Tribute in Lights - NYC - C&C

PenguinPhotoWrx

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I wasn't going to post this because it really isn't my best work. This shot was taken at the Monmouth County 9/11 memorial in Atlantic Highlands, NJ on 9/11/10. There was no light anywhere so I was adjusting the camera completely by feel.

DSC_0022.jpg


Nikon D5000, ISO 400, VR 55-200mm lens @ 200 mm, f/5.6 @ 6 seconds. Manual focus (which is a challenge with my eyes!).

Curious what you think about the photo in general. This is a case where I don't believe the Rule of Thirds would work.
 
I've seen quite a few Tribute in Lights shots all over the web this AM...I think you did a fantastic job of using out of focus foreground objects to frame the tower of light!
 
Rule of thirds is just a guideline. This is an instance where centering the light works (for me, might not for others).

The rest of the image though is kinda meh. There is a lack of sharpness in the city, My eye is really distracted by the branches and stuff around the front of the frame.

Love the concept of the light, would of preferred closer in to the city and no branches...and sharper
 
Thanks! I appreciate the kind words.

The photo is slightly out of focus, which is why I hesitated to post it. I was in manual focus and I need reading glasses- but the diopter correction on my D5000 comes up just a tad short, so I have to look at an add-on eyepiece for this camera. So manual focus at night is a challenge, to say the least.

If I had taken a photo closer to the city and with no branches, I felt it would have been like any one of a thousand other photos of this particular subject. Plus, that would have required a trip up to northern NJ when this memorial is only a couple of miles from my house, or I would have had to dunk myself in Raritan Bay since I'm standing on a cliff here. I think the branches lend a unique feel to the Lights, as well as provide a unique perspective from the memorial where I was standing.

Had I spent more time with it, I would have also eliminated the large dark area at the bottom of the photo, or at least reduced it a bit.

Funny story- I got a kick out of all the people around me shooting the same picture I was with their point and shoot cameras- every one of them had the flash on and got a very well exposed picture of the branches in front of us... and as they all walked away every one of them pointed at me and said "I have to get a camera like that!"
 
Having to focus in the dark without glasses? I'm surprised you got it as close as you did :)

And good on you for trying something out of the norm. I personally dont think it works, but as you can tell by other responses here, thats just a difference in artist opinions.
 
Having to focus in the dark without glasses? I'm surprised you got it as close as you did :)

And good on you for trying something out of the norm. I personally dont think it works, but as you can tell by other responses here, thats just a difference in artist opinions.

... and that is what I asked for!

Yeah, I was just pointing out to change the photo would have required a huge change in location (50-60 miles in this case).
 
i kinda like the branches.. it didn't take away my attention from the light, the light was the first thing that caught my eye when i looked at it.. if the branches were in focus that would have killed it for sure..
so reading glasses.. yeah, i share your pain, i avoid manual focus like it's the plague, the ones i focus manually never turn out sharp either. i'm not sure on the d5000 but most nikon cameras allow you to move the focus area selector (the little box you see in the viewfinder that it is focusing on) to different areas. look in your book and see if you can do that
a bit more saturation or contrast in the sky area only might help it to look better as well if you are good at your post processing techniques

Mike

http://www.michaelleggero.com
 

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