Photography by Bernard Ente
June 19, 2004
'Sphere' sculpture in Battery Park. Designed by Fritz Koenig
as a symbol of peace. It stood in WTC Plaza for 30 years.
I hosted a tour for photographers today. They were all first-time visitors to NYC. I wanted to give them the best photo opportunities a short tour could offer.
After meeting at Pennsylvania Station, we took the subway to South Ferry. A cruise on the 9:30 a.m. Staten Island Ferry offered dramatic views of downtown Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty. Returning to Battery Park, the group checked out the various tourist hotspots such as the WTC Sphere memorial, street performers, and even the pigeons. Next we walked north on Broadway, admiring the architecture and popping into any lobbies that were open. Everyone took the usual posed shot next to the Wall Street bull. A quick look at the WTC site to pay our respects and then a short walk to City Hall Park. It was a lively scene as there was a rock concert going on at one end, and a protest demonstration at the other. We were happy to leave the area and enjoy peace and quiet and cool breezes on the Brooklyn Bridge pedestrian walkway. Touching down in Brooklyn, we bought sandwiches and enjoyed lunch in Brooklyn Bridge Park. Our last stop was Fulton Ferry, where we enjoyed ice cream and watched the parade of wedding parties arriving for photos. At 5:00 p.m. I escorted the group back to Pennsylvania Station by subway.
The following images are my personal favorites from the day. Not all locations are shown as I do not take many photos on my own tours. I have seen these sights dozens of times. However, the other photographers were blasting away. Most of them shot over 500 images. All were using digital SLR's.
Lower Manhattan from Staten Island Ferry
Construction at South Ferry
Governor's Island Ferry and Brooklyn Heights
