A day of photography in Ellis Island, New York.
It's a crisp September morning in New York City, the day has not yet awakened, and I am stepping into Battery Park in lower Manhattan. I arrived late last night in New York; luckily, my hotel is just a few blocks away from my meeting point.
I am here to participate in a workshop with Joe McNally, organized by Liza Politi of Fancy Girls Street Boy Productions and the Save Ellis Island Foundation.
This trip was unplanned; Joe doesn't know... but when I decided to take back photography about 12/14 years ago, I was obsessed with his work, read all of his books, followed his Speedlight courses, etc.; he is truly a great inspiration. So, I joined last minute after receiving an email when a spot opened because of a cancelation. Simply, I couldn't resist the temptation of photographing the historical place and learning from Joe.
The south side of Ellis Island is home to some of the most significant remaining buildings from the island's days as a major immigration center. These include the hospital complex used to treat immigrants with medical conditions. Over twelve million people entered America thru Ellis Island between 1892 and 1954.
The federal government left Ellis Island abandoned for nearly 60 years. During this time, the site fell into disrepair. It began to crumble at every turn due to exposure to elements like wind or water damage and neglect by administrators who were not interested in investing any more money in it. But not anymore! The once proud immigration station is now being restored and preserved by the Save Ellis Island Foundation. The Foundation is a nonprofit partner of the National Park Service in restoring and maintaining the 29 unrestored buildings on Ellis Island's south side. The Foundation's mission is to preserve these buildings as an important part of American history and to provide educational programming that tells the story of Ellis Island and its role in our nation's immigration history.
The day started with a short safety memo; then, Joe spoke about what to expect and provided suggestions on what to photograph and see once inside. We had morning and afternoon photography sessions, a flash demonstration with Joe, and many tips throughout the day. The break during lunchtime suited for a slideshow and behind-the-scenes of some of Joe's fantastic work; I truly enjoyed this part, as he is also a great storyteller.
Thanks to this workshop, I wandered around with a small group of photographers and volunteers from the Save Ellis Island Foundation, making photos of the different abandoned areas at the Hospital Complex.
The state of disrepair, the architecture, and the history of this location makes for some fantastic photography opportunities. The way the light enters the different rooms and hallways produces different moods and is unique. Searching for elements and composition is natural, but in this place, the texture, shadows, colors, and reflections are also important aspects of what you can create.
My experience photographing Ellis Island was gratifying, and I love the results. I leave you here with a gallery of some of the images I liked the most. (Click on the images to enlarge them)
For the technical aspect, I photographed with the Fujifilm GFX 100S, most images with the Fuji GF 23mm F4, and some with the Fuji GF 45-100mm F4. This was my first time with the 45-100, and it is much more versatile than the shorter GF 32-64mm F4. After many years with the GFX system, I am finally settled on the combination of lenses I will take for traveling. My photo tour to Bhutan is coming next week, and I can't wait to try how the final kit will work for me there. But that is a topic for another post.
Lastly, Liza's organization level for this workshop was phenomenal, so I strongly recommend checking her company for upcoming events; she is extremely professional, and hey, maybe you luck up and end in one of Joe's workshops.
As always, if you have any questions or suggestions, don't hesitate to contact me, and feel free to leave a comment.
