasons. To some it reminds them of the the planes hitting the towers, like an explosion. To others it's the spirits of those lost. It even reminded one person of doves of peace. Some have commented that the cloud disrupts the sense of peace that the lights were intended for (and maybe that's why it's so effective). It's interesting how almost every interpretation is different, like a psychological "ink blot" test.

 

This is why I love photo net. It really helps you understand WHY you & others like a particular picture, and that knowledge will help you more consciously shoot that way in the future.

Something is definitely happening in the cloud, it helps give the picture movement... What about putting the beams slightly off center?