Thursday, March 09, 2006

Contemplative


This is the New England Holocaust Memorial in Boston, taken from one end of the glass towers and looking through the walkway.

The design of the memorial consists of 6 glass towers which sit over dark emtpy chambers from which "smoke" (really steam) rises up to symbolize each of the major Nazi death camps/gas chambers. On the walls of each tower is engraved 6 million numbers meant to represent the tattoo ID's of the camp inhabitants. It's pretty striking during the day, but is super awesome at night. If you click on the link, it will take you to one of the best night shots I've ever seen of this memorial.

One of the reasons I really like this shot is because for me, it was an exercise in patience and vision. I had to sit and wait in the cold for a random stranger to get in the just the right spot, and be reading the wall while standing within the steam but not obscured by it, and be someone who was wearing a somber color rather than the bright colors that everyone seemed to be favoring that day.... :)

6 comments:

Sonja (Photographer/Owner) said...

This is a fabulous shot! I really think you waiting paid off.

kaye said...

Love the composition of this shot. It's one of those shots that when I first saw it on the page my reaction was 'OOOH!' The larger version seems a bit soft for me though. Great eye to capture this one!

Karen said...

Wow, excellent shot!!

Vikas said...

Same expression as Kaye!! but in words of 'WOW!!' ... really amazing shot!

TonyV said...

I like this a lot. The thing that gets me more than the person reading is the person carrying the bags ... almost like walking into the gas chambers so that the nazis could take everything.

enash said...

sriking indeed. I love it.