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Battery Park City - MARK MILLEN
From Batery Park City adjacent to the former World Trade Center. (sigh!) I had good clouds that day. Taken about 15 minutes before sunset. I used the 28mm Biogon with a polarizing filter.
| Camera: | Contax G1 |
| Lens: | Carl Zeiss Biogon 28mm f/2.8 |
| Film: | Agfa Ultra 50 |
| Exposure: | unknown |
| Flash: | |
| Support: | |
| Filter: | |
| Adjustment: | |
| Posted: | 24-Jan-2002 |
Rating: 8.55 (22 ratings)
Comments
* W O N D E R F U L *
Stright 9 ...
Carlo Consoli 24-Jan-2002 at 06:34It's hard to use a polarizing filter on a rangefinder camera! Nice shot.
lillo bello 24-Jan-2002 at 06:44I forgot to say that it's so perfectly centered! I could never do that with a G.
lillo bello 24-Jan-2002 at 06:47Wow!
This is very striking, but to me it raises some of the issues which have been discussed in the list recently. Is it real?, or rather, how real is it? If it's wholly or even mainly real it's very impressive.
Steve McBride 24-Jan-2002 at 07:00Stunning
and I guess real or at least could be done entirely in camera. I wonder if this is still there?
Charez Golvala 24-Jan-2002 at 07:06Are you sure you didn't "draw" the building in PS? :-)
Kidding...absolutely great shot!
Filipas 24-Jan-2002 at 09:52Superb
How do you use a polarizing filter with a rangefinder camera? Excuse my stupidity, but I'm new at this.
John Wall 24-Jan-2002 at 11:41Eye catching
Very nice image, could be the cover shot for a magazine. Nice work!
Karl Winkler 24-Jan-2002 at 16:42Stunning but
wow, it does not look like a photograph. I would be quite surprised if one's eye visualized this scene as it appears on my monitor. I suppose that the film's saturation accounts for this. It reminds me that, after a trial of Velvia on St. Barts, I decided that Velvia was too saturated for my taste. My wife, a painter with an artist's eye, upon seeing "Battery Park City," said, "That is not a photograph." This mistaken observation makes everyone's point that image manipulation can be accomplished by many means, including film choice, lighting, darkroom technique, and computer expertise. Some of us are troubled that the art of photography is being swallowed, or at least merged into, the art of computer manipulation. We are already almost overwhelmed by the old challenges of "pure" photography. You are entitled to your own philosophical view, but I considere "Battery Park City" a stunning photograph.
George Shadoan 24-Jan-2002 at 19:16And,
least I forget, filters! What unreality one can create with filters.
George Shadoan 24-Jan-2002 at 19:19By the way
You could probably sell this photo to the owners of that building...
glen 24-Jan-2002 at 19:36Make it EZ
For those how want to use a Polarizer filter on a rangefinder camera Leica makes one.This Leica is a swing-out mount on the lens there are three parts to it and it COST A LOT ($400+). I think this is nice work a
Nathan Gill 25-Jan-2002 at 12:54Wow! I can't beleive the response I got! You guys are great. I wish I could respond to all of you individually. To answer some of your questions: This building still stands as well as the blue sculpture in front. The other side of the building was peppered with debris from the collapse and was also impaled by a girder. Yes, this is a real image. I wish you could be here to see the original negative. Those clouds were actually there. The polarizing filter really increases the contrast between clouds and sky and also darkens the sky considerably. The sun is almost on the horizon so the sky has it's highest polarization straight up. To use a polarizing filter on a rangefinder just point the 'dot' on the polarizing filter in the direction of the sun. You can experiment with the filter off the camera to see how this works. The exterior of this building is sandstone. it looks even more saturated because of two things: one the sun is giving off a strong golden light; two the Agfa film has strong color saturaton. Unfortunately, Agfa no longer markets this film here. (Too bad.) To get this image I am almost on the ground right in front of the sculpture. If any of you are in the area of The Bronx, feel free to contact me. I'd love to get together and share images. When I scan images into my computer i prretty much limit myself to cropping and removing dust. ocasionally I'll remove an offending lamppost or sign. I like to keep the images as original as possible. This way if i want to get a real photographic enlargement I can take the computer print and give it to the darkroom technician so he can see how to crop and color balance etc. I love these perspective shots. new York offers a lot of oportunities for this kind of image. You'll see more in the future. Once again, thank you so much for all your coments.
MARK MILLEN 25-Jan-2002 at 22:48Striking stuff
You very obviously love New York like I love London. A quick request. Have you any pictures of the big tenement houses down by, er, Avenue A & B (I think) which have appeared in several pop videos (and on the cover of Physical Graffiti)? I really loved those buildings and would love to see some new pictures from you (in Black and white, of course ;) or anyone else here...
Vish Vishvanath 09-Mar-2002 at 09:41Stunning
What a fantastic shot
Mal Grant 15-Mar-2003 at 03:41dramatic with a "D"
they all said it, the dramatic angle and colors pack a double punch
Gregg Humphrey 12-Apr-2003 at 17:10yeow!
Great!
Klamcake 10-Nov-2003 at 20:03