One World Trade Center (and Neighbors), NYC, 2019.

[mattblaze@federate.social]

One World Trade Center (and Neighbors), NYC, 2019.

All the pixels, none of the vertigo, at https://www.flickr.com/photos/mattblaze/49291055921

#photography

[mattblaze@federate.social]

This was captured with the Rodenstock 70mm/5.6 HR Digaron-W lens. A large image circle allows room for considerable movements, used here to swing to selectively focus on the WTC tower. A polarizer darkened the clear sky a bit, as well as taming some of the highlights reflected off the glass wall of the tower.

The shape of the new One WTC makes the light catch it differently throughout the day and in different weather. I made several exposures at different times before settling on this one.

[mattblaze@federate.social]

It's generally simpler to capture tall skyscrapers like this from a distant vantage point; the classic photos of WTC are usually shot from Brooklyn or New Jersey. But here I wanted to show it as it's seen in the neighborhood. The foreground buildings look taller in the frame, but the (much taller) One WTC tower still stands out, given its uncrowded position in the skyline, as if its neighbors maintain a respectful distance.

[mattblaze@federate.social]

It's been difficult to separate the new World Trade Center building from that terrible day in 2001, but we now have the benefit of just enough time that we can begin to discuss the tower as a piece of architecture and as part of the skyline, on its own terms.

This photo was made shortly after the new building was completed.