Last year there was a great deal of hoopla about the 10th anniversary of the tragedy of 9/11. The anniversary is always a time to reflect on what happened that day and all that has happened since. This year was a bit different, Sept 11 seemed to appear almost by stealth. Of course none of us will ever forget that day. But this time the fanfare wasn't there - though we all note the day in our own way. However, this evening while I was driving home, I realized that I could see the "Tribute in Light " from my car. It seemed to be calling me, so I decided at the last minute to drive to the Yonkers Waterfront. When I got there, there were several local residents doing the same thing. It was a lovely evening, cool and crisp so quite a few people were looking at the lights and taking in the memorial plaque and observing the lights from the vantage point of the waterfront. Then I realized that I had my telephoto lens and camera box with me, so I decided to try and take a picture.
This is not one of my best shots. The Tribute of light is to the left of the bridge - they are faint even though this is quite a long exposure. The lights on the pier got in the way a bit and I didn't have a bulb release for the shutter -so camera shake was a problem. The lights on the George Washington Bridge were also a distraction. In order to see the lights, I had to overexpose the shots so that the sky and water appeared a strange color of tan. When I tried to correct that later, the lights disappeared. So I decided to use a black and white version. But being there on the pier was worth the time. The names on the plaque next to me told the story of lives snuffed out all too soon. I counted 24 names - all Yonkers residents.
Our lives may have moved on, but they have never been the same - which is as it should be.
© 2012 - RGHicks - http://fotosonthefly.biz - All rights reserved.
