New York Monument
This tall granite column stands on the Antietam battlefield to honor the New York troops who fought here in September 1862, and its classical form and weathered stone make it a compelling subject against open sky. Shooting from a low angle looking up emphasizes the monument's height and gives you a clean background of sky, which works especially well with dramatic clouds rolling through. A mid-range zoom in the 24-70mm range handles both tight detail shots of the inscriptions and wider compositions that place the column within the surrounding battlefield landscape. Early morning light is ideal, when soft directional shadows bring out the texture of the stone and the fields are quiet. The site is easy to reach by car along the battlefield's tour road, and you have room to circle the monument and find the angle that best catches the available light. (Sharpsburg, Maryland, United States)
