Cantigny remembers our veterans

[i speak in math]

Approximately 2,200 luminaries will be placed on Cantigny’s Parade Field, each representing six 1st Infantry Division soldiers killed in action from World War I to the present. The candles will also stand in memory of the more than 650,000 men and women who gave their lives in combat since the Revolutionary War.

From Strobist

Nov 11, 2009
Model: PENTAX K20D
ISO: 400
Exposure: 10.0 sec
Aperture: f/5.6
Focal Length: 50mm
Flash Used: No

Strobist info: lp120 at 1/2 power from camera left triggered with cactus v4

[equilution]

What a great shot!! Excellent use of the lighting to catch ALL of the luminarias! Very powerful. Thanks for sharing!

[Desert Rose]

Very sobering. What a site to see that many candles burning for our soldiers that gave their lives for our freedom. This is a beautiful tribute to them.

[leonaashlee]

That's an ambitious project...and a really somber event. Thanks for sharing this.

[i speak in math]

thanks for the comments.

On a side note, this shot was a little tricky technically.

I needed a 10 sec exposure to get the candle light where I wanted it. But that would have left the soldier marching by nearly pitch black and completely blurred. I tried a played around with the flash and found 1/2 power looked about right. When the next soldier walked by, I blinded him.

Problem? Yes. The candles had burned into the frame (10 sec exposure, remember?). When I flashed the soldier, it left his image superimposed over the luminaries. This made him look slightly transparent and ghost-like.

I had to catch the soldier in between the luminaries so that none of them shown through him.

I used my voice activated boom to hold the flash and looked through the viewfinder. When the soldier got to the perfect spot, I hit the shutter.