Remembrance

Each December, Antietam National Battlefield visitors remember the more than 23,000 fallen soldiers from the epic September 17, 1862 Civil War battle. Sand, candles, and paper bags are combined to make a glowing memorial to the soldiers, and thousands come at dusk to drive through the park.

Photographing the illumination is a somber event. Evening light dims, and voices drop. My task is to make a front page photo on deadline. Critical to achieving that is being in place, ready to shoot, during the short window of "magic light." The 20 minutes or so of falling light at dusk saturates colors and drops details in shadow areas. The glow from the luminaria comes close to the brightness (dimness?) of the sky, and neither overpowers the other. Add just a couple of elements - cannon and photographer silhouette - and a lovely photo results.