Photo of the Week: Mar. 31, 2010

HOW I GOT THE SHOT: Passover is one of the three pilgrimage festivals of the Jewish year. When the Temple stood on Mt. Moriah, Jews from across the region would walk to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices and participate in festivities and prayer. I can only imagine how these weary travelers felt as they crested the final hill on their long, arduous journey and saw their destination – the holy city of Jerusalem – laid out before them.

Of course it looked a lot different back then. For one, what we now call the "old city" was the entire city. And there were no electric lights to illuminate the city's ancient walls. This photograph features a twilight view of new and old Jerusalem from the Haas Promenade in Talpiot. As with many other photographs, selecting a specific time to photograph makes a huge difference in both the appearance and feel of the image. At twilight, there is a mix of waning daylight, still visible in the light blue sky, and artificial light, which only impacts the scene as the sky darkens. At this time of day, the light changes so quickly that only a photograph can capture and preserve it to be appreciated in another moment. Moadim L'simcha.

Technical Data: Nikon D300, 18-200 zoom at 95 mm, f8 at 1/5sec.

Photo of the Week: Dec. 16, 2007

HOW I GOT THE SHOT: Jerusalem of Gold gets its name from the beautiful glow of golden light cast by the setting sun on the walls of the old city. Until I shot this picture, I wouldn't have considered trying to capture those "golden moments" after the sun had set. In this photo, however, the sun has already dipped below the horizon, but the last moments of daylight combine with artificial light to create an unusual view of this grand subject. At this time of day, because the light is changing so rapidly, a photograph is able to preserve a moment of beauty that the eye can barely perceive, and even if it does, it is lost almost as quickly as it is discovered. The most evocative photos often emerge from these transitional times, such as the clearing of a storm, or the morning and evening twilight.