Statue of Liberty
As I mentioned in Blog post Part One, I’ll discuss my Statue Of Liberty photo shoot in another Blog post. I made the most of clear blue sky to photograph Lady Liberty— making sure I caught details, from her torch, to her crown.
I took this shot while standing directly in front to provide a majestic view of Lady Liberty. My zoom lens enabled me to get this close-up.
Appreciating Old Glory
Perhaps other photographers would have color corrected this initial Ellis Island American Flag photo to match the hue/colors of the later photos. Rather than do that here, I show the original to point out how my photo could have been better.
Picturephant is all about teaching photography. We should learn from photos we take. So Picturephant is unafraid to admit when a photo could have been better.
The photographer I am today would have shot the entire sequence in Full Manual mode for complete control. But that day— and a camera ago— I favored Aperture Priority mode to get detail. In Aperture Priority mode, you set the aperture, and your camera determines the shutter speed.
At this point, the ferry slowed to dock. So I took advantage of the relative stillness to take this zoom shot at 480mm using ISO 400, aperture f11, and shutter speed 1/640th second— which proved too slow. This mix of ISO, aperture, and shutter speed produced a photo that could have been sharper and more vivid. While still a good photo, it shows the limits of using Aperture Priority mode.
I point this out to also show how the photographer can take charge to find better settings, as you’ll see next.
Tight Close-up
Now 5 seconds after my Ellis Island American Flag photo, I zoomed out to 394mm and widened my aperture to f9, which caused my camera to increase the shutter speed to 1/1,250th second for the Ellis Island Flag and One World Trade Center close-up. Remember, I was on a ferry moving around towards the dock. So I needed more shutter speed. Though I was in Aperture Priority mode, I thought about shutter speed. By widening my aperture to f9, I knew my camera would use a faster shutter speed.
While my aperture was wider to take in more light, it produced less detail than at a narrower aperture of f11 or f13. But, my camera compensated for f9 by increasing the shutter speed— which resulted in a sharper photo than my Ellis Island American Flag photo. That sharpness resulted because I shot at a faster shutter speed. The colors were more true to what I saw, too.
Taking In The Two Towers
When I zoomed out to fully take in what I was witnessing, everything came together. By then, just 5 seconds after I took the Ellis Island Flag and One World Trade Center close-up, I remained at f9. But because I zoomed out to 96mm, my camera increased the shutter speed to 1/1,600th second.
I preserved this moment because I was ready to change camera settings while it happened before my eyes. When I turned behind to photograph the Ellis Island American Flag, every other person was looking forward and past me towards the dock. They missed this incredible sight.
I was likely the only one who saw the Ellis Island American Flag beside and at exactly the same height as One World Trade Center— which stands 1,776 feet tall. Because the ferry was still docking, this was a fleeting moment. I caught it.
Throughout all of these photos, I stayed focused on the Ellis Island American Flag, brilliantly lit by the Sun. In this photo, One World Trade Center and the Manhattan skyline are not as sharp as the Ellis Island American Flag, which was far closer than the buildings. I didn’t have to do any post-production sweetening to this shot. The Sun makes the American Flag stand out.
When I zoomed out to find the Ellis Island American Flag right beside One World Trade Center, I couldn’t believe it. So I took the photo to preserve what I couldn’t believe I saw.
That’s how a camera can produce and preserve an amazing moment.
Whenever I look at my photo, I get the same goose bumps I experienced when I pushed the shutter button.
General Settings
Statue Of Liberty: ISO 400, Aperture f11, Shutter Speed 1/640th Second
Ellis Island American Flag: ISO 400, Aperture f11, Shutter Speed 1/640th Second
Ellis Island American Flag And One World Trade Center Close-up: ISO 400, Aperture f9, Shutter Speed 1/1,250th Second
Two Towers— Ellis Island American Flag Beside One World Trade Center: ISO 400, Aperture f9, Shutter Speed 1/1,600th Second
Photo Tips
While taking these shots on a windy morning, I was buffeted by the strong gusts and shifting boat. Instead of standing rigid to keep my balance, I loosened my quads/legs like shock absorbers to cushion me from the movement. Rather than keep my feet together, I spread my feet a bit— like 2 legs of a tripod— for stability. To photograph action while you are also moving, stand ready to move, rather than fully rigid.
Here was a case study in the use of a zoom lens. I began zoomed in on my subject, but as One World Trade Center appeared behind the Ellis Island American Flag, I zoomed out to take in the full view. Only when I zoomed out, could I take everything in.
Review & Refine! It all happened so fast. I took these 3 American Flag photos within 10 seconds. But I instinctively adjusted settings on the fly to get the best shots I could. Keep checking your shots to see if your settings are good enough. The more you’re willing to improve your settings, the better a photographer you will be!
Experience The Statue of Liberty 5 By 30 Inches Storyteller Photo.
This composite of 6 photos celebrates the Statue Of Liberty in all her glory.
Want To See More Patriotic Photos? Check Out The Patriotic Gallery.
