April 25, 2012

Photo of the Week: April 25, 2012


HOW I GOT THE SHOT: I am a photo opportunist, which is to say wherever I travel, including sometimes to routine local assignments, I invest a little time curiously wandering in search of new pictures. On the heels of a job at a local synagogue, I peeked into the sanctuary and discovered the bimah had been specially adorned for Independence Day. The unique design of the Israeli flag allows manufacturers to create flags of any length by elongating the dark blue stripes. Throughout the country one can see single flags which hang five stories or more on hotels and skyscrapers. Here, soft, diffuse light poured into the room from a wall of windows off to the left of the photo, offering plenty of light for a handheld exposure at a slightly elevated ISO. I composed the image with the flag off center to allow the inclusion of all the additional blue-toned fabric drapes.

The Israeli flag evokes special pride in me, not only because of its beauty and the rich symbolism of its design, but also because of the deep integrity of the nation it represents. As we move from mourning to merriment during the annual Memorial Day-Independence Day observances, Israelis can take great pride in our nation's continuing strength and ongoing contributions to the spiritual and material welfare of the entire world.


TECHNICAL DATA: Nikon D700, handheld, manual exposure, evaluative metering mode, f4 at 1/100th sec., ISO 800. Raw file converted to Jpeg. Lens: Nikon 50 mm fixed focal length.  Date: June 1, 2011, 9:27 a.m. Location: Beit Knesset Tifferet Avot, Efrat, Gush Etzion.