One World Trade Center
One World Trade Center dominates the Lower Manhattan skyline and offers compelling photographic opportunities both up close and from a distance. At street level, position yourself at the 9/11 Memorial reflecting pools to use the water's surface for reflections of the tower, or shoot upward from the base to emphasize its dramatic taper and mirrored glass facade. The surrounding plaza lets you experiment with wide-angle compositions that include the memorial pools, trees, and surrounding buildings as foreground elements. A 16-35mm lens works well for the grand scale, while a longer focal length from across the Hudson in New Jersey flattens perspective and isolates the tower against the skyline. Blue hour, just after sunset, is particularly rewarding when the building's glass catches the last warm tones and the city lights begin to emerge. The memorial is free to walk through and gives you consistent access to clean, unobstructed angles. (New York City, New York, United States)
